2012 - The Year Of The Mayan Prophecy

In 2006 the counter culture aficionado, Daniel Pinchbeck, released his second book but first devoted to the subject of 2012. Daniel Pinchbeck has become something of a 2012 media favourite since the launch of the book, partly because of his background as a respected journalist. He has also drawn plentiful attention because of his links to the always controversial and inflammative subjects of drug use and alternative sexual thought paradigms.

In Daniel’s first book Breaking Open The Head - A Visionary Journey From Cynicism To Shamanism he boldly engaged with the neo-shamanic and indeed genuine archaic shamanistic communities of the world. It described the way in which a rather morbidly cynical ‘thirty something’ New Yorker managed to leave his materialist and nihilistic paradigm for something rather more cosmic. Rather more pleasant for that matter.

Although the book does not discuss 2012 in any depth, only briefly touching on the subject during chapter 32 whilst Pinchbeck is visiting a Mayan site, it does clarify just how a respectable journalist ended up cashing in his normality for the weirder life of a 2012 researcher and writer. The short version is that Pinchbeck took a great deal of very strong chemicals and had his head well and truly broken open. The realisation that the mind is perfectly capable of phasing out day to day reality, and then perceiving entire new landscapes with non-human beings capable of interacting with us, left him in a whole new place spiritually and philosophically.

Although the second book was originally released in the USA as 2012 The Return Of Quetzalcoatl the UK edition was released under the title 2012 - The Year Of The Mayan Prophecy. The name change was quite simply because practically nobody in the UK was aware of the 2012 subject, and even fewer would have any idea just what a Quetzalcoatl might be!!!

The book opens with an introduction of the issues that are to be tackled, mainly the current state of our modern global civilisation, such as peak-oil and biosphere issues. Rather we might say it examines the cracks, and the rot that has set in throughout what is actually now a post-modern, civilisation. It then moves on to Daniel’s own life from childhood onward, and an introduction to some of the people that have inspired him. To be honest I found the early part of the book very heavy going, mainly because the people that inspire Daniel are obscure, peculiar, and rather over wordy in their philosophical ramblings. On the other hand, perhaps I am just a moron unable to comprehend the gist of their esoteric thinking.

There are however plenty of gems even from the start. I enjoyed the discussions on scientific research into etheogens, and the analysis of military research into psychic abilities. Some of the thinkers he referred to were intelligible to me thankfully, and he produced some interesting references from them. The end of the first chapter has us brought up to speed a little regarding the God whose name is in the books original title. We find out something of his achievements and his enemies, as well as his considered nature. The links between Quetzalcoatl and that other 2012 writer, Jose Arguelles, father of the 13-month calendar are also touched on.

For the main part, this book is rather like a strange attractor, a hub of 2012 related people, books and thinking. It tends to skip around at times, slightly unpredictably, and refer to persons or topics that need to be investigated deeper. My advice would be to keep your PC connected to the net whilst reading; you are likely going to need to Google more than once during reading.  There are far to many areas touched upon for me to list here, although its fair to say most anything, or anyone connected to the 2012 subject appears at least once!

Where this book holds its own as definitive on a 2012 related subject must surely be on the subjects of aliens and of crop-circles. Indeed, it becomes clear that these geometric cereal phenomena are of enormous interest to Daniel Pinchbeck. He travels extensively interviewing relevant speakers on the subject as well as bringing forth some interesting scientific and mathematical observations regarding these formations. Some of these formations are related to 2012 data, and seemingly, some of the apparent E.T. phenomena are tied up to the subject of changes in our time on a world scale. He also does a good job of bringing attention to the links between alien behaviour, fairies and shamanic experiences in indigenous communities. The book goes to pains to relate much of it back to crop circles.

Personally, though I appreciate why crop-circles interest people, and except they may well be very important messages to humanity, I actually find them boring. For me the book has too much information about them in it. For those familiar with Graham Hancock’s book Supernatural all I can say is remember how much Hancock talked about cave paintings, well that is how much Daniel Pinchbeck goes on about crop-circles. I am however in a small minority regarding this subject, so I feel most people will really enjoy the attention Daniel has lavished on this particular topic. Sales of crop-circle books and pictures speak for themselves.

The book takes us on a great tour of the modern alternative communities and various camps of metaphysical thought. Amongst these is the Santo Daime whom utilise the compound DMT for unification with spiritual forces. Pinchbeck has something of a love affair with the religion, and perhaps more so with one of its priestess’s. It is a very eye opening whistle-stop tour of just one of the groups that are currently tied up into the whole 2012 planetary shift business.

We are also taken through subjects more related to possible socio-psychological shifts everything from the way we think about work to the way we view our roles. He explores in some considerable depth sexual attitudes and the way we evaluate our more sensual relationships. Perhaps to honestly much of this is in the context of his own failing relationship, and his own desires. Still it is interesting to look through another’s eyes at this deep subject, and to be made to consider whether a change in society would mean change in such fundamentals as the way we view relationships and run them. Daniel also observes matters of sexual inequality in a rather non-politically correct manner.

There is much to be gleaned from this book, New Age thought, crop circles, and 2012 peer reviews, aliens, burning man, visions, etheogens, Buddhism and environmental collapse.  It is not so much a book about 2012 as it is a book about the now flourishing counter-cultural revolution, and the rise of a new paradigm of thought. The round calendar of the Mayans and its 2012 end date merely are the hub upon which the books wheels spin. The most notable original data in it comes from Daniel’s own channelling of the God Quetzalcoatl whilst in an altered state of consciousness; I will not spoil it by telling you what he had to say about 2012.

For my part, I enjoyed the book even though I admit that at times it was a struggle to keep it flowing into my brain box. This is not an introduction to the 2012 subject however, and would be most appropriate for those who already understand just why the 2012 subject is being discussed. It would help to have fully comprehended the astronomic mechanics and cultural history behind the Meso-American calendar systems before reading. This book is rather like an intellectual joyride through post-modern culture, all the while sticking its finger up to ‘The Man’ out of the window whilst hollering, “2012 m**********r!!!”, as it speeds along.

Check out some of the now over 100 reviews on Amazon before buying this book to get a feel for the passion it ignites in people. It is on my recommended 2012 book list, and I hope you enjoy reading it despite its aforementioned flaws.

On a personal note Daniel seems like a nice and genuine man, I had the pleasure of talking to him over dinner after his 2002 launch of Breaking Open The Head in London. He is without doubt a very intelligent man that may at times be his undoing, simply because many of us are just perhaps not quite clever enough to follow his train of thinking at times. For a past article that perhaps gives away more of his thinking on 2012 topics such as ascension, I would recommend his interview in Fortean Times magazine by Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor. If however you would rather find out what he is doing currently then simply visit him over at the Reality Sandwich website.

11:11 2012 Investigated.

Some years ago amidst my explorations of occult subjects, I discovered there was a cult of interest surrounding the specific time 11:11. This had it seemed come about due to peoples peculiar experiences with this time, or with the number 1111. Generally speaking this was explained in the context of synchronicity, meaningful coincidence.

The 11:11 phenomena’s participants would find that most every day they would happen to look at a clock at exactly 11:11 or perhaps 23:11. In time people tried to explain why this was happening, the most popular explanation was that a group of higher being, or angels, were using it to bring themselves into human awareness.  This explanation became very popular and has spawned numerous groups and indeed books centred around it. This interpretation of 11:11 phenomena is however not of great interest to most 2012 researchers.

The number 11 in both singular and duplicate form has great importance for 2012 related astrology, prophecy, numerology and history. Lets just start by making everyone aware that if we take the Mayan symbol for 11 and then duplicate it, flip its duplicate, shift them both ninety degrees, we have the image of 11:11.

During the last couple of months it came to the attention of fringe arena Mayan calendar scholars, that the winter solstice marking the end of the Mayan Long Count cycle, occurs exactly at 11:11 universal time. This has been a huge revelation, one that has opened a Pandora’s box of linked data. New 2012 perspectives, and indeed increased synchronicity, have followed suit en masse.

Of course 11 has its own numerological meanings. One numerological interpretation is that it marks the beginning of new cycles and increased spiritual and compassionate factors. It is considered as one of the master numbers, those that are not reduced by the addition of the constituent numbers. There is a great deal of information available on this aspect of the topic, more than I can cover here. This number and specifically the time 11:11 appearing linked to the December 2012 event has stunned many of those experiencing the temporal synchronicity events.  Indeed it has shocked some of the supernatural and occult subject researchers who had long begun to ignore the phenomenon, such as myself for example.

I must admit that I have a particular bias in that I have myself experienced 11:11 temporal synchronicity events myself. Additionally I have 1:1 in my birth-date, which on an intuitive level always felt some how important to my life quest. I have in fact returned to this particular subject of mysterious 11’s by the synchronicity of separate personal contacts having sent me 11:11 related data within hours of one another. Upon logging into a particular site in which to post a follow up to the data I found myself on post number 1111 of the web thread. The game was afoot once again, as Sherlock Holmes might of said.

In my study of the 21-12-2012 subject matter there is a specific topic that absorbs much of my thought. The contemplation of Solar dynamics and Solar behaviour. I am by no means a Heliophysicist, or a even a particle physicist for that matter. As such I rarely brave explaining the role magnetospheric dynamics or other in depth Solar process have to play in respect to the subject of 21-12-2012. Even respected ‘experts’ on the science behind the workings of our nearest star admit that they do not have complete models. New understandings are always being reached in this area of astrophysics.

There is no doubt however that the Sun’s often erratic behaviour does have massive effects on our Earth’s biosphere. We sometimes forget that we do not merely orbit the sun but rather reside deep within its magnetosphere, the invisible part of the sun that extends out as a spherical bubble enclosing the inner planets.  Many experts have contended that changes in atmospheric ion count, for example, effect human and animal behaviour as well as our bio-clocks. Even influencing biological, physiological and behavioural patterns of all living things. Certainly we know that some frequencies of radiation from the sun can effect cell division, or indeed even brain functions. Excess or lack of certain frequencies, and types of solar radiation have been observed to have radical effects on human beings under laboratory conditions.

The reason why the Sun becomes important in the 11:11 subject is not simply that it is of course central to a solstice point in our calendar. It also happens to be that the sun’s magnetic field operates a cycle of polarity reversals averaging 11.11 years in length. The next peak of this cycle happens to be in the year 2012 and has been predicted by astrophysicists to be a very active maximum, possibly the most active since the end of the last ice-age.

Nikola Tesla, the unsung hero of science whom gave us such wonders as alternating current (imagine not having that!), was himself rather interested in the Sun. Although a hard scientist, he was also rather superstitious about numbers, and held the perhaps strange belief that the Sun and the Earth were dynamic living organisms. A belief also held by many indigenous peoples of the America’s and indeed world-wide. I mention this because on some level I am left wondering if the Sun is either consciously or by unknown natural mechanisms communicating with the life forms that inhabit its sphere of influence?

Is the Sun, our temporal governor, speaking to us through the very devices that display its movement through the divisions of the day. Could this really be like the elephant in the living room that nobody wants to see, the sun having an 11.11 year cycle, the winter solstice of 2012 falling at 11:11 and people all over the world finding themselves bombarded with 11’s just as science is predicting some kind of majestic solar event at the peak of this current cycle?

Interestingly 11’s have played important roles in recent world history.  The 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day is the official moment of remembrance for the lives lost during, and cessation of, the terrible fighting in Europe during WWI. Two minutes of silence are observed, a pair of 1's yet again. More recently we have the initiation of a war on September 11-01, which may yet be remembered as the start of WWIII. It also transpires that 111 in numerology is a ‘power number’ related to fresh modes of thinking applied to new cycles in life‘s play.

It is of additional note that not only did we have the start of the war-on-terror on the 11th September, but that it was heralded by the destruction of two great buildings appearing to stand above the New York skyline in the form of an enormous 11. A side not mentioned by mystic’s is that card number 16 of the classical Tarot immediately sprung to mind. The card portrays a tower struck, crumbling away, and people falling. The card appears in Tarot spreads as an indicator of massive, tumultuous, painful changes before something new can appear. It was as though the symbol for massive turbulent changes just leap off our Tarot card and onto our TV screens.

As a 21-12-2012 subject matter researcher, it would be perhaps ironic if I had missed the timing of the event in relation to that subject. The events of that fateful day occurred just over 11 years from the end of the Mayan calendar. Was this a vast cosmic herald of great change relating to the numbers 11, 111, 11-11?

Its also interesting to note that the very numbers of the solstice date 21-12-2012 can be added together to give us the number 11 once again. Almost like a fail safe, just in case we were to dumb to of noticed all the other 11 related patterns!

Before leaving this subject completely it is worth a tour through some other related data just for fun. It is not my place to reach any absolute conclusions, and as such any relevant information is possibly worth sharing whilst on topic. Also I do ask that everyone bears in mind that the Gregorian and Mayan systems are very different, and that in the Mayan system there is no 11:11 21-12-2012 as such. Rather there is 13.0.0.0.0 as an end date.

One fun mathematical oddity is the fact that 1111 multiplied by 1111 gives us 1234321. This forms two sides of a structure not Mayan stepped pyramid in numeric form. In terms of the much vaunted ‘New Age’ and the coming of the era of Aquarius, its notable that the water bearer is the 11th sign of the zodiac cycle.

Interestingly the moving to the point 1111 days before the 2012 solstice gives us the date 6-12-09. The fact that 6, 9, & 12 are sequential multiples of perhaps the most highly regarded spiritual number 3 is a notable fact. For my part 3, 33, 333 & 3:33 have been the numbers that follow me through my life more than any others in relation to synchronicity. The 11 link returns when we divide 33 by 3 which of course give us 11 once again. Also don't forget that the date 9-11 can also be seen in numerology as 333-11.

Perhaps the most powerful lesson inherent in the number 11, is that there is one, and next to it there is one. I am another yourself, and you are another myself. Each is one. All are one. There is only one.

If only all mankind could find in that, a simple message of truth.

Namaste.
 

The Ashram at the Centre of the Galaxy

[Warning This Section Contains Subjective Esoteric Opinions!!] 

The 2012 alignment event and this nexus-like subject with regard to the winter solstice of 21-12-2012 involves some further astronomic explanations. Though we tend to view things from a very Earth centred perspective, by this point we have realised that we are dealing with a Sol based subject here. The only area of the topic that is Earth centric is that related phenomena called precession, in which we look at the manner by which our planet’s axis wanders over time through the constellations. Often visualised as the motion of a spinning top, the planet twirls rapidly, whilst its axis slowly traces a 360-degree circular pathway through the stars (visualise an extremely long laser beam from both poles into deep space).

Due to the Earth’s wobble, we gradually change position relative to the sun on the Equinox and Solstice days. These are the days on which the Sun resides in such a position that it will intersect the celestial equatorial and ecliptic planes. These positions can be more correctly referred to as equinoctial points, though for the sake of easing our now aching heads let us stick to the better-known term equinox. These points occur on the 21st day of every last month of a quarter during the year, and upon those days the sun spends an almost, but not quite, equal amount of time above and below the horizon from the perspective of any point on the planet.

The movement of the Earth’s axis (and by default the equinox) through its precessional cycle occurs at the rate of 1 degree every 71.5 years, approximately. Its total completion occurs once every 25,800 years, give or take a little. This vast cycle is know as either the Great Year or the Platonic Year, and is the driving force of the so-called progression of astrological ages.

With all of the knowledge now firmly embedded in mind, back then to the galactic alignment of Sol and the Milky Way’s centre we can now go. Once every 26,000 years the sun rises in alignment with the plane of the galactic equator, and in the line of sight toward the galactic bulge. This does not, for some of us rather surprisingly, suddenly occur on the date 21-12-2012. Actually, like most astronomic process, it takes a period of some years to initiate and complete. Due to the width of the sun the process will take 36 years for the winter solstice to cease occurring in alignment to the galactic equator completely. The precise alignment of the centre of the sun (its solstice point) with the galactic centre actually happened in 1998. As I have said elsewhere 21-12-2012 subject matter (the accurate understanding of it anyway) deals with a period of time in which 2012 is a hub rather than a one-day spectacular.

The new world speculated about in the cosmology and spiritual systems of the Mayans and other indigenous or ancient cultures merely begins to fix its structure in 2012, apparently. We have already been constructing it for several years now (God help us!) and it will remain relatively fluid until just after 2012 (perhaps to 2016?). At this final fixing point (whenever it is exactly), in my understanding of the subject, we will have chosen how our new world age will be and what forces will dominate. If dominated by material greed then the realisation of various horrendous prophecy regarding total annihilation of our species seem a reasonable, though undesirable, conclusion to me. If we have taken the path of global unity and taken to spiritual seeking on a mass scale, we will then hopefully see the realisation of the more positive ‘Golden Age’ prophecies. At this time neither outcome is fixed, we must be very careful in our conclusions, or indeed our attaching ourselves to any certain outcomes.

Just what is it that both ancient and modern wise-[wo]men and indigenous cultures see as being so significant about this cosmic event in particular then?

What could possibly be set to happen, or indeed be happening already, at this time due to it?

As usual, there are different camps with set views and those sitting firmly in the grey area in which their speculations overlap. There is the camp of researchers who hold that this is utterly a matter of physical cosmic forces. What I mean by this is that they see this huge cycle of cosmic time as ending with a spectacular natural phenomena with very much established scientific explanation. There are a few different such theories and each with its own merits. I will not detail them all in minutiae here as I think its been enough to take in already, but will provide a short list of candidates.

The first possibility is that some form of energy wave will hit us from the centre of the galaxy, in much the same way that certain stars fire out energy bursts from their poles causing havoc to anything in the path. Another is that perhaps intense gravity interaction with astral bodies on this plane will pull comets and other objects out of their orbits firing them at the inner solar system. Perhaps wholly unknown forces from the super-black hole might be having an incalculable effect. In connection with these theories are that some of the theorised energy interplay may be causing both the polarity of our Sun and indeed Earth to radically change, or even suddenly flip. This is by no means an exhaustive look at the more materialistic minded cosmic theories, most of which predict a massive catastrophe for life on earth.

On the other side of the divide, as ever, sit the spiritual and mystic minded researchers. It is for the spiritual folk that this article has been titled, rather tongue in cheek, as ‘The Ashram at the Centre of the Galaxy’. Actually, in truth, it is also so named partly for the catastrophism that is involved in many theories from both camps. The excellent book, ‘The Restaurant at the end of the Universe’ by the English chaos theorist Douglas Adams has of course inspired my title. In his book he takes humanities rather obnoxious habit of rubber necking and enjoying disasters to its ultimate extreme. At the end of all time and space the characters find themselves in a restaurant with a spectacular view of the end of everything, the final mega-catastrophe that destroys all life and existence, the restaurant is of course packed. This is something that any 2012 researcher understands; some of the hits to our sites are from people that would love tickets for just such an event. It would be naïve for us to say that everyone who watches this subject does so with a higher intent, or for self-education, many just want to hear about a spectacular cosmic car crash!

So what is it that the spiritual minded researchers are fixing their intensive, farsighted, gaze upon then?

Well though there may not be an actual ashram based in the centre of our galaxy, it is a fair metaphor for this discussion. At this time, many of the more mystic minded have concluded (by either mundane or supernatural means) that the alignment with the galactic centre brings an evolution of human consciousness, one that takes us toward becoming more spiritual and multi-dimensional beings. Rather like the ticking of a clock, the various cosmic phenomena are seen to mark numbers on the clock face, with this particular happening being the hands at 12 noon, pointing straight up to the divine engineer and heralding a new phase in its plan. As the clock strikes the final sound, a wave of new level consciousness is unleashed. This wave will then permeate all, or at least our portion, of existence. Humans will suddenly become enlightened beings, or depending on the researcher you ask, at least a certain percentage of humans will become enlightened beings. Most people in this camp agree that individuals will in fact have to be already engaged with the attempt of raising their consciousness by their own volition to be lifted upon the wave. An analogy for this is imagining the difference between a person standing in a strong river and one sailing on it, when a suddenly a large tidal surge arrives. One is carried along, the other one is drowned.

 I have set up my tent in one of those encampments firmly established in the grey area, just to clarify my bias. I find that the evidence is compelling for both physical changes on our planet as well as metaphysical changes to our refinement of conscious experience. Though I refer to my spiritual path as highly esoteric, neo-shamanism blended with Buddhism and coloured by striving for the ancient Law of One (no time to explain that here), my Buddhist training makes me highly sceptical of the idea that we can gain instant enlightenment by some outside process or event. I actually believe that the physical Earth changes will give us the opportunity to respond in such a way (compassionately) to the ensuing difficulties on the global populace, that we will have a unique opportunity to gain rapid enlightenment. Moreover, that as we do this we will encounter the ‘Wave of New Consciousness’ and that this spiritual energy will raise us even higher.

The Galactic centre is for me merely the hub of one level in a divine chaos fractal, each level’s hub being rather like a step-up or step-down transformer for divine energy. To find out more about my theories on this energy and its source, simply stick around.

Om Mani Padme Hum

Sol's Place In Space

One of the key pieces of information discussed with reference to the 2012 subject (2012ology) is a long anticipated alignment with the galactic centre, that is, with the very core of the Milky Way galactic star system. Unless you happen to be an astronomer it is likely that this statement makes the whole event about as clear as freshly churned mud. Some will have familiarised themselves with the details of this already, certainly any serious scholar of 2012 data will have done so. For the sake of casual readers and those new to the topic let me regale you with my recent astronomical re-education brought about largely by studying an excellent (and expensive) astronomy and cosmology book called simply, ‘Astronomica’.

The basis of the 2012 alignment as discussed in relation to this website comes from a synergy of several astronomical phenomena and events. Here I provide you with a  quick basic background to all relevant astronomy. To start with we recall that Earth circles the star called Sol (hence ‘Solar’ system), Sol is a star out on  the so called ‘Local’ or ‘Orion’ arm of a Spiral type Galaxy named The Milky Way. For sake of general interest lets include also the dimensions of our Galaxy, it is around 100,000 light years in diameter (excluding the atomic hydrogen gas and dark matter) and includes some 100 billion stars.

Thanks initially to viewing other galaxies of the same type it became clear that spiral arm galaxies had at their centre a bulge. Looking up into our night sky in the right location at the right time confirms that we to have such a bulge, and that we are indeed looking edge on at a galactic disk. For those in the Southern hemisphere this is all the more clearly seen. Comparative studies show that this bulge is indeed the centre of a spiral galaxy, and has itself a number of unique phenomena associated to it that should be explained here for a better understanding of our cosmic position.

The sun although currently out in one of the spiral arms, is however not attached to it, we are passing through only as we circle the core of our galaxy at the admirable speed of 135 miles per second. Taking into account our distance from the hub, which is 28,000 light years, we can calculate that one complete orbit of the solar system takes 230 million years.

Turning our eyes, and indeed advanced radio telescopes, inward toward the core we see there is a band of darkness strung along the central galactic plane, this is known as the Great Rift, and these dust clouds will later cause us some problems in our observations. Zooming in further we see the  Spherical Halo that makes up our  earlier witnessed bulge, it incorporates several globular clusters of stars as well as the major star birthing clouds of the Milky Way, these form a kind of shell about the true central core (interestingly unlike the rest of the stars in the galaxy which all orbit in the same direction, the stars here move in various directions). Lets not be deceived into visualising an empty shell however as there is more to be discovered within.

Finally we come to the core itself, long obscured from even the mightiest telescoped due to those dense clouds around it. Thanks though to advanced infrared detection we have discovered that the core is slightly peanut shaped, with a central bar of extremely ancient stars acting like a central column about which all else turns, residing within ionised molecular gas, a structure known as the 3-5 kilo parsec ring. There is at the nucleus a cluster of millions of these very ancient stars. The observed velocity of this star cluster has lead to the understanding that they are being interacted upon by a black hole with the mass of four million stars!

Black holes are one of the most fascinating  phenomena in the known Universe. For those not familiar with Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, it states that when huge mass is compressed into small space the normal dimensions of space become warped. At that point nothing can escape, not even light, with no light we of course have no visibility of the object. This results in a so called black hole, a type of quantum singularity into which everything about it is drawn by incredibly intense gravitational forces. A star significantly larger than our own can in its final stages become a black hole with intense gravitational pull, therefore the forces involved in a black hole of four million solar mass is rather mind boggling. The black hole can be thought of rather like the plug hole about which water spins as it exit’s a bathtub. Fortunately we are not being rapidly pulled into our own plug hole, the distances involved seem to allow relative balance for the surrounding stars.

Hopefully this has laid the foundations of a better appreciation of our place within the Universe and the mechanism’s of the cosmos that surround us and indeed lead our very existence. Most importantly now when someone mutters something about an alignment with the galactic centre we will immediately know just what the centre of the galaxy is ‘all about’.

One of the most interesting calendar coincidences in relation to the Mayan 2012 information, is the similarity between the start dates of the last long count cycle of the Mayan system and the Hindu’s Kali Yuga. Yuga’s are vast periods of time, epoch’s that relate to the Earths journey around a cosmological central sun. The four Yuga (Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga) together make up an entire world age between creation and destruction events, held to be around 4,320,000 years in total duration.

Most 21-12-2012 researchers are aware of the 3114BCE start date of the current long count cycle, less people are aware however that the Kali Yuga, a predicted era of moral decent and spiritual bleakness, began in the year 3102BCE. A startling similarity, a mere 12 years difference for systems on different sides of the planet. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana Sutra from ancient India depicts a period which has many of the failings visible in our modern society, such is the backdrop of the spiritual decline in the Kali Yuga.

It is however a mistake  for people to seek a link between the Mayan 2012 end-date and the closing of the Kali Yuga. Though their starts may have links the ends do not. The Kali Yuga is set to continue on for a vast period of time, at least 432,000 years, well eclipsing the 5126 years of the Mayan Long Count. Scholars from philosophies such as Buddhism, and from religions such as Brahmanist Hinduism, often discuss ages as being many millions of years long, entire vast Kalpa of time are addressed.

There is an excellent Buddhist parable that depicts visually an era of time described as an Aeon, far more effectively than a string of numbers. A teacher  monk explains that an eon can be likened to the great stone mountain Meru. Once every year a man passes the mountain and lightly brushed against it a strip of the finest silk. The mountain will be completely worn away by his action well before the aeon closes.

Its worth noting that the Buddhist philosophy does not tend to hold with the idea that a time of any great Universal significance will happen in our near future, every moment carries the same inherent problems and their solutions. The only significant events predicted or prophesised are the ending the vast epochs, or the extremely intermittent arising of new Buddha’s. There have been suggestions in relation to 2012, that the next Buddha will arise at this time in a rather Judeo-Christian end of days scenario. Unfortunately anyone educated in Buddhist lore will know that it is made clear that Buddha’s only arise millions of years apart. Buddhism is prophesised to completely disappear during the Kali Yuga, and that during that time it will be virtually impossible for seekers to find any opportunity for spiritual realisation at all by any system we might be able to consider now. Only when such utter darkness has shrouded the world will another being become fully realised wholly by their own efforts, without any guidance, and become the next Buddha, named Maitreya.

The most notable discussion on the Kali Yuga by Buddhist teachers actually refers to how lucky a being is to be born as a human in such a time. To quote the master wisdom teacher Pabongka Rimpoche, “Most important of all through this physical rebirth you are able to achieve the state of Vajradhara [unification of the illusory body and great bliss] within one short lifetime in this degenerate age; otherwise it would take thee countless great aeons to achieve. Thus this rebirth is worth more than one thousand billion precious jewels.”

21-12-2012 may close a cycle of time related to consciousness change within our species, after all the Mayans were highly focussed on biological and environmental cycles, it would make sense that they had tried to do the same with psychological and spiritual forces. This would be in accordance with the great Asiatic measures of Yuga and Kulpa, as they too relate to the evolution of human consciousness. This considerably shorter cycle of the Long Count would only relate to a significant change in thought process’s however, not to a sudden total self enlightenment of the human species in totality. Even if we take into account the entire Great Year of the Galactic Alignment (26,000 years max.) it is vastly less that the periods Asiatic teachers consider necessary for super-massive consciousness upgrades.

The talk of 2012 consciousness change is by needs somewhat vague, nobody knows for sure just what might happen. That said it is wise to perhaps disregard the position which suggests suddenly every person on Earth will automatically become fully enlightened spiritual beings, ready to embrace a world of spiritual concerns, peace and compassion. It is self evident that the last time a Great Year period ended we did not have this happen, nor in prior cycles. The fact is that we are still here and not fully self realised, so we know it does not tend to happen that way. Whether perhaps some certain persons were especially effected or did somehow ascend to a higher dimension remains possible, but as stated that’s not everyone on Earth. If this cycle is important in regards to the evolution of consciousness then its more likely that the effect is far more subtle, either an evolutionary change in our neurological system, or perhaps a general refinement of the functioning of mental energies. The advantage given would perhaps make self realisation somewhat easier only because the tools, the technology of self development, gets upgraded. If you were a psychopath on 20-12-2012 it strikes me unlikely that even this cosmic-consciousness change will cause you to become a saint in under 24hrs.

In the start of the great thinker (oddball) Nietzsche’s book, ‘Thus Spake Zarathustra’, it is stated that ‘God is dead’. Actually this concept, if widely excepted, would make more of a change to our society then any evolutionary force imaginable to us. Currently the vast majority of the planet is operating under a system of belief that a Supreme being wrote or dictated a book of rules for them to live by, all open of course to a plethora of personal interpretation. Inclusive in these system are various promised punishments or rewards dependant on obedience to the set of rules given, the old carrot and the stick to move the donkey along routine. This abhorrent position, as discussed here in an excellent related article, means that the vast majority of the planet is incapable of helping change the orientation of the species toward an optimum direction if it contradicts something in a book. In my own library here I have copies of many spiritual texts including those of the four major theistic traditions, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hindusim. I have also many other books, plenty of them are extremely wise and have much to offer. If however I simply picked one and said I would only act if my actions were guided by that book that would doubtless lead to great problems. Taking guidance from each is only helpful up to a point, its my own mind and spirit that must be constant and able for the task of self realisation and environmental improvements. If before I can act I must consult a book, clearly there is something wrong with me, I should be able to do the optimum action immediately with no conscious thought whilst functioning at my optimum ability. Compassion should become my very nature at every moment and guide every action.

The best thing that could happen on 2012 might just be that people would put down their various books for a moment and take a long hard searching look within themselves. Before we rush headlong into a new period of economic and religious wars, we should surely pause for deep reflection. There are many questions I would want each to ask themselves first.

Do we really want a world split into two halves, one mainly poor, downtrodden and subverted by religious fanatics, and the other wealthy but ruthlessly controlled by New World Order dictators?

Wouldn’t our children be thankful to us for not having allowed that to happen?

Would the creative force that makes up the very fibre of all existence, that is the material of our core spirits, need to write an instruction manual for life like some cheaply paid Ikea manufacturer?

Most of the worlds great spiritual teachers have made it clear that every human has the ability to better themselves and raise themselves to the level we might call ‘saintly’. Yet each is also unique and will requires different focus, efforts, and forms of assistance from others. The only absolute equality and connection between each person is the actual energy of consciousness on which they run and from which they draw their ‘self existence’. To discover how they should then best proceed they should not ask someone else or read a certain text, first they should just try to take a period of reflection and get to grips with whom they are and what issues they need to work on. This process means that if they then go for help or read advisory material, they can then refine from it the part useful to them in particular rather than being treated to a ‘one size fits all’ solution. That structure may work for cheap T-Shirt manufacturers, but seems woefully inefficient for the enlightenment of an eternal spiritual being constructed of pure consciousness energy.

When we allow books to instruct us in doing something wrong, perhaps even evil, we cant blame the books. If I subjugate a women or take someone as a slave I know it is wrong without picking a book up of my shelf. I don’t need to find a psalm or Sutra to know that killing and stealing are grossly unfair and cruel. Even the mundane ups and downs of my day are filled with actions that I am aware of being either optimal or substandard. I find it naïve to believe that whilst a mob stones someone to death for blasphemy or, rapes someone because they are seen as a lower caste, that the individuals are not all aware that they are in fact in the wrong. If a God were to state otherwise then it would have to be a wicked and evil entity, one to be exorcised by the might of our compassion. Whilst humans cut each other to ribbons or apply mind numbingly cruel tortures to one another, they speak about there adherence to the rules of some divine, loving and compassionate God. To me this is greatly unsettling, when we begin to call quite evil actions ‘good’, then we are in real trouble.

If I could wish for anything to happen on the 21-12-2012 it would simply be that everyone one of us for a moment dropped any external guiding principles from our minds, both religious and social rules. Then just sat quietly and analysed what it means to be alive, a human, compassionate, and a seeker of happiness. Before picking up any of the old ways they could first bring themselves up to speed and better understand these basic guiding forces. We are all here together in this great web we call life, we are all in human form, each of us desires happiness and all would be happier if everyone was compassionate. Having realised that situation we could then observe that even when no other is doing an action that would be causing us harm, we can still lack lasting happiness. Finally there would be no ability to avoid the obvious cause of our fluctuating emotional states, that its all within us, not somewhere ‘out there’. From that point self realisation and enlightenment are observable phenomena on the horizon of our self existence, finally.


“One of the most curious things in the structure of our psyche is that we all want to be told because we are the result of the propaganda of ten thousand years. We want to have our thinking confirmed and corroborated by another, whereas to ask a question is to ask it of yourself. What I say has very little value. You will forget it the moment you shut this book, or you will remember and repeat certain phrases, or you will compare what you have read here with some other book – but you will not face your own life. And that is all that matters – your life, yourself, your pettiness, your shallowness, your brutality, your violence, your greed, your ambition, your daily agony and endless sorrow – that is what you have to understand and nobody on earth or in heaven is going to save you from it but yourself.”

J KRISHNAMURTI
(Freedom from the Known - 121)