Imagine: standing at the edge of a solidified lava field. The land is black, offering a striking contrast to the surrounding landscape. A warm breeze brushes against your skin as the mighty power of the Pacific Ocean crashes against the coast.
You take a deep breath and feel that here, on one of the youngest islands on Earth, you are in a place where the elements come together in their purest form. Welcome to Big Island, Hawaii.
THE CALL OF THE ELEMENTS
30 December 2024. Following our experiences with sea turtles in Costa Rica, our world tour takes us to Hawaii. Not as ordinary tourists, but as a family with a special mission.
The message reached us while we were still in Costa Rica – ‘water was calling’ – a clear signal that we should perform water ceremonies with crystals for love, light and peace in Hawaii. Unlike before, this time the crystals would remain in special places of power. Thanks to Luise Mara, the package containing these special crystals is already on its way from Hungary to meet us on Big Island.
When we step off the plane in Kona at 12:39 p.m. local time, the island welcomes us with a special gesture: Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes on Earth in Volcano National Park, is active. It produces clouds of smoke and metre-high, glowing fountains of lava. Nowhere else is the connection between the primal elements of fire and water as tangible as here, where new land is still being born from the ocean.
THE ISLAND COMMUNITY THAT WELCOMES US
Instead of a faceless hotel room, a recommendation from Hilary – whom we met while decorating for Halloween in Seattle – leads us to the Waianaia Earth Temple. Yoav welcomes us with open arms. Later, we meet his wife Naomi and their two children.
The North Kohala Community is a place for people with open hearts and minds – profound healing, centring rituals, connecting music-making, experiential education in harmony with nature, tangible well-being and consciousness of water are all part of everyday life here.
And we appreciate being part of it and celebrating New Year’s Eve together. A few days later, our three children are invited to spend two days in beautiful weather at a holiday programme run by the Open-Air School at Starseed Ranch. It is a special experience for them and fulfilling for us as parents.
WATER AS A CONNECTING ELEMENT
In Costa Rica I had already an idea – a water workshop for the community. It will be an afternoon full of discoveries: I will share the vision of the World Water Movement, talk about the profound connection between humans and water, and we will try out vitalisation and energisation together with the Dutch wonder device and the Telos healing crystal. A real water tasting! An exciting premiere for me – until now, I have only compared different types of water with my family and friends, never in a workshop format. I learn at least as much as the participants.
ENCOUNTER AT THE CRATER’S EDGE – WHEN NOTHING HAPPENS BY CHANCE
After a day of exploring Hilo, we decided to visit Volcanoes National Park in the evening. We hear that the darkness makes the lava fountains look particularly impressive.
At the entrance, we are greeted by a friendly park ranger: ‘Just follow the road for a few kilometres and you’ll come to the crater rim.’ She adds with Hawaiian calm: “Maybe you’ll see something, maybe you won’t” – it starts to rain and is very cloudy.
At the information stand, I shine my flashlight on a board so I can at least read something. A lady approaches with her daughter. Do you know that feeling when you meet someone for the first time and feel like you’ve known them for years? That’s exactly how it feels. We – Antonia and her daughter Christina – quickly get into conversation.
Almost casually, we mention our water ceremonies and the crystals we have with us. It’s as if I’ve flipped a hidden switch. Antonia begins to bubble over: she has studied water crystals, knows the work of Dr Masaru Emoto, believes in the informability of water and is interested in ancient knowledge. She is in the process of selling her house in New Mexico to move permanently to Big Island.
We exchange contact details and say goodbye with the promise of meeting again in daylight. We don’t get to see the lava fountains that evening – the cloud cover remains closed. But we can feel the enormous energy radiating from this place. It’s the perfect place to ‘initialise’ our crystals, to welcome them to Big Island. And that’s exactly what we do to round off the evening.
CRYSTAL PLACEMENT: WHEN VOLCANOES CALL FOR PEACE
The days on Big Island fly by, and the big question arises: Where do the crystals want to go? We set a clear intention, look at the map of the island, and suddenly – as if someone had pulled back a curtain – it becomes clear.
The first crystal wants to go to the neighbouring crater of the active volcano Kilauea – in the middle of Volcanoes National Park. Really? Volcanic rock contains up to 52% silicon dioxide – the main component of quartz crystals. Its molecular structure is therefore ideal for absorbing and amplifying the vibrations of crystals.
On 8 January 2025, we set off. After a 2.5-hour drive and a 30-minute walk downhill, we reach Kilauea Iki Crater. It’s a strange feeling to be in this enormous crater, knowing that liquid rock is bubbling next door.
But where is the water? At first, I am at a loss, so I tune my ‘antennas’ to receive. The answer comes promptly: our crystal wants to be right here because the volcanic rock will absorb and amplify the vibrations. What many people don’t know is that there is a special relationship between volcanic rock and water. When volcanoes erupt in the sea, a unique hydrogen-oxygen compound is created that is particularly rich in minerals. Scientists even suspect that life on Earth may have originated in precisely such volcanic underwater regions.
After a beautiful ceremony, we find the perfect place for our first crystal. A deep sense of fulfilment spreads through me.
THREE WATERFALLS AND A SLEEPING DRAGON
The second ceremony is scheduled to take place on the same day. Our way back takes us to Peepee Falls. But the area is blocked off, and we can’t get to the water. I’m confused. Is this where the crystal is supposed to go? That can’t be.
We take a look at the map and drive a few minutes downstream to Rainbow Falls. Tourists are milling around here, and there’s no way to get to the water here either. I pause and take a deep breath. What is this all about and where is the right place?
Our intuition finally leads us in the opposite direction, upstream. We come to a bridge, park the car and make our way through a mixed forest of leafy trees and bamboo. Is this an official path? NO. Finally, we reach Wai’ale Falls – a third waterfall in the same river, the Wailuku River, which flows directly into Hilo Bay.
Now I understand: the water informed by the crystal is carried from here via three waterfalls into the river and ultimately into the sea. The effect increases with each cascade. The water of Big Island tells us its story, waterway by waterway.
The waterfall flows into a large pool where locals and tourists alike jump 10-12 metres into the water as a test of courage. We walk a little further, behind the waterfall, and there the formation appears like a sleeping dragon. The children are thrilled. We climb over the rocky landscape, with the water swirling between us. On the ‘back of the dragon’ we finally find the perfect place for our second crystal.
After a long, fulfilling day with over six hours of driving and two ceremonies, we return to the Waianaia Earth Temple late in the evening and fall into bed, grateful and a little exhausted.
AN AMBASSADOR FOR WATER
The next day, we contact Antonia and tell her about the ceremonies. She and her daughter invite us to visit their home in the south of the island. On the way there, I decided to ask Antonia if she would like to become the first Water Ambassador.
After a bumpy ride, we arrive at her property at midday and enjoy a wonderful few hours together. We sit in the garden, get to know each other better and do a water tasting together. Antonia immediately notices the difference between normal water and water energised with the Telos healing crystal.
I ask her if she can imagine getting involved in the World Water Movement – and her eyes light up. No sooner said than done. A chance encounter on the crater rim develops into a collaboration on a shared mission.
ABOVE THE CLOUDS: THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN THE WORLD
The third crystal has chosen a very special location: Mauna Kea, above the clouds.
At 4,205 metres above sea level, the Mauna Kea volcano is the highest mountain in Hawaii. What many people don’t know is that, measured from the sea floor, it rises over 10,000 metres – making it the highest mountain in the world, significantly higher than Mount Everest at 8,848 metres. A colossal mountain, three-quarters of which lies underwater – another example of the deep connection between fire and water on this island.
And it is a sacred place for Hawaiians. The name ‘Mauna Kea’ means ‘white mountain’, named after the snow cap that adorns it during the winter months – a surreal sight on a tropical island.
The weather on Big Island changes quickly, and we need several attempts to get to Mauna Kea. Finally, we make it, but there are still a few hurdles to overcome: our jeep still has dirt in the wheel arches from our previous adventure. The ranger sends us back to remove it ‘discreetly’.
Children are only allowed on the mountain from the age of 13. I think to myself: yes, ‘together’ they are older 😉 Our argument is clear: we come from Switzerland, our children ski on glaciers, and mountains are our home.
The ranger checks our fuel level – less than 50 per cent… After some hesitation, we are finally allowed to drive up.
Have you ever driven a car to an altitude of over 4,000 metres on a 16-kilometre-long, steep gravel road? The air becomes very thin at this altitude, and our children feel it most intensely.
From the car park, we still have a 25-minute steep hike to Lake Waiau to perform the ceremony with the crystal. Lake Waiau is one of the highest lakes in the world and a place of deep spiritual significance for Hawaiians. Its special feature is that, despite its altitude and the permeability of the volcanic rock, this lake always contains water – a phenomenon that has long puzzled scientists. Recent studies suggest that a permafrost-like layer beneath the lake prevents the water from seeping away.
At minus two degrees Celsius, which feels like minus eight with the wind, we prepare for the ritual. We manage to complete the ceremony just in time before sunset and leave the crystal behind so that it can take effect.
WHAT THE VOLCANIC SOIL TEACHES US
With every crystal we place, my understanding of the unique relationship between water and volcanic rock in Hawaii deepens. Hawaii embodies this connection like no other place on Earth.
The geological history of the island continues to unfold today: red-hot magma rises from the Earth’s mantle, meets the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean and solidifies into rock. This process not only shaped the Hawaiian Islands, but also created one of the most diverse habitats in the world: Big Island has eleven of the world’s thirteen climate zones – from tropical rainforests to alpine tundra.
The volcanic rock plays a central role in the water cycle: its porous structure stores rainwater and slowly releases it as a filtered source.
This natural filtration enriches the water with minerals that are essential for plants, animals and humans.
The next time we enjoy mineral water, let’s remember that many of these valuable minerals come from volcanic processes like those we have experienced here in Hawaii.
THE MISSION CONTINUES
As we leave Big Island, a part of us remains behind – in the form of crystals. They will continue their work long after we have gone. And Antonia will become active as a water ambassador in the area. And so the movement grows, with every person who joins and with every water ceremony.
From the Sahara Desert to the coasts of Costa Rica to the volcanoes of Hawaii, water connects us all, tells stories and carries messages. We just need to pause and listen.
Have you ever felt the primal power of a volcano or experienced the healing effects of special water? Perhaps you yourself are standing in a place that has touched you deeply? Share your experiences in the comments or write to me directly – we are curious about your story.