Beneath the Visible
Four skulls, two teens, one amazing adventure.
by Liz Sheehan
Premise
Beneath The Visible buckles you into a fantastic coming-of-age, helter-skelter ride across the globe, taking in Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, America and beyond into other-worldly realms. The story follows Duke,14, his older sister Willow,18 and their invisible crystal guides, as they risk life and limb in a race against evil forces intent on stopping them. They must reach their final destination, activate buried crystal skulls, and aid in the ascension of humanity to the 5th dimension. And what is behind the dark force that is hell-bent on destroying them before they reach are successful in their quest? How is it all related to the energetic powers of planet Earth and our very souls? It is a colorful, meticulously detailed story that not only entertains but excites, examines what we sense and believe to be true. It challenges our ethical and emotional view of the world we live in and gets to the root of who we truly are.
Beneath the Visible – a race against time, a journey into the unknown, a quest for survival, and a longing to save the world from destructive forces puts two ordinary teens into extraordinary situations where they step out of their comfort zone and overcome challenges with some pretty unusual invisible guides to help them in their quest!
Worldbuilding & Storyline
The world of Beneath The Visible begins with modern-day Ireland and we are introduced to our human characters and the first of our crystal characters, Fro’Ro, Ted, MalaKai and Mahpee. Very quickly we are plunged into the bowels of the Passage Tomb of Newgrange, in Ireland, our ‘North’ location. Timeframe: Winter. Here Duke is able to commune with the ancients and activate our first Quartz Crystal Skull. Through astral travel and communing with the spirit world he encounters the ‘Tuaithe De Dannan’, an ancient Celtic race of people who are sent to protect, and ‘The Fomorians’ the evil and wicked, zombie-like enemy with shrunken mouths, gnarled teeth, and no eyes. We also meet White Beard, the white quartz crystal guardian of the Neolithic site.
The storyline takes us next to the South, and we are in Cape Reinga, New Zealand, where the spirits of the Maori dead depart this world. Here we incorporate myth and legend from the Maori tradition and the second greenstone crystal skull is activated. Timeframe: Summer
During this time the world of the elementals is brought into play and we are introduced to the Taniwha, sea undines, air sylphs, water sprites, merfolk, leprechauns, pixies, faeries, dwarves, dryads, and elves. Themes of environmentalism are introduced here but from the point of view of the elementals and Gaia, or Mother Earth.
Through the development of the story, we end up in the East in Japan, and our location is Mt Fuji where the Amethyst crystal skull is activated and we see a lot of Senator Johnson
We get to know our antagonist better through his quest to stop Duke but we still don’t know why. Timeframe: Spring
We arrive in Chicago for our West location and travel to the town of Custer, and Thunderhead Mountain, and The Black Hills of South Dakota, via Standing Rock Indian Reservation, North Dakota for our final Turquoise Crystal Skull activation. Timeframe: Autumn
Myth and legend from Native American folklore are introduced here and it is in this location that the final battle between Duke and Senator Wayne Johnson takes place but the ending is one that both shocks and stuns the reader.
Characters
Duke is 14 years old and the protagonist of our story. We see him wrestle with the fate that has befallen him and he is an unwilling hero. He is dark-skinned and adopted to an Irish family but only his sister and Mum are still living.
He has an innate ability to be intuitive but just how strong his powers only become apparent after the activation of the first crystal skull. The trope of being an outsider and being different is weaved through his story as we see him accept what he has to do in order for humanity to ascend to the next dimension. He is smart, funny but with an inner vulnerability that he covers up with humor.
Willow is the older sister of our hero and as the story unfolds it becomes apparent that she is equally in line for hero status as themes of the Divine Feminine emerge. She is 18 years old and so assumes the role of an adult in the travels of the siblings. We see her conflicted within herself as she knows the journey that must be undertaken but fears for the safety of her younger brother. Although they bicker and poke fun at each other, there is an underlying bond between both siblings that won’t be broken by fate, evil forces or any of the myriad of creatures they encounter along the way.
The Cast of Crystals
The crystal characters act as invisible guides to our humans but can only be seen by those with the sight to see beyond the veil of the rational world. They are personified in the story so we learn how the gems and rocks can help us in our daily lives. We see how their innate properties can help guide, soothe, enlighten and protect us.
Fro'Ro
She is the personification of the rose quartz crystal and represents all things that are love. Think of the person you love most in the world, a child, parent, family member or friend. Feel that warm loving sensation in your heart, how it evokes the cosy warmth of home because home is where the heart is. This is what Fro’Ro does, she helps you get in touch with your heart space, and when we live from that place we live a happy and fulfilled life. Historically this crystal has been represented by a twee, tiny pink fairy. Not so in Beneath The Visible. This book is modern and relevant. Our Rose Quartz crystal is a sassy, opinionated black chic with a stupendous shiny pink afro, hence her name. She sports jewel encrusted cowboy boots, a satin pink hoodie, and aviator shades and she means business. When you have Fro’Ro in your corner you will always feel the love, especially for yourself. She is the main guide to Willow and we see her lead, advise and soothe as the adventures take their toll on our female lead. Fro’Ro helps heal the heart. Her soothing loving vibes calm Willow. She dispels fear and suspicion and aids in the rebirth of hope and faith in the benevolence of the Universe.
MalaKai
He is the crystal of enlightened leadership. He wields his protection from psychic attacks and unseen dark energies. MalaKai and Mahpee work in harmony for physical energy and protection. He instills confidence in both Duke and Willow and exemplifies self-responsibility while enhancing the manifestation of their dreams and visions.
MalaKai reminds us that we are co-creators in this world and that the possibilities for our own creations are endless. He helps Duke and Willow recognize their own power and use it in a constructive and imaginative manner. This crystal is one of the most important stones for protection from negative energies. Thus Mala-Kai can permeate our energetic shell and infuse our aura with positivity. He enhances our psychic radar and allows humans to sense the presence of danger. His psychic shield can offer a kind of invisibility to humans where they are invisible to evil forces. Mala-Kai and Ted are great allies just like the crystals of Malachite and Tigers Eye work in harmony to increase vibration and aid in protection from negative energies.
Mahpee
This is the turquoise crystal and represents truth, wholeness, balance, serenity, and peace. Mahpee means sky is Sioux and he seldom speaks but when he does everyone listens. He has a quiet strength that underpins his character. We weave threads of the Native American tradition into the story through our turquoise character, tropes of connection to Mother Earth, honoring our ancestors, listening to our heart, etc are embraced through this crystal that is fundamental to the Native American culture. The crystal turquoise combines the water, wind, fire, and earth energies thereby containing the unity of the storm element. This means that the character of Mahpee enables the humans to look at the disparate parts of themselves and weave them together. He teaches them to embrace all parts of themselves and not hide away from those bit of their inner world that they find uncomfortable.
Ted
Ted is first and foremost a crystal of action, vitality, and practicality. He helps Duke see what needs to be done and gives him the confidence to do it. This crystal can clear away the mugginess of brain fog and help the wearer focus on the task at hand so Ted truly is an ally to Duke as he needs to make many decisions along the way. Ted steps in to aid Duke when he is getting fatigued and he gives him the gentle push he needs to carry on, even when he thinks he can't. Ted syncs his vibration really well with MalaKai to provide double the energy and power when its needed.
Theme & Scope
Beneath The Visible embraces themes of isolation, loneliness, and being different. It hits notes of the classic outsider and through Duke's quest to fulfill his destiny he uncovers truths about himself and in doing so not only saves himself but humanity. Interwoven through this narrative is also an equal plot of unity, connectedness, and all humans being one. It purposefully travels around the globe, with North, South, East, and West locations, and introduces Celtic, Maori, Ancient Japanese, and Native American traditions. Its aim is to highlight the similarities in our differences and to embrace all races equally.
Environmental issues come into view through the actions of the elementals who work in conjunction with our cast to save the planet and aid in its ascension from a third-dimensional reality to a fifth-dimensional enlightened world. We are exposed to the other realms, beyond our rational materialistic viewpoint and we are forced to question our perspectives about how we see the world when faced with that of ‘the other’/’spiritual’/’paranormal’ and generally anything that transcends our own ‘normal’.
We are introduced to various crystal characters that act as guides to the humans and each have their own slant on how the world works and uses these qualities along the way.
It is an exciting, fast-paced, adventure, fantasy novel, that catapults the reader into questioning our ethical and emotional world view and examining what really does lie Beneath The Visible.
WHY YOUNG PEOPLE WILL READ & WATCH ‘BENEATH THE VISIBLE’...
The younger generation loves an exciting, engaging, fast-paced thriller or adventure mystery, which this is, but in addition, as a result of disillusionment and abused trust in ‘authorities’ and ‘institutions’, young people are waking up to the fact that the way we live our lives has to be rethought if we are all to benefit and thrive; individually and as a species. Similar publications which have also hit the screens) include:
A Wrinkle in Time book by M. L'Engle (1962), A Wrinkle in Time film directed by A. DuVernay (2018)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book by J.K. Rowling (2010), films directed by D. Yates (2010-11) The Hobbit book by J. R. R. Tolkien (1937), The Hobbit series of films directed by P. Jackson (2012-14)
