Approaching the Year 2012 As An Opportunity

The Mayans prophesied that from 1999 we have 13 years to actualize shifts in our awareness and behavior, to stray from the path of self and global destruction, and move onto a path that opens our consciousness to integrate us with all that exists

The Mayans had a very precise understanding of our solar system’s cycles and believed that these cycles coincided with our spiritual and collective consciousness. The most significant of which has much to do with the 2012 prophecies. The Mayans, who invented calendars of remarkable accuracy and complexity, were ancient astronomers who possessed great knowledge when Westerners still believed the Earth was flat. Before telescopes were invented they could measure the distance of the Moon to within inches. The Tibetan Kalachakra contains a prophecy that 860 years after its introduction into Tibet, which happened in 1127, the conditions would be fulfilled for a twenty five year period that would culminate in the appearance of Shamballa, the Tibetan version of New Jerusalem. Eight hundred sixty years after 1127 is 1987, and 25 years after that is 2012. This prophecy is also spoken about by other indigenous cultures including the Hopi, Inka, Apache and Maori. Modern astronomers have shown that on December 21, 2012. our sun and planet will be in perfect alignment with the center of the Milky Way. This event only occurs every 26,625 years. It is believed that as we approach 2012 there have been and will continue to be many Earth changes and geological shifts. These can serve as a wake up call to make us more conscious of how we treat the Earth and each other.

In the Judeo-Christian tradition Earth changes often foretold times of doom and cataclysm. The Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesy an apocalypse. They see it as a time of transition from one World Age into another. Our choice is how we enter the future. We can resist or accept the changes which will determine whether the transition will happen with cataclysmic results or gradual peace and tranquility. When first hearing about 2012 we initially felt a deep fear in light of current world problems, including devastating tsunamis and earthquakes, oil crises, the bombing of the world trade center. We chose to look at the word crisis as defined by the Chinese, which means ‘danger+opportunity’. Our moving towards and beyond the year 2012 is an incredible opportunity for us to awaken and shift our consciousness.

How does our consciousness affect our world? Quantum physicists have proven that what we think about is what is manifested in the world. In metaphysical studies the law of attraction states that a person’s thoughts (conscious and subconscious), emotions, and beliefs cause a change in the physical world. The Secret, the popular movie released in 2006, was based on the law of attraction and provided many examples of individuals directly manifesting what they thought, believed and felt.

So our first directive is to be aware of what we are thinking, feeling and believing. That awareness may be gained through different practices including meditation and mindful reflection. We need to know ourselves better, to be aware of our unconscious shadow sides: the parts of ourselves that we hide, repress and deny. When we are unaware of our deeper feelings/ thoughts/ beliefs, we act them out in repetitive dramas that often hurt ourselves, others, and the environment. We must do our personal work to unhook from old destructive thought/emotional/behavioral patterns.

Our second directive is to be conscious of how we project our thoughts, feelings and beliefs upon others and the world. Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist, talked about the collective shadow and believed that how we feel as a culture has a strong energetic impact on others. He noted that Germany was looked upon and treated poorly after World War I, and that the projected anger onto that culture was the breeding ground for German shame, which later got projected further onto non-Aryan races with horrific results. Intentional thoughts/feelings can also positively influence matter, as demonstrated by the study done in Washington D.C. in which meditators prayed for peace in a high crime urban area with the crime rate significantly lessening during that time of prayer.

Our third directive is to treat Mother Earth more kindly. The Mayans and others who share the prophecies had a keen sense of the interconnectedness of all of life. We must recognize the illusion of separation and become caretakers of the Earth and all its inhabitants. Being stewards of this Earth means being conscious of what we do on a daily basis to either harm or help the planet. Practical choices such as recycling, use of eco-friendly products, carpooling, etc... must be made. Foremost, a profound shift in perception must occur, and with it an acceptance of the direct impact humans have on all of life. The wisest of traditions have known that we are a web of life. This deeper awareness and sense of respect/responsibility for all of life, in turn makes us more sensitive and responsive to our human family.

The Earth changes, oil situation and increasing violence and war, are a wake up call for us to understand and shift our patterns and behaviors. Increasing our consciousness about what we think, believe and feel, is a first step. The second step is to recognize how we project our thinking, emotions and beliefs onto others and the world. The third step is to see life not through the lens of separation but through the eyes of unity and interconnection. To act with integrity in relation to all that exists. One of the most conscious and powerful world leaders was Mahatma Gandhi, who simply stated: We must be the change we wish to see. 2012 is an incredible invitation to shift human consciousness and to take the next giant step in our evolution. This powerful choice, with all of its implications, is ours to make wisely.