Testing, Testing: Is This Crystal On?

Do you believe that crystals have special powers or energies? I don't know myself, but they are beautiful and alluring. Just look at this one from Brazil, 26 inches tall and 32 pounds. It now sits at Mountain Light Sanctuary in the garden circle thanks, in part, to yours truly.

If you're a longtime reader, you may recall that Mountain Light, located near Asheville, North Carolina, is a favorite retreat of mine. The owner recently emailed frequent visitors describing his intention to purchase this crystal and place it in the garden. He decided to do so by inviting people to donate toward the purchase and with the donation become part of a far-flung Mountain Light "intentional community."

The owner, Michael, said to send with our donation a piece of paper on which we should write our intention for 2009. He would then permanently place all these intentions underneath the crystal--the idea being that as we gave positive energy to our individual intentions each time we thought of the crystal, we would also be supporting the intentions of others as well.

Hokey, maybe, but I thought it was cool. I jumped at the chance to contribute, to help make manifest in some small way another touch of beauty and harmony in this wonderful retreat up in the Pisgah National Forest.

So, the crystal was purchase and placed in the garden on Sunday, May 3. I wasn't able to attend, but Michael sent some photos of the dedication ceremony, attended by roughly 60 folks.

Michael says he received donations and intentions from 91 people from 7 countries--Dominican Republic, Israel, Mexico, Paraguay, Turkey, the UK & the USA--now part of his Mountain Light Intentional Community. How cool is that?!

Wondering about my intention? I'm afraid I'm keeping that secret for now. Somehow, it feels right to keep it private, to nurture it, think on the crystal and see what happens. I know nothing is private in the blogosphere, but I hope you'll indulge me on this one thing, which feels quite sacred and personal.

It's been exactly 1 year since I last visited Mountain Light--hmmm, interesting. Don't know when I'll return, but when I do, I look forward to seeing the beauty of the crystal in person, with the knowledge that my intention will have broken down by then, making itself part of the rich mountain soil. It's my gift to this special place, and it feels as if I'll always be a part of it from now on.

Click here for more on Mountain Light Sanctuary, one of my personal sacred places.

If you're a crystal freak, check out the Web site of the dealer who provided the crystal for Mountain Light: www.thequantumawakening.com.

Testing, Testing: Is This Crystal On?

Do you believe that crystals have special powers or energies? I don't know myself, but they are beautiful and alluring. Just look at this one from Brazil, 26 inches tall and 32 pounds. It now sits at Mountain Light Sanctuary in the garden circle thanks, in part, to yours truly.

If you're a longtime reader, you may recall that Mountain Light, located near Asheville, North Carolina, is a favorite retreat of mine. The owner recently emailed frequent visitors describing his intention to purchase this crystal and place it in the garden. He decided to do so by inviting people to donate toward the purchase and with the donation become part of a far-flung Mountain Light "intentional community."

The owner, Michael, said to send with our donation a piece of paper on which we should write our intention for 2009. He would then permanently place all these intentions underneath the crystal--the idea being that as we gave positive energy to our individual intentions each time we thought of the crystal, we would also be supporting the intentions of others as well.

Hokey, maybe, but I thought it was cool. I jumped at the chance to contribute, to help make manifest in some small way another touch of beauty and harmony in this wonderful retreat up in the Pisgah National Forest.

So, the crystal was purchase and placed in the garden on Sunday, May 3. I wasn't able to attend, but Michael sent some photos of the dedication ceremony, attended by roughly 60 folks.

Michael says he received donations and intentions from 91 people from 7 countries--Dominican Republic, Israel, Mexico, Paraguay, Turkey, the UK & the USA--now part of his Mountain Light Intentional Community. How cool is that?!

Wondering about my intention? I'm afraid I'm keeping that secret for now. Somehow, it feels right to keep it private, to nurture it, think on the crystal and see what happens. I know nothing is private in the blogosphere, but I hope you'll indulge me on this one thing, which feels quite sacred and personal.

It's been exactly 1 year since I last visited Mountain Light--hmmm, interesting. Don't know when I'll return, but when I do, I look forward to seeing the beauty of the crystal in person, with the knowledge that my intention will have broken down by then, making itself part of the rich mountain soil. It's my gift to this special place, and it feels as if I'll always be a part of it from now on.

Click here for more on Mountain Light Sanctuary, one of my personal sacred places.

If you're a crystal freak, check out the Web site of the dealer who provided the crystal for Mountain Light: www.thequantumawakening.com.

Sacred Places: Road to Mayan Underworld Found!

This isn't breaking news, but an archaeologist in Mexico continues excavating sinkhole caves, or cenotes, in the Yucatan Peninsula, and he's found a series of caves that appear to be the real-world representation of Xibalba, the mythical Mayan underworld. Apparently, he keeps finding cool, creepy stuff!

This is pretty crazy--you descend into an underwater sinkhole and then, for whatever reason, crawl through darkness and human bones, around sharp stalactites and nasty critters like scorpions as part of some spiritual passage? Its purpose is unknown, but the series of caves and chambers faithfully depict the conditions Mayans would've expected upon reading about Xibalba in the Popol Vuh, a sacred text. Things like rivers of blood, bats and "knife chambers."

Some caves contain the ruins of underground temples and even a 100-yard paved road. Crazy.

Other similar sites have been discovered, and this site was also reported on back in August. The most recent report does a good job of explaining how the various caves depict specific conditions in Xibalba (stalactites for knives, for example), as well as Spanish efforts to wipe out the indigenous Mayan religion.

The last photo is of a beautifully lit cenote. I actually swam in one myself, but I can't imagine working to create such a dark vision as Xibalba--underground, in the darkness, the bugs--I'm starting to freak myself out! My swim was pretty tame--and well-lit.

Sacred Places: Road to Mayan Underworld Found!

This isn't breaking news, but an archaeologist in Mexico continues excavating sinkhole caves, or cenotes, in the Yucatan Peninsula, and he's found a series of caves that appear to be the real-world representation of Xibalba, the mythical Mayan underworld. Apparently, he keeps finding cool, creepy stuff!

This is pretty crazy--you descend into an underwater sinkhole and then, for whatever reason, crawl through darkness and human bones, around sharp stalactites and nasty critters like scorpions as part of some spiritual passage? Its purpose is unknown, but the series of caves and chambers faithfully depict the conditions Mayans would've expected upon reading about Xibalba in the Popol Vuh, a sacred text. Things like rivers of blood, bats and "knife chambers."

Some caves contain the ruins of underground temples and even a 100-yard paved road. Crazy.

Other similar sites have been discovered, and this site was also reported on back in August. The most recent report does a good job of explaining how the various caves depict specific conditions in Xibalba (stalactites for knives, for example), as well as Spanish efforts to wipe out the indigenous Mayan religion.

The last photo is of a beautifully lit cenote. I actually swam in one myself, but I can't imagine working to create such a dark vision as Xibalba--underground, in the darkness, the bugs--I'm starting to freak myself out! My swim was pretty tame--and well-lit.