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Many aspects of astronomical, natural and human phenomena are brought together in the Mayan calendar. It shows the microcosmic cycle of human gestation, as it relates to the macrocosm of the 26,000 year cycle of precession and human spiritual gestation. There are actually 20 calendars in this interlocking system of Mayan cycles. Most important in the cycling of these calendars is the 5125 year cycle of the Long Count or Great Cycle and the 260-day cycle called the Tzolkin (comprised of 20 x 13 days.) Each component of the Long count calendar tells us of a new cycle within the Great Cycle. For instance the date of Dec 21, 2006 (9 Lamat) is shown like this: 12.19.13.16.8 Within our ever-expanding universe we are never truly complete as we continue unfolding or evolving into the next cycle. As we move through to the end of this Great Cycle we are being shown a span of time of almost 5200 years that presents to us a message for our future. According to ancient inscriptions found in Mexico this current cycle began on August 11, 3114 B.C.E. and will end in a little over 2000 days from now on December 21, 2012 A.D. In this cycle we are counting down, like a car odometer to a zero point as the calendar turns over and resets itself like a cosmic reset button. This date of 2012 has varied interpretations depending on who you speak to. Why did the Maya pick a date so far into their future and so close to ours? It certainly brings us to a choice point in time. I do not believe that anything is preordained, we are in the middle of the mythic journey of 2012, it is a spiral journey and it is happening in every ‘now’ moment. According to the Mayan calendar spiral we are cyclically being asked to move to new levels of consciousness. And it is through these cycles that we can learn to shift our way of thinking. The spiral teaches us that our process of growth and transformation is through opposing forces of resistance and ecstasy, conflict and surrender. The energy and interplay of these force creates all things, as opposites collide and resolve into spirals. As we spiral through currents of divine energy we learn to become a catalyst for change, walking between realms of spirit and matter. We can then move from resistance to surrender and find the center of it all. As we approach this new time we may not have to be reborn as we enter a future generation. Know that with every thought and every choice we make we are laying the foundation for that future now. As we move towards the end of this great cycle of 5200 years (20 x 260 years) and follow the 260 days of the Tzolkin (20 x13 days)working the above and below, micro to macro we are being given an opportunity to make these choices, re-create our reality and press that cosmic reset button any time we choose. Cycles within Cycles In Mayan time-keeping, the Tzolkin calendar is a sacred cycle that presents to us the core to a matrix forming many interlocking cycles. It can be used as a key to follow the astrological cycles of the Moons nodes to track eclipses, as well as the cycles of Jupiter, Saturn,Venus and Mars. As a living process and evolutionary spiral of time it will help open our mind to an organic, ecstatic and natural way of being, unlocking inner codes and connecting us to the essence of our own soul and the soul of the cosmos. There are time-pulses of 13 day periods, within the Tzolkin, that cycle through 20 different evolutionary processes. These 20 processes are shown in the form of glyphs or day-signs, with each glyph connecting to a number or tone within the period of 1 through 13. This glyphic language holds within its symbolism a way to deeply tune into the energetic quality of the harmonics of time. Each day-sign relates to an archetypal energy and elemental force. It is the same for the numbers. Each one of these energies holds the essence or flavor needed to fully understand what the day's quality can bring through to us. It is a process of harmonic cycles and synchronicities. Although the Maya have been following this traditional count for centuries in villages across the Yucatan and Central America, many were not aware of the Mayan calendar, until the time that Jose Arguelles initiated the Harmonic Convergence (August 16-17, 1987). Because of the varied interpretations there are still many questions surrounding its meaning and correlation dates. I think the Maya prefer it that way. If you read the beautiful, lyrical stories of Mayan shaman priests and poets such as Martin Pretchel you will begin to appreciate how the native Mayan culture, as in oral traditions are not a people who tell their tale outright. The story must be felt, savored and appreciated on a much deeper level as with all mythical journeys. The Mayan calendar teaches us an inner journey which will help to navigate the outer one. 2007: Finding Our Way to the Light Mayan astrology will show us that there is the yearly seasonal cycle and there is a sacred cycle. In this study I am most interested in how these spiritual and astrological cycles interconnect. What follows are a few of the sacred signposts for 2007. As the 260 day cycle of the Tzolkin is close to 9 months and relates to human gestation, this leaves a three month difference between the sacred calendar and the Solar year. We can then look to the seasonal crossing-over, as we move from winter to spring. Consider this three month period as a time of no-time, a crossing over into the next sacred spiral of the cycle. These symbols can teach us where to put our focus. This Wintering Season, beginning with the solstice on December 21, 2006 is a time to move into the still point within, honoring all that has been created during the last cycle. Linked to the Winter solstice is the day-sign of 9 Lamat and is an archetype related to the rabbit and the star. Nine is a feminine number and a tone of completion. This period is presenting us with information that will help us process the old year. With Lamat we are following the white rabbit down the proverbial rabbit hole and being asked to navigate unknown territory and prepare for a new journey. As a celestial archetype, Lamat was seen as the face of the rabbit in moon. This face of rabbit can be seen clearly on the moon in the southern hemisphere. Lamat is also related to Venus and the glyph looks like a star expanding into many directions. The meanings of this sign are harmony, multiplicity, fertility, increase, growth, creation, and ripening. It is the eighth glyph in the cycle of twenty which relates to balance and harmony. There is a geometric or fractal quality to the glyph of Lamat. Like the fractal, Lamat speaks of a complex pattern and evolving form that comes from a simple mathematical formula. It also relates to the golden mean and the Fibonacci spiral, as does a rabbits breeding cycle. The day-sign and glyph of Lamat also seems to speak of cycles in general. This day of Lamat falls within the time-pulse Ahau, a period related to the Sun, the Ancestors, the Avatars, and Enlightened Ones. The pulse of Ahau teaches us something about illumination and our connection to the Cosmic Christ. This period will teach us about to learning to raise our vibration and enter luminous realms of body and mind while at the same time learning to take responsibly for the world we that we live in. Our entry into the New Year with the Spring Equinox on March 21, 2007 will provide to us a new and opposite energy presented in the form of the Mayan day-sign of 8 Etznab. Our wintering process will now give way to a new beginning and focus for the year. The Glyph of Etznab is shown as a multidimensional mirror. The symbols are flint, knife and mirror and all relate to the obsidian crystal, a naturally occurring volcanic glass common in the Yucatan. Obsidian is a stone of protection and divination. The number eight relates to integrity and is the highest evolution of the masculine. This year of 2007 will show us the power of the archetypal Sword of Truth, as in King Arthur’s Excalibur. Once we choose our path there is no turning back. Our impeccability is crucial during this time. This is a period that brings us through an intense eclipse season while taking us down the 20 days that mark the core and center of the Tzolkin. These days are very powerful as they relate to important convergence points within the micro/macro cycle of Mayan time. This glyph of Etznab falls on the eighth day of the pulse of Chuen. The period of Chuen is symbolized by the monkey, the cosmic artisan, trickster and weaver of the web of reality. It is a period that teaches us about embracing the magic and mystery in life. We can shift our perception into something new, think outside the box, create new forms and learn to see through the illusion. As we look into the mirror of Etznab we will be shown another aspect of the spiral as it will present to us many dimensions of reality and take us on a journey through the hall of mirrors. We will be shown much in the way of dichotomy and what we think and feel may be mirrored back to us. Be open and flexible as we navigate these passageways of the mind (considering all is mind and nothing is real). On some level it all merges into one. Creating unity and interdependent relationships are important at this time. We need to stand up for what we feel is right without being righteous. This could be a year of friction as expressed in the symbolism of flint. As we find our centeredness the spark of flint could ignite a whole new way to be and from there we can reach infinity. Convergence Point As we move through the Solstice and Equinox points each year until 2012 we will be processing the evolutionary vibration of Pluto near our Galactic Center. During 2007 the Pluto/GC conjunctions are exact and will bring extraordinary power and potential as we begin this new cycle. It is a cycle of challenge, deep transformation and realization that will lead us into an expansiveness that could have never before been possible. At the core of our Galaxy is a tremendous binding force, a black hole. This is a force that holds the stars of galaxies together. It is at this core within our own galaxy that will be the central focus in the coming years until the ending of this last calendar cycle when the December Solstice Sun forms a conjunction in 2012. The Maya called this point of conjunction and dark rift of the Milky Way galaxy, the road to the underworld, Xibalba. They felt that when a planet, the moon or sun entered this dark rift, our Galactic Equator, it will lead us through the heart of darkness and take us into the heart of the universe. As we connect to these planetary vibrations, tracking the Mayan cycles using energy and intention we can learn to manipulate our own luminous binding force, perhaps to move through time beyond the veil as the ancient shamans. We can also begin a dialogue with this center of ourselves and with the center of the cosmos as we use a natural form of time tracking and prepare our energy bodies to move through it. Here we can learn to stand at the axis of time, where all dimensions meet. We can anchor into the eye of the storm, move through the spiral of time and become the balance and equilibrium between the worlds. |
