~*~Moonlit Mysticsm~*~
*WelcOMe to My Corner of The Multi-Verse*
Skulls, skulls & more skulls!!
I have got to say it...I have a terrible skull fetish!! I LOVE skulls and I don't think there is ever a time that I am not wearing a skull of some kind on me. My 2 favorite kinds of skulls to work with are the bone "Kali skull beads". The Goddess Kali is well known for wearing a garland of skulls around Her neck and these are probably my first and favorite's...they carry awesome energy in them. I also have another form of bone skull heads that I have found that I resonate well with. And then there are the Crystal Skulls...wow...talk about powerful little creatures! The Crystal Skull have many abilities and are able to aid one on their Spiritual Journey...but...one had better be ready for the ride and some serious work, before embarking on the Journey with the Crystal Skulls. I've worked with general skulls for approximately 7 years now and I have found them a joy in each aspect I have found to work with them in. They also are one of the seriously misunderstood tools of Spirituality.
Here I am going to try and post some of the various Path's with which Skulls play a significant role.
The Crystal Skulls
There is a legend of mythical crystal skulls that the Mayan believed could `sing’ or `talk’ and were supposed to contain important information concerning the destiny of humankind.
According to an old Native American legend there were thirteen ancient crystal skulls with moveable jaws. They were said to contain information important not only for the future of the planet, but critical to the survival of the human race.
According to the stories, at some stage all of the crystal skulls would be rediscovered and brought together so that their collective wisdom could become available – but this would only happen at a time when humanity had evolved to a moral and spiritual level so as not to abuse this great knowledge.
Mayan elders claim that the crystal skulls were left behind by their ancestors who had travelled from star clusters with them. They believe the skulls possessed telepathic qualities.
***more information and links on the Crystal Skulls will soon follow***
Kali's Skulls
Kali's garland of skulls shows the inseparableness of life and death. Kali as the power of time destroys all and embodies all fear.
Mother Kali proudly wears a garland of skulls, which are reminiscent of Her many children whom She has liberated from the grip of the I-am-the-body delusion and the hypnotic tyranny of birth and death. These remnants of enlightenment are trophies of the fulfillment of human evolution which She prominently displays around Her neck in the same way that earthly mothers set their own grown children's bronzed baby shoes on the fireplace mantle.
More on Skulls
The skull, an obvious symbol of (human) death, has been given strong religious connotations in several cultures. Among the people of India and neighboring regions, the skull necklace is an iconographic memento mori worn by certain gods and goddesses, most notably Siva in his ascetic form and Kali in her wrathful form. Skull necklaces are also worn by the wrathful aspects of allied Tibetan and Nepalese deities such as KuruKulla-- and necklaces and prayer beads carved from animal or human bones in the form of skulls are popular with their devotees.
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In pre-Columbian America, the skull was given an honoured place in the religious iconography of the Aztecs and related tribes of Mexico. Their descendents, both Indians and people of mixed European and Native American heritage, continue to venerate the skull and the skeleton during the national Day of the Dead ceremonies, when skulls made of sugar are eaten and offerings are placed on the graves of deceased relatives and friends.
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In Nepal, the use of skull-beads on mallas (prayer beads, sometimes called "rosaries" by Americans) continues to this day. A malla, hand-carved from yak bone and made with 108 beads, can be used in devotions -- but when worn as necklaces, Nepalese mallas have also become popular among Americans who worship the goddess Kali or the god Siva or who affect Gothic or "dark" apparel.
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Saint Benedict advised us to keep death daily before our eyes. Medieval philosophers kept a skull on their desks to remind them of the impermanence of life. Still, most of us fear death and want it out of sight and out of mind.As the numbers of the dead in wartime rise, we need to practice facing death. Readings by Michael Lesy, John Aurelio, Marie de Hennezel, Alan Jones, Robert Frager and James Fadiman, and Rodney Smith examine attitudes toward death in our culture and the world religions. Practices include using the "d" words, keeping a memento of death, a daylong contemplation of seeing the world without ourselves in it, observances similar to the Mexican Day of the Dead, and a guided imagery exercise to experience the natural passage of death.
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~*~Peace, Love, Unity, Respect~*~
