A New Year, A New World
According to conspiracy theorists, we have little less than a year left to live.
Yep, that's right – 352 days to go until the proposed date of mankind’s demise.
On December 21, 2012, the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, also known as the Mayan Calendar, predicts the end of a 5,125-year-long cycle. Some believe that at the end of this cycle, the world will end. Others predict that we will enter a phase of spiritual enlightenment.
What is all this hype really about? Does December 21, 2012 really mark the end of the world?
The Great Mayan Civilization
The Maya were an advanced Mesoamerican civilization. Mayan reign lasted for nearly 2,000 years, and in that time they made great advances in mathematics, the arts, writing and astronomy. They are most famously known for having developed the only written language in the pre-Columbian Americas, and they fashioned a numerical Long Count calendar that possessed a surprising accuracy. The Mayan Long Count calendar was so advanced, that it was eventually adopted by surrounding civilizations such as the Aztecs and the Toltec.
The Mayan Long Count Calendar
They Mayan Long Count calendar is an elegant and complex system – events can be recorded using a three tier dating system. Similar to our Gregorian calendar, the Mayan calendar also uses a year that consists of 365 days.
The Mayan Calendar and The End of The World
So what does the Mayan calendar have to do with the end of the world?
The Mayan Calendar separated time into ages, commonly referred to as World Ages. A World Age is comparable to a decade, or a century. It consists of 13 b’ak’tuns.
Basically, a World Age is just another way of referring to a long amount of time that would otherwise be difficult for our minds to comprehend.
A World Age is quite long – it lasts roughly 5,125 years.
The Fourth World
According to the Mayan Calendar, we are currently living in the Fourth World. This era begun on the 11th of August, 3114 BC.
On December 21, 2012, the Fourth World will come to an end. A mind-boggling 5,125 years have passed since the beginning of the Fourth World, and we will soon enter the Fifth World – a new and unknown World Age.
Physical Evidence
Where is all of this information coming from, anyway?
This information is more than just folklore, passed along by word of mouth.
In southern Mexico lies the Mayan Tortuguero site. At this site exists an inscription, commonly referred to as Tortuguero Monument 6.
Tortuguero Monument 6 contains reference to Bolon Yokte, a god who is said to appear at the end of 13 b’ak’tuns, the 5,125-year cycle we are about to complete, the beginning of the Fifth World.
The Tortuguero Monument 6 inscription reads:
It will be completed the 13th b'ak'tun.
It is 4 Ajaw 3 K'ank'in
and it will happen a 'seeing'.
It is the display of B'olon-Yokte'
in a great "investiture”.
Although the Tortuguero Monument 6 is thousands of years old and is quite difficult to read due to its age, the translation is considered fairly accurate.
Scholars have very little knowledge of Bolon Yokte outside of the Tortuguero Monument 6 reference. The Tortuguero Monument 6 suggests that at the end of the 13th b’ak’tun, when the Fifth World begins, Bolon Yokte will appear and conduct an investiture. What this investiture will consist of, we can only surmise.
So What Will Happen in The Fifth World?
According to the Maya, the Fifth World will mark the beginning of cycle in nature that will affect our entire solar system and life as we know it.
A Solar Alignment
Coincidentally, astronomers believe that on December 21, 2012, the sun will sit directly between the Milky Way and the galactic equinox. During this phenomenon, the sun will rest in perfect alignment with the center of the galaxy. This phenomenon occurs once every 26,000 years, and is perhaps what the Maya were indicating in their prophecies.
Entering The Fifth World
According to the Maya, upon entering the Fifth World, the Earth will “birth an egg” and move up within the solar system, reaching its “crowning place”. It is said that we as humans will have a choice between two time frames – one that leads to the Fifth World on Earth, and a second, that is very alluring and deceptive, which unfortunately leads to oblivion. Some ancient civilizations also refer to this period as the “purification time”.
Some believe that upon entering the Fifth World, life as we know it will be over. The world will come to an end, and mankind will be eliminated from existence.
Others read into the start of this new era as a spiritual awakening.
New Age Beliefs
The New Age Movement, which combines Eastern and Western tradition and spirituality, has increased in popularity over the past few years. While New Agers have no uniform belief system, they do generally agree that the Mayans were correct in their predictions – 2012 will mark the start of a new world.
However, New Agers believe that “end of the world” predictions should be interpreted loosely – it may be the end of the world as we know it, but this does not mean the end of mankind.
New Agers believe that we are living in a world of disconnect, and that 2012 will mark the start of a spiritual awakening. Humans will obtain a sense of superior knowledge, and we will all be connected through a global transformation of consciousness.
No, The World is Not Going To End
Scholars who study Mayan history argue that predictions of an apocalypse are not mentioned in any classic Maya accounts, and that the Long Count calendar does not end in 2012 – this is a false, misrepresentation of Mayan history.
Furthermore, if the Mayans could predict the end of the world, why were they unable to predict their own demise – certainly a more crucial milestone?
So why does everyone care so much?
Lots and Lots of Hype
Like any theory or movement, the more hype a topic gets, the more widespread and popular it becomes.
The 2012 phenomenon has inspired hundreds of books, thousands of blog posts and digital chatter, and a $770 million grossing blockbuster movie.
So What Does All This Tell Us?
It’s all about the money.
If you have knowledge or an opinion on the topic, now is the time to cash in. 2012 and the end of the world is on the masses’ radar, and interest is at a high. People want to understand what all the hype is about, and many are willing to pay for that knowledge.
To Sum It Up
The Maya were a great and admirable civilization. They created an advanced written language, adhered to an accurate and eloquent calendar system, and built a respectable, modern civilization. Yes, there is reference to the beginning of a new, Fifth World era in the Mayan inscriptions.
However, how we choose to interpret this information, and whether or not we even believe it, is entirely up to us.
In any case, it is always good to be prepared in these uncertain times and so though this company doesn't believe it to be the end of the world, we might just hit a few road bumps this year and so being prepared is going to be essential.
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Be safe and have a great 2012.
