Thunder's Words about Max The Crystal Skull
I just wanted to add here a shortened version of my own story of Joanne, Carl, our friends & Max The Crystal Skull.
It was in the year 1987, October 31, & I was in the process of just completing a whole weekend of Vision Quest Ceremony at Common Fords Ranch in Austin, Texas. After putting 19 some folks on the hill to seek a vision from Spirit/Great Mystery, I was preparing to run a Sweat Lodge to Thank the Spirits that had aided each person in their visions & honor the physical helpers who had worked so very hard for the people. I was so tired & as we entered that sacred Sweat Lodge area I was most glad that this part of my official duties had arrived...for it meant that I was about to get some rest from being in the Spirit Energies. About 15 people entered & the flap closed (Sweat Lodge Door). The songs began & I started pouring water on the rocks that creates steam. This steam is thought to be the breath of grandfather which takes our prayers back to the Great Mystery. The calling song was sung & Thank You Prayers to the Spirit were made.
Then the 2nd round began & each & every person started to pray. It was then that I saw a skull.
It was a clear view of a skull. In my way of thinking, seeing a skull may mean that someone in that lodge was going to become very ill or die or perhaps an accident might be pending. I asked the Spirit for clarity. The spirit said that it was an old friend. I kind of shook my head & asked again thinking that spirit was not clear in my question (I am funny thinking that Spirit needed clarity). Again the spirit said, "An Old Friend." I was suddenly apprehensive. The skull vision flashed several times & then sat right in the middle of the Sweat Lodge almost on the rocks for quite a while. I asked again to the Spirit, is anyone in this lodge ill? "No" Anyone going to get hurt? "No" Ok, Spirit, what does this skull mean? "An old friend"
I quickly finished the lodge after that round & everyone was quite surprised. I sat outside the Sweat Lodge on the ground for a very long time & thought. Later thinking I never even thought to ask the skull for a message. Wow...that was stupid. After about 1/2 hour & people were almost gone from the area, a few of the group started sitting down with me & I started talking about what I had seen in the Lodge & one sister asked me if I knew anything about Crystal Skulls? I said no. She proceeded to tell me about the Anna Hedges-Mitchell Skull & how it was supposed to be an "oracle" or something. I remembered thinking that the skull I had seen had not been solid but was more like smoked crystal.
Early the next morning the phone rang. I answered & heard the voice of our dear friend & relation, Suzanne Longhorn from Houston. Recovering from shock that anyone had found us, I listened as she told me about tickets she had gotten me, for the next day for the first ever "coming out" party for "Max the Crystal Skull" in Houston at the Golden Pyramid place. (Now, Suzanne did not know about the vision of the skull in the Sweat Lodge!) I first asked her how she had found
me with which she shared that she had heard I was going that way & knew the area for she had lived there once. (One mystery solved) Then I asked her what a Crystal Skull was. She replied that it was an ancient artifact that had been with a lady for a long time & it was coming out of the closet, so to speak, at a gathering at the Unity Church. (I would later hear that is exactly what Joanne did-which was take Max out of the closet where he had been for nearly 7 years). Suzanne had gotten us tickets & we would be going to the first ever showing tomorrow. Her & I talked about specifics & then hung up after thanking her. I immediately began to feel that if this Crystal Skull was as powerful & old as they all say it is, I just didn't want to see it in a room of other people & other energies. Knowing how Crystal magnifies the energy & all, I felt that it just might well bring up everyone's stuff & for that I did not want to be there. A lot of my old ones loved Crystals, but I had just been around a lot of folks who were Crystal Crazy & I just didn't want to be a part of that whole scene. I immediately called Suzanne back & told her my feelings & said that I just did not want to go. She said no problem & that she would return the tickets & get her money back.
It seems that when Suzanne went to return the tickets, she was explaining the reasoning that I was having to the lady that took the tickets back. Another lady was overhearing this. That lady was Joanne Parks, who just popped up to Suzanne & said, "Well, why don't you just have that Mary Thunder person come to the house tomorrow & see the skull?" Suzanne was grateful & said that she would get the message to me & call Joanne back.
Phone rings again & yes, it was Suzanne. She shared what had happened, At this point I surrendered. As I was hanging up the telephone & resuming my place on the couch as
I watched the show...Kung Fu, I heard: In this imperfect world perfection is an illusion. Thus, our judgements are illusions because they have no basis. Pretty interesting. I had the feeling that I was just starting a big new adventure. Later as I look back, what an wonderful adventure it has been, still is, & is only getting better everyday!
As apprehensive as I was, I shall never forget meeting Joanne Parks for the first time. Driving up to a very "normal" home in a neighborhood in Houston with this very "normal" woman answering the door, I was sure I had gotten the wrong directions. I kind of stuttered & asked for Joanne Parks. She smiled & said, "Yep, that's me. Come on in Mary Thunder." Although she looked "normal" & the street was "normal"...something was very abnormal about this whole scene. I had begun to feel the energies of the skull about 3 blocks away. Feelings of excitement, fear, joy, dread & sacredness were running through me. I do believe it is that skull, but could any crystal be that energized? I wondered. Doing just as I had been trained to do, I checked with Spirit, got the "OK, Go On" word & proceeded into...maybe battle?...maybe joy?...maybe, well I just don't know what. But the Spirit had me there & I was trained to go on. But I was just a little bit scared. Now back to Joanne. I just loved her the minute I saw her. She was warm & friendly & we talked easily...at the door for awhile & then she said, "Come on, Want to see Max?" Actually I was quite happy just talking with her but continued on as the scene was unfurling.
I had noticed that our little road dog, "Petie" was just going nuts. Usually she was trained to the road, never bothering people, just kind of always by
my side, but today she was running up to the door when Joanne answered & obviously wanting to go into the house with us. She would usually lay by any door of any home that we were at, always happy to see us come out...but today she was really scratching on the door & whining to get in. So, Joanne noticing this (how could you not) said, "Well, she wants to see Max too, is it ok?"
I just kind of nodded my heads, why would a woman with a Crystal Skull so old want to share it with a dog?
I thought...Joanne just went into the living room, picked up Max the largest crystal anything I had ever seen & just plopped it right now on the floor. She went to the front door, let in Petie & Petie just ran right for Max. I jumped up. Joanne waved her hands & said, "It's ok." Petie just started licking Max & laid right down in front of him...totally comfortable. That did it, if my dog likes it I like it. I begin thinking that this was a very special visit.
Well, after Petie's session with Max, Joanne brought Max into her living room & just sat him on the TV. I just kind of looked at him & then from somewhere deep inside I felt a knowing, a remembering, a sadness & joy of seeing him again & my eyes started to tear up. I do believe that I cried for about 1 hour. Talking with Joanne & kind of whipping my eyes all the time. She brought in this beautiful black velvet & on a small table she sat Max. I truly felt I was looking at one of the wonders of the world. He was so very beautiful. He felt good & I just felt like I wanted to hug him hello.
Then, Joanne & I talked. She told me the story of Max, how she had gotten him & how long he had been in the closet. Then she said, "Hey, you haven't spent any time with Max." Well, I asked if it would be possible to bring in the sacred pipe? Joanne thought for a minute & said, "Why Not, Let's do Ceremony." So,
we brought in the sacred Pipe & Drum. We sang to Max. He vibrated, we all heard a sound & he kind of lit up. We immediately stopped, but Joanne just kind of smiled & said that she thought he liked it. So, we continued filling the Pipe & honored Joanne & Max with the ceremony. I saw some pretty amazing things that day & after we had been there for about 4 hours (Time goes fast when you are having fun) we realized that we had a ceremony to do that night & so did Joanne...She had to go to Max's coming out to the World Party. Asking Joanne if I could come back sometime, she said, "Yes, I think that Max likes you & the singing. Come back anytime."
That night after the other ceremony, I kept having these flashes of being in the Yucatan holding Max toward the Sun in a long robe.
Then some time later, I had a Vision of Max again & heard," the Winter Solstice is coming up, come see me". I thought it was just my mind creating chatter & perhaps a selfish wish, but I called Joanne from Minneapolis & upon hearing who was calling said, "Boy, am I glad you called. Max has just been talking off the wall about getting a hold of you to do a ceremony on the Winter Solstice." I laughed & shared that I had seen Max & had gotten the same message. So, come Winter Solstice in 1987, was the beginning of ceremonies with Max every Solstice & Equinox since, now for some 12 years. I really don't do anything with Max except hold him up to the directions, East, South, West, North, Up to the Grandfathers-Father Sky, Down to the Grandmothers-Mother Earth, & in the middle for the sacred space of within. Boy a lot sure has happened during those years. When we got the land in 1989, we held our next consecutive ceremony with Max, again Winter Solstice, on the land at Thunder Ranch. Every ceremony since has been at the ranch. Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter. Sometimes there have been nearly 400 people at the ceremony & other times just Joanne, Carl, I, & what ever "Ranchie" is at the ranch at the time & Max. Max has been in the Medicine Wheel, in the Ceremony House where the Sacred Pipe is kept, in the Sweat Lodge, in the Teaching Lodge, in the house, in the kitchen, in our bedroom, well just about every where on the land here at the Ranch. I have seen many Miracles & many Healings & many wonderous things from Max. I bless the day when I met Joanne & Carl & Max.