2012. There are thoughts of Armageddon and the end of the world, but might it just be the beginning of a new era? The Mystery of 2012: Predictions, Prophecies and Possibilities presents 26 authors’ view points about what this mysterious Mayan date may mean for humanity. To help understand all the potential ramifications, the essays in this book run the gamut from the historical, scientific, ecological and economic to the political and spiritual, allowing a landscape of theories and ideas to render a big picture for each reader.

Why 2012? This date gets its fame from the mysterious Mayan contributions in calendar invention. Gregg Braden explains that the Mayan system of charting time and celestial events converges on December 21, 2012, ending a 26,000-year period called The Great Cycle. This particular Great Cycle began in August 3114 BC. At the end of this cycle, our sun will be directly aligned with the equator of the Milky Way galaxy.

The Mayans, once established in Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize, developed a method to track time using both solar and lunar cycles. There are smaller increments of time, known as the tzolkin , which is a 260-day sacred calendar. Beginning at the same time is a calendar called the Vague Year, which lasts 365 days. During the Vague Year, at day 260, the tzolkin count begins again. This is a 52-year cycle until day number one starts again for both. These are both part of The Great cycle.

Now that we have a notion of how the calendar works, we look instead at the idea that this Mayan calculation of 2012 may be more indicative of a greater earth phenomena than planetary alignments. One of Braden’s ideas is that there may be a shift in the planet’s magnetic field, such as the North and South Pole may change places and that sunspots will increase in intensity. Our brains, which contain magnetic particles may be effected. When there is a weakening of the magnetic fields (as is currently the case), humanity may feel more compelled to change.

Therefore, as seen in the Mayan calendar, we are at a time of change where the possibilities are endless. It is up to us to decide whether we persevere like our forebears whose records show survived similar cycles and the magnetic fluctuations. Will we choose well?

Rather than 2012 marking a large physical change, is it more a date with evolutionary destiny? Peter Russell discusses the theory that evolution is speeding up, and humanity may perish, and as such, we may be approaching the concept of singularity. Singularity is the mathematical idea that occurs when an equation breaks down and becomes meaningless. However instead of becoming extinct or even obsolete to our technology, which may surpass our own intelligence shortly after 2020, evolution may bring forth a new age – the wisdom age. As we emerge from our current Knowledge Age, this new age may bring about a true unity of consciousness.

Within the origins of 2012 is a story of transcendence. It is found within time, space, and legend. After much calculation and research among those studying the Mayan calendar, it appears as though an era is about to pass and a new World Age is about to begin. Based on the Long Count of the Mayan Calendar, 2012 is the end of a 26,000 year-old cycle. On December 21, 2012, there will be galactic events that occur to herald the New World Age.

The ground zero for this event is Izapa, a Mayan site which features an ancient ball court and monuments that speak of a time of transcendence. If one looks north from Izapa, one will see the Big Dipper rise and fall. On December 21, 2012 the solstice sun, which rises beyond the Shaman’s seat on the ball field, will cross the Milky Way.

The monuments at Izapa depict elements of the Mayan creation myth: the Big Dipper represents Seven Macaw, a false and deceitful ruler. One Hunahpu, the old ruler, was killed in a ball game played in the Underworld. After destroying Seven Macaw, One Hunahpu’s twin sons sought to resurrect him, which is represented as the rise and fall of the Big Dipper. Hunahpu is represented by the Solstice sun; the Underworld is seen as the Milky Way. When Hunahpu is resurrected, he ascends from the Underworld, just as the Solstice sun rises, connects with the Milky Way, and remains there as the Milky Way passes by.

J enkins uses these ideas and the events of the galactic alignment as a metaphor for humanity. 2012 is an opportunity for us to transcend our ego or bring it down as the Hero twins brought down Seven Macaw. Our divine self, like One Hunaphu, will then rise up and shine through, allowing for our transcendence.

Another way to look at the Mayan Great Cycle is to see the calendar as a code of galactic frequencies that transcends technology. This code was left by the original Maya, who were not from this earth, but who had navigated and explored seven other worlds. In this particular span of the Maya Great Cycle, 3113 BC marked a time when our earth would begin passing through a galactic frequency beam and would continue until 2012, with the earth finally passing all the way through it.

Since our brain activity can be measured in terms of frequency, part of human salvation may be in attuning our frequencies to different elements in our universe, drawing energy from them. With our current technological dependency and our over-use of earthly resources, we need to consider living another way. Technology has hindered us from our true growth, and we need to open up our selves receptively to the frequencies of the universe. This is the only way we will know what next to do for our salvation.

There are nine Maya Under Worlds, and these are represented in the Mayan pyramid architecture. Each level represents a different level of consciousness beginning with the largest level at the bottom. This ground level is cellular (molecular, atoms, etc.) with each level evolving to the top, which is universal.

This structure is a holonarcy. The cellular level is found within each progressive level, and each preceding level is within the next level. Within this structure the Perennial Philosophy shines through, in that the divine is always there in each step, but will only be fully realized at the universal level.

Using the beginning Long Count date of 3115 BC, the calendar begins ticking off moments of evolution. Each level of consciousness is 20 times shorter than the one before, causing evolution to speed up at each level. When a new level starts, the older consciousness does not stop. It continues on as well.

All this evolution comes to fruition in 2011. We reach the universal level, where the ego must be transcended for our survival. Between 2011 and 2012, we will have an adjustment period followed by a timeless existence. There will be no need for time beyond this point. 2012 and the Maya World by Robert K. Sitler

So is 2012 a Mayan thing or a New Age phenomena? To answer this question one must look at who is talking about 2012, and mostly it is those involved with New Age Philosophy (as opposed to the ten million Maya in existence today). The actual 2012 date is only referenced on one ancient monument with vague descriptions about the coming of a tree god. There is a reference found in the colonial Maya books of Chilam, which mentions a time of destruction that might be considered 2012, but it could also have been speaking more of the Spanish conquerers.

When one looks at the Mayan spiritual leaders who mention 2012, one finds they have been influenced by the new age philosophies and the hope for a change in consciousness. But if one looks closer at the Mayan history, one will find references to similar ideas that revolve around the 2012 New Age themes. These include a time slightly beyond 2000, which include the destruction and rebirth of the Mayan society. It is possible that these references are more meaningful to the Maya than to the rest of the world population. The Maya have spent many years being impinged upon by other cultures. They have watched their land and their natural resources be destroyed. The prophecies for change may be completely about the Mayan people coming back into their own in a positive way.

There are four phases to Chaos Theory. Humanity has already experienced three of these, and the fourth will be a birthing process. We are veterans of the trigger phase, which happened around the industrial revolution and led up to the 1960s. This was a time when the machine age allowed us to manipulate nature in ways that were extremely productive for our lifestyles. We then began the accumulation phase; we became more globally-minded and produced higher levels of resources. The population soared, and life became very complicated. All this had an impact which led us to the decision-window, which is now.

We have a choice. All that has come before us has put pressure on our systems of life. We question our traditional values and morality. Evolution can go one of two ways: it can progress or it can crumble. What is left is the Chaos Point—a point of no return—which may just be 2012. Since 2012 is thought to be a gateway to a new consciousness, this is the perfect time to reach the Chaos Point. Now it is in our power to choose which way our evolution is going to go. We can either begin the birthing process of an evolved consciousness, or we can say goodbye.

The signs are already showing. Big changes are ahead for 2012 and the future. These signs are found all around us: the peaking of world oil production, bringing a definite need for other energy sources; species are becoming extinct at an alarming rate; global warming is upon us—perhaps bringing about a shortage of potable water or even an ice age in Europe; there are increasing economic issues with which we must deal. But there is hope. It is not too late. If we begin to focus on our global connectedness, we can create a better world; a world that will go on past 2012.

It is almost the dawning of a new age - Aquarius, beginning around 2117. Currently, we are at the end of the Piscean Age. Yet 2012 may be a bridge to bring us safely to this new dawn for humanity. If we look at other cycles and at United States history, all events point a cosmic finger at 2012. These cycles include the number of times Saturn, Venus, and Uranus pass around the sun; corresponding to influential events in history that led to the creation of the United States (and its strengths). 2012 falls at the crucial points in these cycles, and if the past is any judge, the United States must be influential in bringing about this New Dawn, including breakthroughs in science, environmentalism, spirituality, and economic change.

The path splits just ahead. Do we take the path that leads to destruction, or do we take the path that leads towards our own evolution. It is the latter path that can make 2012 an amazing time. Positive changes are already becoming apparent, and if we continue in a socially responsible manner, life will change drastically for the better.

By being socially responsible in business: being mindful of more than just profit, being conscientious to employees and the environment, we will have creative and productive ways to ensure our survival. With bringing spirituality into the work place and into politics, people will be encouraged and fulfilled. There will be better ways of handling conflict that will be win-win for all concerned.

Various references in time show us parallel ideas about the ages of the earth. Maybe they are the four ages found on the Great Cross at Hendaye, those referenced in the Hindu Yuga Ages, or even the Precession of the Equinoxes. Though time appears differently in each, they may all be talking about the same periods. If we consider the hyperdimensional aspects of time, rather than using linear-based time frames, the time may be the same for all the references mentioned above. Hyperdimensional time is as if one viewed time in the shape of two hour glasses (visualize a cross) there is a middle section, a null. This may be where 2012 fits into the great ages. This would mean a time of great change and the beginning of a brand new age.

How nice it would be if all the various time systems and keepers - Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and the Mayan Long Count correlated. It would be even nicer if they all pointed to a set time frame when humans could anticipate a great change in their way of life. But, they do not. They may have similarities or near dates, but this is all.

Unlike the time systems in the Far East, the New World systems were created to mark time rather than to designate celestial alignments. The Age of Aquarius is beyond the end of the Mayan Long Count. Even the Zodiac times that came before, the Taurian and the Arien do not match the Long Count. The Hindu Yugas, however ( perhaps just circumstantially), have some near commonality. The beginning of the Long Count 3114 BC is close to the 3102 BC death-date of Krishna. This date marks our current age of degradation, and this particular age lasts longer than the Long Count.

Even though 2012 does not correlate with other systems, this does not mean we should overlook the importance of the date. Western Civilization needs to heed the 2012 date and use it to change their overindulgent ways. This date may be our last chance.

Maybe 2012 is all about totally shifting our consciousness to a more inclusive one. Rather than focusing on "me" and a separation from everyone else, maybe we need to shift to a more universal focus. Easier said than done, right? Maybe not.

Currently the world consciousness seems to be one in which all our issues are independent from everyone else’s. From bad governmental leadership to concerns of the environment, it is hard to not be wrapped up in individual consequences. We all feel that we need something else, something more, and once we get it, everything will be better...until, that is, we find ourselves wanting something else. Perhaps however, this is a uniting idea. If we are all experiencing this thought process, then it is a symptom that our current universal consciousness has problems.

Yet, there is hope in the idea of each of us shifting our consciousness. If we begin to realize that we are not separate, but are a part of a greater whole, the illusion of what we believe to be an individualized reality will dissolve and will be replaced by a more giving nature. Though life will barely change - we will still have to get up in the morning, deal with relationships, try to survive - these will seem less of a hardship. Instead they will be seen in their true perspective - passing moments.

Many people have already made this shift in consciousness. They are considered "translucent" - allowing light to shine through them. These people realize that they are part of something more, and that something more is a part of them. It is this consciousness that could prevail and lead us to good place in 2012. It only needs to affect a select few before it travels to the masses; change could come about overnight. Perhaps this will happen from some sort of divine intervention or from a higher intelligence.

One particular tool that may help to affect this shift in consciousness is something called "The Oneness Blessing." This was developed by two teachers and is currently under study. According to the brain scans of people to whom the blessing is administered, it is akin to the results of long-term meditation practices. With it comes the reduction of the belief of a separate personal entity and an increase in the feeling of a oneness with the universe.

Love is all you really need, the famous song lyrics say. This is the sort of consciousness we need to sustain us through 2012 and through time in general. Now that sounds all good and well, but it is not exactly so cut and dried. We need a natural, unconditional love - a wild love—as opposed to a love that is boxed in, controlled or superficial.

There are a few key concepts that make "wild" love a potential force for each individual to use in their own way to create a positive transformation in universal consciousness. The first idea is that most of us are fence sitters in this area. On the one side we have the traditional views that include fear, self-sacrifice, and a conformation to society’s dictates for acceptance. With this comes the idea of a cold, unloving, judgmental god and and a cruel universe. On the other side of the fence is the idea of wild love: that our purpose in life is to experience and maintain joy. We do this by being true to ourselves. We do not try to "be good" for that is conforming to someone else’s ideas and standards. This creates feelings of superiority, self-righteousness, and a need to blame something or someone for all of life’s shortcomings. If instead we are true to ourselves and kind to ourselves, we can relax a bit and see how every element in life (and beyond) is sacred and a gift.

This will lead to our becoming a more peaceful and loving society in 2012. We will no longer be fence sitters. We will no longer participate in the duality of consciousness, which means we will stop blaming others for our actions, for our woes, and for our problems. We are fully responsible for our actions and how we handle what comes into our lives. We can choose to be positive and to love unconditionally.

Imagine the Bible as a code that can be deciphered to tell of future times. What if it were to talk about 2012? What would it say? According to three Israeli mathematicians there is a Bible code. Even people who have set about disproving the mathematicians’ statical study of a probability code have become supporters of it. It has been time tested, and many of the prophecies that are found in the code have come to pass.

Rather than putting forth ideas about a positive change of consciousness in 2012, the Bible code is a little more pessimistic. It speaks of comets and catastrophe in 2010 and 2012. This would be Apocalyptic, in that these are events that occur in nature . However, this Apocalypse is due to come after Armageddon. Armageddon is in man’s control. We can change and not have this mythical war of religion.

There is a specific place where this battle of good versus evil will happen. This is cited as the Megiddo Plain in Israel. What is thought to be the oldest Christian Church, dating back to the third or forth century, has been found there (already a drawing point for pilgrimages), and nearby, scheduled to open in 2011 or 2012 is a very large Christian theme park, hence drawing even more people.

This may be how it starts. The Christians begin to amass in that region, so it is not hard to see how the battlefield develops. Bring in those who follow an anti-Christ and the playing field is ready. Will fanatical Christians fire the first shot in this epic battle?

Like an angry child that has gone to sleep and awakens as a centered adult, the world is due for just such a happening. But like a child that must grow to be that healthy adult, it is up to us to help the development of the world along. It is in our power to do this.

The world is currently going through a process that could become one in which we, as co-creators with the Divine, help to bring back the sacredness of the earth. We could also stand idly by, allowing the world to awaken into something destructive. Our current era is one in which our lives are lived separately from one another, the earth and the Divine. The earth however is moving towards a new era. If we pay attention, we can help it awaken properly.

To help our world into a new age of oneness, we must begin in the present. Our attentions must focus on the divineness of a living world - not just becoming more ecologically minded—but also playing a role in its spiritual sustainability. We must treat it as a scared space of which we are a part. We must give up greed and materialism and reconnect with the world.

The earth and its primal notions are not something we can control, but we do have influence. We can help channel its energies so that they do not lead to so much destruction. Through our consciousness of the divine in the earth, we can help the energies flow and become supportive of life.

It is possible that the earth may truly awaken in 2012. There will be a new sense of divine energy and a potential end to materialism. We can start now to listen and be attentive to the symbols and signs that will guide us to a oneness.

As we continue along with the theme of change choices for 2012 - a change for positive consciousness or destruction, we may not, in fact, be alone in facing the outcome. We may have a little help from our peaceful friends, the Arcturians. These are a multidimensional life force parallel to our own that gives us messages featuring sacred geometry that will help us into a new era in 2012.

The Guatemalan Maya Elders of the Eagle Clan predict that we are entering into the fifth cycle. This is a cycle of positive endeavors including love, harmony, and peace. What we need for this new era is already here, all around us if we just pay attention. We can find love, harmony and peace.

The Arcturians are helping us. They provide us with crop circles that have a sacred geometric structure. This structure, inherent in all things, resonates within our subconscious minds. It lessens pain, creates a feeling of peacefulness, and increases our sense of intuitiveness.

Many of us are learning that we create our own realities. It is up to us to take responsibility of our future. Sacred geometry will help us unlock the mysteries of our purpose - our reason for being here. It is understood by our subconscious. It will help us manifest a smooth transitional flow into the new age brought about by 2012.

We have been traveling along for 26,000 years in a process of birth, death and rebirth. We are now beginning a new era of humanity. Yet we are also in a 36-year cycle that began in the 1980s when the sun began to travel across a black rift (the Milky Way), and it will not be done with this circuit until 2023. It is in 2012 though, that mankind will wake up to a new dawn that will be fully realized in 2023.

This new era, governed by elements of the ether (that which is away from materialism) and brings us into the Aquarian age, and age that must be entered with an attitude of scared reverence for the creative source. It must be met with compassion, and to find this, we must lose our sense of self-deprecation and become responsible for ourselves. We will enter a time when our thoughts become reality; when there is no division between people; there is only a oneness. This will change everything and create harmony among mankind.

To help us understand our journey into this new timeframe, we can look at the idea of the hero’s journey (this is in reference to the masculine part of our being). It involves four phases of a journey. The first phase begins with the hero. This is the part of us that is the explorer, off exploring various ideas. When the ideas reach a mature level, the hero becomes the king. The king celebrates his achievements and surrounds himself with them. He then transforms into the lover. But rather than reveling in the bright lights, he looks for expansion. When the expansion is realized, he evolves into the sage.

And yet this coming time period is also a return to the feminine. This can be seen in reference to the mythology of the triple goddess - the virgin, the mother, and the crone. The virgin has no need to have another to make her whole. She is the part of us that will cause our exploration into the timeless void (the dark rift). She is the energy behind the hero. The mother is there for the entire duration of the hero’s journey, nurturing us all along the way. We must respect her, or she will turn on us. The crone herself represents the black whole at the center of the galaxy. She is the one who will be there at the end and the one who will help us transform into the next age.

Is there a right time to manifest our consciousness transformation? For centuries alchemists believed that timing was everything. 2012 may be just such a time. If we look at the galactic alignment scheduled for 2012, we can make this leap by looking at the symbolic nature of Isis.

According to the ancient Egyptians the center of the galaxy is represented by the Goddess Isis, who gave birth to Horis. Horis, in turn, is both Isis’ son and the actual sun. In looking at the galactic center scientifically, this is the place of creation. In a great explosion (which happens every 26,000 years and matches the 26,000 year wobble through space between the alignment of the galactic center and the sun), we were created, as was the sun. In this process, debris also spewed forth, and it is this debris that covers and obscures the center from our view. With the alignment upon us however, using the metaphorical idea of Isis and Horis—the sun returning to the arms of his mother—or the idea of a new galactic explosion, or the culmination of a pregnancy one can see how this indeed might be a perfect time for transformation.

One may also compare Isis to the idea of the Tree of Life. Symbolically, Isis’ star chamber (the place where Isis is revealed to us) is the same as that which lies within the central pillar of the Tree of Life. This is the place of enlightenment. It is within us all, but to fully access it, we must transform ourselves. We must get rid of the debris of anger, aggression, attachment, and pride. We must turn within and find the place where the divine is located.

The Maya are not the only people who predict a large 2012-based event for the world; there are many other sources, ranging from those of other cultures to those of personal predictions. There are the McKenna brothers who have a theory based on the maximum point of novelty, which consists of an end-of-time point on November 2012. There are ideas that we are in the Fifth Sun, as seen in Aztec Culture, or in the Fourth World, as viewed by the Hopi. There is also the end-of-the-world New Zealand Myth that is scheduled for 2012. Then there are the near-death experiences of many who have been enlightened about the changes coming in 2012.

But does it mean cataclysm or consciousness shift? It very probably may mean both, but the consciousness changes are the main idea for 2012. Though the Aztecs misunderstood the Toltec rebirth ideas (instead bringing about ideas of human sacrifice), it is our consciousness that maybe reborn. But will this happen through our own doing? Maybe not. It may come about through galactic changes and/or through other scientific principles (geomagnetic forces) that trigger the rebirth of an evolving consciousness. If one considers Peter Russell’s idea that after a certain point, when human neurons reach a critical mass, they lose their individuality and become part of the larger whole, and with humanity’s numbers reaching a similar critical mass, it might just be in 2012 that we reach a oneness of consciousness.

A metaphor for the year 2012 may be that of a snake shedding its skin. In order to sustain itself, the snake regenerates new scales, but the whole of the snake remains. Our consciousness is like the skin of the snake - shedding old, no longer productive consciousness for a new one. This new consciousness will be one of connectivity to the world around us.

Is it possible for there to be a positive shift in consciousness between now and 2012? If one looks back at the advent of electricity (stemming from a lightning bolt) and the fast transformation society made in becoming dependent on it, one may be able to imagine a rapid change in consciousness. This change may actually become available to us if we embrace the wisdom of indigenous cultures. It is their spiritual wisdom that may signify the change needed.

There are three trends that point the way towards a needed change. The first is the idea that we are in a natural crisis - we are destroying the natural world—and that at some point soon, it will cease to support us. The second is the expansion of technology and the role it plays in social media and networking, which can help us if used toward a greater good. The third is the evolution of the human psyche. For those who are aware, the material world is becoming more transparent and permeable. Though we may be faced with certain doom, we can take it in stride and survive, if we allow our consciousness to expand. We can undo the harm we have done by changing our view points to include compassion and the lessening (or total diminishing) of negativity.

We are currently undergoing a time where everything we know is not what we thought we knew. It is a time of great transition, and our mission is to create a positive future for mankind. We must devise how we are going to shift from one era to the next. This is called Jump Time.

When we experience Jump Time personally, it happens at our crossroads, and after we chose our direction, everything changes. Together we must choose the correct consciousness. In the new consciousness, time is relative, and much can be done in a shorter time than in other levels. We can evolve quickly.

It is the same in the planetary view. We must seek a consciousness of cooperation, respect, and tolerance for all other cultures. Each has something to offer the others. There are five forces that are pushing us into a specific future with each other. The first is the evolutionary pulse from both the earth and the universe pushing us to realize our potentials. This causes the second force, a repatterining of human nature, allowing us to use our unrealized or little-used capacities and helping us understand where we stand in the Jump Time process. Third is a regenesis of Society. This correlates into how we interact with the rest of society and how we learn new ways to communicate. The forth is a breakdown in our barriers or prejudices follows, and our cultural boundaries expand to be all-inclusive, bringing us to the fifth - a resurgence of the spiritual from the depth of our humanity.

This is a time of change; we can create our destined consciousness. It is time to make the world ready for it.

The future is before us, and we are at the point in our evolution where we must begin to think about surviving well past 2012. That which created us and moved us along from simple organisms to the human beings we are is still within us and is still active. This process will continue as we transform into a new form of being.

Whatever name is decided upon in history, the next step in our process is to become universal beings. This type of human will be connected through the heart to all that is around him or her. Their desire will be to creatively express themselves for both personal functioning and for the greater good.

Just as there are signs that we are in for a struggle for survival, there are also positive signs that we have begun moving forward. It is in crisis that we creatively invent new processes—good processes that will advance us. We will expand into the universe, ready for the next big crisis (the sun burning out the earth).

We can become co-creators of the universe. We can expand the incarnation of the Self (as mentioned by Carl Jung). We can do this by understanding that we are our higher selves; we can get beyond the ego and find our true life purpose

The advent of 2012 may indeed bring about a great change in humanity’s consciousness. In a very short time, man may wake up and find his reality completely different. This shift may occur due to energy changes within our body and our minds.

When humanity first began, we were intuitive beings who communicated through telepathy. As we expanded and moved away from our home lands, the need for trade developed, and thus began the decline. We began to trust our physical senses more than our intuitive ones. Now it is time to continue the cycle and head back in the original direction of the intuitiveness of our multidimensional nature.

A consciousness shift may not be as difficult as one might think. Since we only use ten percent of our DNA, the original intuitive and telepathic DNA is still imbedded within each of us. What has long been dormant in that area is now awakening. We are again becoming multidimensional beings. We will soon know how to deal with one another without unnecessary confrontation. We will begin to perceive things that are on other levels.

The shift is a global one, but of course we have a choice. We can choose to evolve or not. To evolve we will need to remember eight key issues. These include: acknowledging our self-perfection, being open to that which we seek or to our reasons for evolving, maintaining integrity, being who we really are, knowing our own value, acknowledging our personal power, allowing all this to manifest in our own world, loving everything, and continuing to occasionally take deep breaths.

The Great Turning is a name for the occurring and the coming changes we are facing in 2012. It stems from our need to turn from a style of life that depletes and decays the world and our turning ourselves around for survival. This turning has already begun.

The Great Turning is a compass point—it points our way to a better future. With so many changes and potential disasters on the horizon, it is the idea behind the Great Turning that gives us guidance in where we should go. Though there is nothing definite about the Great Turning, there is a positive direction. This direction is not seen in the mass media or the corporation. Instead it is in the grass roots organizations and in those organizations who are beginning the shift to a new way of looking at the world and finding solutions for our problems.

If we use the Great Turning as a lens we can see the results of positive changes. There are three dimensions to consider. The first includes all the efforts to slow down the destruction of industrialization. The second is in the emergence of life-sustainable changes that are holistically healthy for people and for the universe to coexist together. The third is a shift in consciousness. This is a change in everything and how we perceive it.

What we do now is the beginning of a new way of life. We plant the seeds, and there is hope.

During this time of change, what role do we play? Even those who understand and are doing something to create a better world must acknowledge the role they played in helping damage the universe. The notion is that 2012 will be our time of reckoning with what we have done. But this is not such a pessimistic thing. Though the times ahead may be trying and difficult, this is an opportunity to change how we deal with the bad. Rather than seeking blame and punishment, we need to find who and what needs healing.

Though we do not know how 2012 will turn out in the end, we do have the potential to heal the world and be a place of peace, creativity, love, compassion and equality. This is not a time of nature cleansing herself. Rather it is a time when the seeds of both decay and enlightenment come to fruition. Seeing ourselves as part of Nature, part of a oneness, is the reality. She is not vengeful. Nature may be frustrated with us, but it is time for us to heal her wounds, and thus heal ourselves in the process.

There are signs all around us that foretell a potential change in 2012. Some of these signs are historical, philosophical, or spiritual. There may be physical disasters in 2012, or there may be no physical changes at all. But the running theme for that time period is a consciousness shift. We can use 2012 as a date to help us evolve.