As Clear as Crystal 

By Karen Pereczes

As appeared in Chat - It's Fate magazine. Copyright Karen Pereczes 2005.

 

'Chuen' - the monkey skull. 

 

According to various Native American legends, there are thirteen life-sized crystal skulls that hold within the key to the mysteries of the universe. It has long been prophesised that a time will come when the sacred knowledge of the skulls - containing vital information about our true origin and destiny - will once again be available to humankind. That time is rapidly approaching...

In Western culture, the skull is a grisly symbol of doom - like the pirate 'skull and crossbones' and the warning on the label of bottles of toxic chemicals and poisons. Death, it seems, is something to be afraid of... something to avoid at all costs. Throughout Native American culture, however, the skull is seen in a positive light. Perhaps this is due to their belief that death is not 'the end', but is instead a gateway to other dimensions and a new cycle of life. In Mexico, the 'Day of the Dead' traditionally takes place every 1^st and 2^nd of November, to honour their ancestors. These festivities are a joyful occasion involving the whole family - where children eat sugar skulls bearing the names of their dead ancestors.

Quartz crystal is a permanent material that does not age or decay. It has many natural properties that are useful to us, from the spiritual to the technological. Quartz has long been a healing tool used by many cultures worldwide - in rain-making ceremonies by Native American and Aboriginal people, and in the sacred rituals of Shamans. The Japanese called quartz 'the crystallized breath of the white dragon' and the Greeks called it 'Holy Ice', believing it was shed by the tears of the Gods. It has been used throughout the ages to commune with spirits, amplify psychic powers, and as a tool in the form of a crystal ball to foresee the future.

Modern scientists have discovered that quartz has a positive and negative polarity, like a battery. When pressure is applied, it generates electricity. Quartz is highly valuable to the electronics industry - we use pure, 'cultured' quartz in our television sets, radios and mobile phones and at the heart of our computers, where there lies a tiny silicon crystal chip. Quartz is particularly important in precision time-keeping and is even used in the atomic clock - the most accurate clock in the world by which all others are measured.

Probably the most famous crystal skull is a virtually accurate replica of a human skull, including a detachable lower jaw. It is said to have been discovered among the ancient Mayan ruins of Lubaantum in 1924 by 17 year old Anna Mitchell-Hedges whilst on an expedition with her father, British explorer and archaeologist Frederick Albert Mitchell-Hedges.

In 1970, the Mitchell-Hedges skull was loaned to computer and electronic manufacturers Hewlett Packard for scientific study. Tests found it was made from one solid block of pure, clear quartz - although around 80% of the earth's crust contains natural quartz crystal, large pieces of this particular quartz are very rare.  Researchers were surprised to discover that the skull had been carved against the natural axis of the crystal - a process that should have made the piece shatter. In addition, there was no trace of any tool mark and they had to conclude that it had been made entirely by hand! Natural quartz crystal is one of the hardest materials in the world, slightly softer than diamond, and is an incredibly difficult medium to carve... even using modern diamond-tipped power tools, crafting something this complex would be an extremely complicated and time-consuming task. One researcher is said to have exclaimed: "The damned thing simply shouldn’t exist!"

How was such a sophisticated object created? No one truly knows where the ancient Maya came from, and their sudden disappearance around AD 830 is a mystery. Part of an old Mayan book, which was destroyed in 1691, stated that Palenque was built by peaceful people who came from a land called 'Valum Chivim' in the Atlantic - led by a man called Pacal Votan. During their original voyage by sea to Palenque, they 'stopped off on the way at the Dwelling of the Thirteen'. Could this have been the mythical Atlantis - home of the original 13 crystal skulls? 

What remains of the ancient Mayan civilisation reveals they were an advanced civilization of astronomers and mathematicians, who kept the most detailed records of time.  According to their sacred calendar, the world 'as we know it' will end on December 22^nd 2012 when, according to the prophecy, it is said we will move into an 'Age of Light'. The Mayan word for crystal means 'light' and 'knowledge', which is what they believe the skulls will bring to humanity to help with this transition. The crystal skulls will soon be returned to their original places - to activate the energy sacred centres around the world, including Stonehenge.

Joshua and Desy Shapiro, co-authors of their new book 'Journeys of a Crystal Skull Explorer', have been both studying and working with crystal skulls for many years. Says Joshua: "I believe that all activated crystal skulls have in some manner their own unique awareness and consciousness. Many people's lives have been changed after they have had contact with a crystal skull. They contain special frequencies and energies that can be used as a catalyst for healing or awakening the sleeping part of our innermost being or spiritual essence. They are also being utilized for special healing ceremonies and meditations to help Mother Earth in her process to evolve into a higher dimension or vibrational state."

  

Can the skulls contain the key to accessing the ancient knowledge of our ancestors, by activating inherited memories, genetically stored within our own minds? Scientists at Hewlett Packard recognise that natural quartz crystal has an information storage capacity. Joshua agrees: "I believe they are a type of storage device for special cosmic wisdom and knowledge. In the near future, the wisdom stored in some of the ancient skulls - which could be thousands upon thousands of years old - will assist humanity to move into a time of total peace."

The Maya believe that all life is connected - that we are part of a universal family that includes beings from other planets, and that a long, long time ago humankind had direct communication with them. Says Joshua: "Through our personal research and direct experiences with the crystal skulls, as well as speaking to a number of people from all over the world, we believe that the first crystal skulls were brought to Earth as a gift to humanity by other galactic civilizations." Joshua and Desy feel that to fully understand the crystal skulls, the UFO/crystal skull connection needs to be explored more thoroughly. They have founded the 'World Mystery Research Centre' - involving paranormal and scientific research to help understand these mysteries, including the crystal skulls. They are currently establishing a sister centre in England and anyone interested in helping them to do so or wishing to participate in their on-going research can contact: joshuashapiro@hetnet.nl.

Although there are many crystal skulls in various locations around the world, only a few are considered to be ancient. Most crystal skulls are stylised in appearance, with teeth that are simply etched onto a single skull piece, like 'Max' the Healing Skull - a clear quartz skull that originated in Guatemala and was given to JoAnn Parks of Houston, Texas, by a Tibetan spiritualist. Other crystal skulls include the purple quartz Amethyst Skull from Mexico (known as 'Ami' - meaning ‘friend’) and the Mayan Crystal Skull from Guatemala - both brought to the U.S. by a Mayan priest. They, too, were studied by scientists at Hewlett Packard and were also found to have been cut against the axis of the crystal. 'E.T' is a smoky quartz skull, found while excavating a Mayan temple in 1906. Its owner, Joke van Dieten, is the author of 'Messengers of Ancient Wisdom', which tells her personal story of how 'E.T' helped her to heal a brain tumour. 'Sha-Na-Ra' and 'The Rainbow Skull' are clear quartz skulls, located by psychic skull researcher Nick Nocerino on an excavation in Guerro Provence in Mexico. The skulls known as the British Crystal Skull - on display at the British Museum in London, and the Paris Crystal Skull - at the Trocadero Museum in Paris, are thought to have been bought by mercenaries in Mexico in the 1860's. They are made from a cloudier clear crystal and are not as finely sculpted as the Mitchell-Hedges skull. According to legend, there are skulls that are yet to be discovered...

Says Joshua: "The message of the crystal skulls is hope for the future. They are returning into the public eye to announce that this time of peace is close at hand. Their function is to awaken us to our true inner potential and to bring back the wisdom of the ancient. For those who would like to know more about the crystal skulls, the key is to have an experience with one."