The mysterious doomsday prophecies of the Mayan calendar have certainly captivated people in recent years, and the closer we get to 2012, the more we hear discussions about what really lies ahead. In celebration of the fated day of December 21, 2012, we have compiled a short reading list of books on 2012 written by a range of voices — from Mayan culture experts to master astrologers, and philosophers to an actual Mayan. Whatever you believe lies ahead in 2012, the books featured below are sure to provide deeper insight and understanding of the future of our planet and greater consciousness.
Cosmic Weather Report, by Mark Borax and Ellias Lonsdale, ISBN:978-1-55643-942-1, $16.95 US/$19.95 CAN
Cosmic Weather Report tackles the personal and collective obstacles to world transformation in vivid, colorful terms, inspiring readers to imaginatively rethink the whole purpose of humankind, and change their lives—and the course of the planet’s future—from within. This narrative offers an exciting classroom of evolution, where students get to quiz the teachers. Topics weave back and forth between the broad cosmic vision of what our species is here for, and the rigorous work of transforming daily life to come into accord with that vision. Both the high and low ends of this transformation are investigated with creative dialogue and pertinent questions asked during the class.
The Living Maya: Ancient Wisdom in the Era of 2012, by Robert Sitler, ISBN:978-1-55643-939-1, $16.96 US/$18.95 CAN
The Living Maya chronicles the spiritual experiences Robert Sitler had while living with a traditional Mayan village, and in the process immerses readers in a rich indigenous culture and offers a fresh view of the 2012 phenomenon. Sitler focuses on the valuable lessons Mayan culture can teach us in this time of transition. Personal anecdotes are interwoven with factual information about the roots of traditional Mayan customs and traditions, presenting a rare view of their simple yet profound way of life. Sitler shows how following “the Mayan way” can help us ground our lives in harmony with nature, broaden our perspectives on human existence, connect us with our capacity for compassion, and use the vaunted cataclysm of 2012 as a unique chance for growth.
13 B’aktun: Mayan Visions of 2012 and Beyond, by Gaspar Gonzalez, ISBN:978-1-55643-896-7, $15.95 US/$18.95 CAN
In 13 B’aktun, Gaspar González turns to the traditional Mayan belief system to navigate this uncertain future concerning the end of the Mayan calendar. In addition to ancient Mayan wisdom, 13 B’aktun incorporates the insights of modern philosophers, scientists, and religious texts concerning consciousness, human behavior, and predictions for the future. The only book on 2012 by a Mayan author, 13 B’aktun draws on the storytelling experiences of the author’s childhood and his academic research as an adult. Countering the widespread hype and misinformation surrounding 2012, González blends past and present thought into a persuasive plan for moving into the new era.
2013: Raising the Earth to the Next Vibration, by Richard Grossinger, ISBN: 978-1-55643-878-3, $16.95 US/$21.00 CAN
For the Earth to move to the next vibration, consciousness must change in profound ways, and these involve core elements of humanity: evil, grief, bliss, and compassion. 2013 locates these elements in often unlikely places and seeks their nature and capacity for change. Moving with equal ease between matters cosmic and earthly, Grossinger details existence as an exhilarating adventure always pushing us toward a higher state in this wide-ranging, humorous, and heartfelt book. Including an informal course in psychic development, 2013 sheds light on the ephemera of planets and iPods, politics and Zen, Budd Holly and road trips in its study of the elements of psychic development that could transform humankind and the Earth.
The Cracking Tower: A Strategy for Transcending 2012, by Jim DeKorne, ISBN: 978-1-55643-816-5, $16.95 US/$20.00 CAN
Beginning with a lively memoir of the author’s experiences in the ‘60s, the book explores apocalyptic thinking through perennial philosophy, shamanism, Gnostic mysticism, the body as a vessel of consciousness (and death as “an extended out-of-body experience”), and psychedelics. Shaping the discussion id the fascinating metaphor of the cracking tower, and apparatus for distilling gasoline as a vehicle fir distilling our awareness. Rather than speculating on what might occur in 2012, DeKorne propose vigilance of a more introspective sort. “The important thing,” he says, “is to ignore the finger and strive to comprehend the moon,” to see what our apocalyptic tendencies reveal about ourselves.
2012: Crossing the Bridge to the Future, by Mark Borax, ISBN: 978-1-55643-208-6, $16.95 US/$20.00 CAN
2012 is an engaging personal narrative through the author’s apprenticeship with master astrologer William Lonsdale who teaches him how to access a source of great power and creativity buries within the human soul. Lonsdale and Borax launch a mystery school to study how the twenty-five-year period between 1987 and 2012 can be used for a cosmic purging of negativity to release humanity’s core forces and restore universal balance. Borax and his fellow students discover truths about life after death, karma, reincarnation, past lives, human evolution, and the purpose of our existence on Earth.
