2012: Last Bastion of the Disenfranchised

Following is Rick’s opinion of the 2012 phenomenon. As mentioned in the previous post, I have a somewhat different perspective, which will be posted here in the near future. All food for thought — and discussion, should you chose to participate.  ~Whitehawk

                                                      

The 2012 phenomenon can all too easily become a form of archetypal mass possession that has afflicted the West since at least the first millennium, when thousands awaited the end of the world. While I do not discount prophecy, the turning of the ages, or the presence of new vibratory rates on the planet, the hope that some external agency will change the core of who we are is ultimately naïve and disempowering. Apocalyptic consciousness and the concurrent belief that some form of angelic or demonic cataclysm will fundamentally transform the earth, takes on many forms, and the 2012 Mayan/Venus harmonic seems to be the latest version.

What is clear in all too many forms of visionary, prophetic discourse is an effort to escape from current conditions, and a desperate hope that some future event will settle the scores of unjust and inexplicable happenings on earth. What they tend to feature in common is an inability to live in and appreciate the present moment in all of its fullness and glory.  In the biblical sense, any speculation about the future violates the commandment (“Thou shall not bear false witness”), for the future is not given to us to know, and every form of futuristic speculation takes us out of the present moment, where all resolution lies.

So why do people jump in the bandwagons of Y2k, 2012, and the like, as lemmings rush down to the sea? I suspect it has something to do with the poverty of our own lives. The day, with its glorious sunrise and sunsets, is no longer enough. The divine songs of the birds, the rustling of the leaves in the wind, and the beautifully profound faces of people pass us by unnoticed, for beauty does not demand our attention. We are free to ignore its divine calls. Hence, we are afflicted with the fever of becoming, egged on by the media and the economy, our lives become so fast and meaningless, that we need the injections of a cataclysmic hope for tomorrow. And finally, apocalyptic prophecy has always been the last bastion of the disenfranchised, as in the Ghost Dance period of Native America. If I am not getting a piece of the pie now, if oppression becomes overwhelming, I can project a better time to come, and allow my unwavering belief and commitment to it to get me through another day.

This is not to say that visions like 2012 do not have value. They can be tremendously helpful if we do not take them literally, but rather see them as visionary constructs that can allow us to see what kind of world we really want to create, and what legacy we want to pass on to our children’s children. Then, when we wake up on “the day after” and see that the same world is present before our eyes, and that our ongoing challenges remain, we can role up our sleeves and commit to the real work: the step-by-step purification of our lives, the visioning and creation of community, the honoring of the earth, and the humility to accept the life we have been given, receive its gifts, and offer them back to the glorious mystery of life.

Something Different re: 2012

Greetings, All~

This space is going to be featuring something a little different over the coming days; I (Whitehawk) thought I’d send out advance notice re: what to expect, and invite your participation.

Setup:  Several days ago, Rick sent me a little piece he wrote about the 2012 phenomenon, to post here. This is not the same one that was posted last week. When that one went up, the traffic here really spiked, and I mentioned to Rick I suspected it had to do with the “hot” 2012 topic. He then said he had another 2012 piece…  something he wrote for the 2012 website that Sounds True has up in support of their blockbuster book, The Mystery of 2012: Predictions, Prophecies & Possibilities (featuring essays by Gregg Braden, Daniel Pinchbeck, Jean Houston, John Major Jenkins, Jose Arguelles, and others).

Here’s the thing:  Rick was reticent to send me his second 2012 piece, because he suspected I wouldn’t appreciate it.

He was right.

Before continuing with this 2012 issue, it may serve to provide a little backstory about my association with Rick. We have known each other for years. We have shared many experiences and conversations; we know one another quite well. And within this “alembic,” varieties of energies kick up between us… one of them being the occasional spar. We can set off charged reflections in each other. In fact, when we met, he commented that I seem “just like him, but in a concave mirror.” In other words, where he zigs, I zag, in quite an illustrious dance of opposites. Within this context, all manner of themes have received “air time” (not to mention fire, water & earth), and — while we share an overall collegiate connection — the alchemical mix can generate a lively froth on occasion!

Rick’s new 2012 commentary, which I’ll post here in the next day or so, invited some froth. (Appropriate timing: full moon.) When I first read it, I responded in all sweetness and light that I did not appreciate his POV, and he and I obviously come from different universes.

His response: “I didn’t think you would like it.”  He then toned down his attitude a tad in an edit, and that is what will be posted here soon.

Now, here is where the rest of us come in, if anyone else will join the discussion. If not, then I will be a lone soul in the lion’s den (what else is new), because I will be posting my personal thoughts regarding 2012 after Rick’s post has been in the spotlight for a while.

I am a little nervous about this, because this is a space frequented by Jarow fans. I may be mauled here, we’ll see! I know upon whose turf I tread. But letting this one slide by without offering another perspective to the phenomenon generally referred to as “2012″ went against my Aquarian nature.  So… a bit of difference rather than deference on this particular topic.

Stay tuned… and prepare to assume your position at the keyboard to offer your input, if so moved. This is, after all, a community BLOG. I trust we can keep it civil!

Big Frothy Photons,

Whitehawk