Does the Mayan Indians calendar herald 'end times'?

You have probably heard that in the culture of the Mayan Indians of South America, their long count calendar ends on December 21st 2012 and this heralds 'end times'.

The Maya were incredibly astute studiers of the stars and the seasons, and the cycles of planets in the starry heavens. There are all sorts of interpretations of this 'end times' prophecy including Armageddon and the end of human civilization. In this scenario the planet Earth is returned to it's own dominion through Nature, the human cancer gone, banished through consuming it's host and potentially starving itself into extinction, or polluting the biosphere and water supplies to the point of critical toxicity, fighting for domination over the edge to oblivion through nuclear annihilation, bioterrorism…and any number of other hideous endings for us - species deleted. Not the most pleasant thought!

None of those scenarios is positive and all lead to our extinction, and quite possibly the extinction of many other life forms too. Over time, with us gone, the Earth would continue to evolve and so would the creatures that could adapt to the conditions left behind after we are gone. As life forms responded to the environment in ways that gave them advantage, (the potential for continuance), consciousness would keep seeking ways to discover more of itself. Who knows? What could look like a 'set back' could also facilitate transformation that was impossible with us being here. Maybe we are destined to be a transient species, an experiment of Nature that fails.

I don't buy that idea at all. Although the doomsdayers' visions of the human future sow the seeds of fear that can grow inside us and inhibit our freedoms, there are other visions we can imagine too - positive visions of our positive potential. Imagine a species that understands itself and the incredible powers it has to manifest a quality of life on earth that is in harmony with the environment that enables it to exist in the first place. Imagine a species that knows how to mature itself - consciously.

We can each play a part in co-creating a vision of the human future that is highly compelling to move towards. Don't most of us deeply yearn for our version of heaven on earth anyway? Some sort of world in which we are free to be, we are safe and loved, we take care of each other and we live harmoniously with our environment? Peace. Love. Adventure? I know I do.

Whatever the state of the world on December 22nd, we can use the idea of there being a 'before Dec 21' and an 'after Dec 21' to put some pegs in the ground. And because it's the sort of person I am, just in case there some surplus energies whizzing around that I can tap into, I have a plan. I thought I'd share it with you in case you are like me - unsure it means anything at all - and - willing to keep an open mind about things you know you don't fully understand. I believe its called covering your bases.

AMANDA'S DEC 2012 CONSCIOUS COOPERATION PLAN

In the lead up to Dec 21 and right through and into January I will be consciously sorting through what I want to let go of and leave behind, the 'stuff' I don't need to carry anymore. This will be a physical clear out of places like my bedroom, clothes, cupboards, papers, the garage and so on. I will be writing a list of everything I want to let go of including attitudes and ideas, beliefs and feelings, and habits and addictions that don't serve me anymore. I will burn that list with the intention of transforming all those things into something good. That ritual 'zen funeral' (burning the list) will happen sometime close to but before the 21st.

I will also examine my values and align myself with and rechoose what is important to me going forward in my life at this time in it. I will also start reflecting consciously and on purpose, about what kind of world I want to live in, and what kind of species I want to be part of. The ideas that emerge will continue to guide my life. This is all about tapping into 'intuitive imagination' and envisioning whatever you dare might be possible.

This kind of 'consciousness cleansing and planting' is what many people say they will do around new year, but it often doesn't happen…our wily self would rather preserve the status quo at times so we procrastinate until it doesn't feel worth doing anymore. If it's been a while since you did a conscious personal 'stock take and upgrade', why not use the end of the Mayan long count calendar as a symbolic moment to direct some of your energies towards the big picture context of your life?

Who knows, maybe some of our ideas about Humanity's positive potential might take root if enough people start exploring how we could live more consciously and motivated by love instead of fear. “First things seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and pretty soon they become inevitable” - so said Christopher Reeves. What would you love to see as inevitable?

And that's it from my view for 2012.

With goodness and beauty all around may you walk (Navajo Indian saying)

Cheers,
Amanda