By Patricia Keegan
Whether we study it at length, or superficially, there is something intriguing about the Mayan prophecy for 2012. How has it stayed alive across thousands of years? The Maya calendar ends on December 21, 2012, which causes a stir among the curious, the doomsday prophets, Christian Fundamentalists and end of world predators. But did the Mayans actually predict the end of the world?
Since the aftermath of 9/11, there is an overriding sense of imbalance and turmoil throughout the world with what appears a never-ending series of crises. We know man has exceeded his limits in the realm of our environment, and each day we witness Mother Earth’s rebellion. On the threshold of 2012, we can dismiss all the hoopla as New Age rubbish, and never give it another thought, or we can look at it as a stimulus to learn more about the Maya -- who they were, and what they really said. End of the world or not, we might ask if there is something we should be doing.
The pre-Columbian civilization known as the Maya emerged in 300 AD in Mesoamerica between Guatemala and the Yucatan. They became renowned during their Classic period of 300-900 AD by developing one of the most advanced, evolved civilizations ever to inhabit the earth. The Maya calendar came into existence long before the Julian or Gregorian calendars. It is based on naturally occurring energy cycles and a close connection to Mother Earth. Because the Maya honored Mother Earth and the energy cycles that are present here, they were in tune with the cycles. In contrast to our own culture which focuses on matter, the Maya based their understanding by relying on frequency vibrations and harmonics. They believed that everything comes from and returns to one source -- divine inspiration.
By tracking the sun, moon and other heavenly bodies, the Maya created their calendar to not only reach into the distant past put also foretell the future. The scientific superiority and galactic sophistication of the Mayan calendric, (formulas) of each of the three calendars, was due to the fact that they were based on an entirely different standard of measurement and mathematics than any time keeping devices known today. By creating three calendars, the Mayans could view three different dating systems in Parallel, The Long Count, (the one which ends in 2012) the Tzolkin (divine calendar) and the Haab (civil calendar). To see an imposing, architectural example of a Haab (365 days) Mayan calendar, one can visit Chechen Itza, in the Yucatan, and climb the narrow, worn steps of the Kukulkan Pyramid. Each of the four sides has 91 steps which represent the 365 days of the year.
According to Mayan calendar researcher Jose Aragulles, The Mayan held a theory of time, using all three calendars, to which past, present and future all exist and flow equally, always meeting in the present moment. To them linear time was an illusion. To be able to access time in three dimensions, the calendar was set up on a frequency capable of a positional mathematics with flexibility and qualities superior to our own. The calendar encompassed natural time which is based on natural processes such as the motion of the stars, planets and galaxies, the biological rhythms of plants and animals, as well as the subtle inner dimensional movements of consciousness and mind. This is where the study of the Mayan calendar becomes more intriguing, but requiring a lot of concentrated time.
According to the Mayan (Long Count) calendar ending on the Winter solstice, December 21, 2012, a unique astronomical event will occur which only happens every 26,000 years -- a rare conjunction of the sun with the ecliptic of the Milky Way galaxy. The precession of the equinoxes will lead the sun to align with the Milky Way in a region known as dark rift, created by interstellar dust clouds. The result of this new alignment will orient the Milky Way in such a way that it will rim the horizon at all points, thereby opening the cosmic sky to a new energy ether, which will progressively increase. The ancient Maya considered this to be the dawn of the fifth world age. Right now we are between the between the fourth and fifth. The Mayans said nothing at all about this being the end of the world. They did say it would be a time of change, a spiritual transformation.
On November 6, 2009, NASA posted an article on its website: Earth will NOT cross the galactic line in 2012, and even if these alignments were to occur the effects on the earth would be negligible. Each December the earth and sun align with the Milky Way galaxy, an annual event with no consequence.
New alignments take place all the time, and unless we are studying the stars we would not even be aware of them. If it were not for Hollywood blockbusters and all the books that have been written, we would most likely sail past the moment the world is supposed to end without even a glitch on our computers.
If, however, we view all this information and disinformation from a spiritual aspect, as does Carlos Barrios, a Mayan elder and Ajq’ij, (a ceremonial priest and spiritual guide of the Eagle Clan). Concerned about all the distortions, Carlos initiated an investigation into the different Mayan calendars circulating and found a lot of conflicting interpretations of Mayan hieroglyphs, petroglyphs, sacred books of Chilam Balam and various ancient texts. Carlos and his brother, Gerardo, studied the history and interviewed nearly 600 elders to widen their scope of knowledge. Carlos says if the people of the Earth arrive at 2012 in good shape, without having destroyed too much of the earth, and if we put aside our differences and unite, we will rise to a new, higher level of consciousness.
“Mayan Day-keepers”, he says, “view December 21, 2012 as a date of rebirth, the start of the World of the Fifth Sun. It will be the start of a new era. The emerging era of the Fifth sun will call attention to a much overlooked element -- Ether. Along with the four traditional elements -- earth, air, fire, and water, there will be the fifth, the ether element which represents spiritual energy.”
Humanity will continue, but in a different way. Materialism will change, making us more human. The spiritual ideal of this time is action. He calls for human beings to came together and unite in support of light and life. “Right now each person and group is going his or her own way. The elder of the mountains say there is hope if the people of the light can come together and conquer the trends of darkness.”
NASA scientists predict that as the world consumes increasing amounts of fossil fuel for energy, green house gas concentration will continue to rise and earth’s average temperature will rise with it. The intergovernmental panel on climate Change (IPCC) estimates the earth’s average temperature will increase 2 to 6 degrees Centigrade by the end of the 21st century. Ecosystems will shift as plants and animals that adapt the quickest move to new areas to compete with currently established species. Scientists note, with increasing concern, that the 21st century could see one of the greatest periods of mass extinction of species in earth’s entire history. Ultimately, NASA tells us, that global warming will impact life on earth in many ways, but the extent of the change is up to us.
“The change is up to us.” We have the same message from the Maya: It is our responsibility to come together in wisdom and rational thinking.