Is the Mayan Prophecy for real?
By Jock Whitehouse

Lecture Spiritual Transformation through the Mayan Prophecy of 2012 Jock Whitehouse Tue, Jun 30, 5pm Sala Quetzal Biblioteca Pública 60 pesos (all proceeds benefit the library)

People ask me, “Are we on the brink of apocalypse? Is the world really going to end on December 21, 2012?” The Maya predicted this as the date when the sun and the earth would be in alignment with the center of the Milky Way, and they were right! That not-so-far-off date is the final day of the Mayan Long Count Calendar. So one wonders.

As climate change spawns wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods; as earthquakes and mudslides turn entire villages into rubble; as political, social and religious differences give rise to terrorism, genocide and war; and as the world teeters on the brink of economic chaos, it’s not hard to imagine an apocalypse in the making. If your life has been affected by any of these conditions, the crisis can seem very real, indeed.

Most prophecies of apocalyptic change (Revelations, Nostradamus, Black Elk, the Hopi, Edgar Cayce), and particularly those that point specifically to 2012 (such as the I Ching, the Maya, even the Web Bot), have as their underlying reference a condition of imbalance—the tipping power of excess. If we ask ourselves, “Are we in a period of imbalance? A time of excess?” I think we’d have to say “Yes.”

Most of us are fortunate to live here in San Miguel, and we may be somewhat insulated from what’s going on back in the States and around the world. We haven’t lost our job or our home, as many back in the States have. (At least I hope we haven’t.) However, it is certain that we’re not completely insulated. The economy has hit more than a few of us, even to the point of having to go back to try to rebuild our nest eggs. 

Fear is another consequence of our current situation. We don’t sleep quite as peacefully. We worry about how far and how long this will all go on, and what might happen to us. Will we be okay? The fear seems to be growing, perhaps imperceptibly.

I’ve written a book that is an allegory about spiritual transformation against the backdrop of the Mayan Prophecy of 2012. At its center is a character named Daniel who, amid deep personal crisis, is pitched into the mythological terrain of southern Mexico. There he learns to use his fear as a vehicle for transformation. Starting with the most powerful question of all—“What’s important?”—his journey leads him to discover the three great truths of our lives and the practices we must maintain to keep those truths alive. 

So, is the Mayan Prophecy for real? As Daniel says, “It’s a second chance for us all.”

Jock Whitehouse is the author of The Ledge of Quetzal: Beyond 2012, available in September. For further information, visit www.jockwhitehouse.com.