2012 Ascension

It is unlikely that the coming years will be like the ones preceding us. We should expect great upheaval, and in fact, over the past decade, Americans have been psychologically prepared for upheaval, whether intentionally or not. When the Twin Towers were struck on September 11th, 2001, we were told that everything had changed. It is said that we are now living in a post 9/11 world in a way that suggests an almost Biblical demarcation of time. During the following years in which our Constitution was subverted regularly in the new security environment, we began to hear the phrase you're either with us, or you're with the terrorists. Though this phrase appeared to be directed outward toward the world as we sought allies for the a war on terror, in a nation that wiretaps its citizens without warrant and now under Obama, can kill its own citizens in foreign lands without due process, it seems unlikely that those divisive words were purely intended for foreigners.

The global balance of powers are starting to change, as the West wrestles with the notion that China is on the rise. India also wants to modernize and become a stronger player on the world stage. What sort of changes will come when these massively populous nations advance and further integrate into the world market?

Meanwhile we began to hear the phrase "Climate Change" more and more. Over the recent years scientists have pointed to the shift of our global climate towards warmer temperatures due to the emissions of human produced green house gases. Though this has been a point of contention in the US, we none the less have been hearing the word "Change" from another sector.

In another example of the way "Change" is being ushered in, we have recently witnessed the election of the first black president under a campaign of "change we can believe in." The election was highly charged and people saw the result as an historic event and achievement. The backlash from this presidency has led to complacency and cynicism on the left, the rise of the Tea Party, as well as commonplace accusations of terrorism, communism, socialism, and nazism leveled not only against the president, but towards environmentalists, dissenters, and liberals in general. The social rifts in America are widening, and the words that are being chosen indicate not simply a disagreement over policy issues, but growing suspicions whose logical extension lead to internal violence, as Americans are beginning to believe their countrymen are literally their enemies. If the economy further deteriorates, we should expect these sentiments to further escalate.

Inspired by the so called Arab Spring, the Occupy Movement began in New York City in response to government corruption and Wall Street overreach, and spilled out across the country and the globe. While some fear that aspects of these movements were manipulated or co-opted, there is a very real undercurrent of deep dissatisfaction with the way governments are running things. People are mobilizing. Some are even waking up.

The instability we are seeing in the world is clear. But we are also being repeatedly told that things are fundamentally different now. The psychological effect of being told by world leaders and top scientists that the world has intrinsically changed or is changing dramatically can only be one of increasing tension, fear, or anticipation. Since this sort of psychological volatility is taking place around the world as well as in the currently most powerful nation on a planet of increasingly permeable borders and powerful technologies, we should not be surprised by catastrophic results. The seeds of explosive transformation have been carelessly sown and we are heading for some interesting times.

No one can know for certain where things are leading, but there are plenty of reasons we should expect massive change, and it's quite possible 2012 will be a year of upheaval. For the US, 2012 is also the year of the next presidential election, following on the heels of this latest "historic" cycle and economic meltdown. Ron Paul is challenging the status quo as we contend with a recent supreme court ruling that at least for the time being is now allowing corporations to spend unlimited of amounts of money on political campaigns. It could be a very tumultuous election, and with international sanctions placed on Iran as the US and Israel construct a case for another war, it could be a tumultuous lead up to the election as well.

Doing a little searching online, one can find claims about an impending terrestrial pole shift, the eruption of a super volcano in Yellowstone, the spread of a long overdue pandemic, the appearance of a mysterious planet X referred to as Nibiru that will destroy Earth, the imminent return of Christ, the Imam Mahdi, Maitreya the world teacher, or other sorts of prophecies. These claims are speculation at best, and plenty of other end of the world prophecies have been unfulfilled. There are experts and even modern day Mayans that say the 5,125 reset of the long count calendar will not be an end times scenario. Yet there is certainly a sense in the air that things are coming to a head, and that creates a sort of observer effect, in which the outcome is effected by those who are observing it.

Perhaps the more accurate turn of phrase we should be considering is the "self fulfilling prophecy." There very well may be forces at work beyond our control that result in massive disruption or transformation on our planet. These sorts of things we can attempt to prepare for, but if their effects are widespread, there may be little we can do. Therefore, it is up to us to focus on the things we can change rather than the things we can't, and as it says in the serenity prayer, have the wisdom to know the difference. When we talk of self fulfilling prophecy we are talking about what it is we are doing now that will shape our future in the very way we believe it will occur. This includes the way we live in the world, the things we think about, the way we engage with others, and the perceptions we hold of our existence on Earth. It's quite possible that the fear and anticipation we are generating around End Times will in fact bring that scenario into being, as we continue to futilely grasp for a secure world with the very tools of violence and destabilizing technologies that are making us less secure.

Having said that, it is important then that we understand as best as possible the actual challenges humanity currently faces, and the challenges we can reasonably expect to face given the world we are currently living in. As we prepare for what lies ahead, we need to stay clear headed, discerning, spiritually grounded, and maintain our resilience with a positive mental attitude. The more we recognize the unprecedented changes and challenges that humanity will likely face, the easier it will be for us to cope with them.

With our love of life, openness to positive transformation, and ongoing determination, we have the ability to affect our reality and make the world better. When neighborhoods, cities, towns, and apartment complexes begin to grow their own organic food, making better use of lawns, we will see our future come alive. Get the word out with "grow your own food" bumper stickers, "support local farms" bumper stickers, and others from this local agriculture page to help spread this vision of sustainable communities for 2012 and beyond. It is so important to outwardly foster the commitment to change one's own life for the better and to support others who are doing the same. Together we can create a better world for all of us.

Having been a meditator, energy worker, and lucid dreamer for fifteen years, I have experienced subtle and not so subtle energies that effect us and that can be consciously tapped into. The so called mechanistic or material world that we are taught to believe to be primary or even unitary is in fact only one facet of a far vaster reality. We need these sorts of reminders so that we are not fully co-opted and demoralized by the warring and dehumanizing societies we live in. You are much more than than the producer/consumer identity that "advanced" civilization has placed upon you. You also are currently affecting and creating the world with your thoughts and actions. You have that ability.

It is for these reasons that it is imperative now to embark upon a path of spiritual ascension for the coming 2012 date. One could speculate as to what may or may not occur on December 21st or 23rd (depending on your source) 2012, but we are most certainly in the midst of strong turbulence. The world, which has reached it's highest point of human population in history, is filled with unimaginable suffering right now, so regardless of the end of a Mayan calendar cycle, we need to bring our collective spiritual consciousness into greater harmony with the forces of love, compassion, and the natural world in a way that can begin a positive transformation process. Whether or not there is a galactic event that occurs in December 2012 is at this time irrelevant.

2012 has been set in our conscious minds as another time of massive Change, and Change is coming. Consider 2012 to be a call for collective positive action. Consider 2012 to be your motivating date, a sort of New Year's Resolution beyond all others. This date is our own self imposed test which will manifest whatever seeds we have been nurturing.

Maintaining our spiritual practices, purchasing a survival kit, helping others, and honing our common sense, are some of the best things we can do, moving into 2012. Because individually we cannot control whatever massive spiritual or physical forces that materialize or don't materialize in the months leading up to 2012, much of the transition is out of our hands. Therefore, it is best to plan for a world post 2012, rather than wring our hands in fear and become paralyzed at our computer screen as we hop from dire prediction to dire prediction. We need to spend the time we have envisioning the world we wish to create, in spite of, or perhaps because of, the challenges we face, and in the unlikely event that it all ends, at least we've had our hearts and minds rooted in the right place. If we wake up new years day 2013, then we will have spent our time wisely, working for a better vision of what this world could be, rather than contributing whole sale to the atrocities laid out before us.

The following texts are just a few suggestions for approaching the world in from a different perspective, so that we may usher in a more positive world beyond 2012.