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Everyone Should Calm Down About 2012

The world isn’t going to end in 2012, and people should stop freaking out about it. Especially astrologers. Seriously.

I walked into a major bookstore the other day and there was an entire bookcase that was literally packed with different books on 2012.  It seems like everyone is talking about it now, and there is even a high budget Hollywood movie coming out later this year named “2012” which plays off the theme.

Unfortunately it seems like a lot of astrologers are even playing into it, writing articles about certain “rare” astrological alignments in 2012, even trying to link it with the completely unrelated notion of the “Age of Aquarius” and generally helping to feed the hysteria.

The general consensus among the more apocalyptic 2012 people seems to be something to the effect that since some part of the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, the world itself will end in 2012. This notion of some sort of worldwide cataclysm in 2012 appears to be the plot underlying the upcoming movie “2012” that I mentioned earlier:

 

Using the logic applied above, I suspect that one of these days some 2012’er is going direct their attention towards their own own calendar, and I imagine that their line of thought is going to go something like this:

The Mayan calander ends in 2012, and therefore the world will end.
Wait a minute…
Our calendar ends on December 31st…
OMG THE WORLD ENDS ON DEC 31ST!!!1!

Different Theories About The Significance of 2012

Of course, like any major notion that has been adopted by the New Age movement, a number of different speculations have been put forward about the significance of 2012.  Here are a few popular theories about what will happen in 2012:

  • There will be pole shift.
  • Aliens invade earth and enslave humanity (à la X-Files)
  • An asteroid or comet will hit the Earth.
  • A global spiritual awakening/shift in consciousness will take place.
  • The end of the world will occur in some form or another.
  • Planet X/Niburu will swing into orbit and take out Earth/reestablish human contact with aliens.

And the list goes on.  Enough ink has already been spilled over debunking some of the above theories, so I won’t go into them there, although if you are interested in reading more about them then there was a good article written over at Altair Astrology recently in which he brought up some calendar issues, and Ian O’Neill over at Universe Today did a great series of articles debunking the 2012 myth as well.  Bruce Scofield, one of the leading western astrologers who has a serious background in Mayan astrology, also has some really great articles on 2012 on his site.

Don’t Feed the Hype!

Recently I was pleased to see a really great article titled 20Y2K12 and Astrology’s Reputation by Philip Sedgwick in which he urged astrologers to stop feeding into the hysteria surrounding 2012, dismissing one of the 2012 doomsday scenarios by saying that “the flawed astronomy of these fear-mongering speculations do not deserve attention”.

I wholeheartedly agree, and I thought that it would be a good idea to highlight his concluding remarks in that article in order to give other astrologers some food for thought:

Seems to me, if we expect to be taken seriously and credibly, we must actively stave off the inaccurate prediction phenomena inspired by those who failed to get a turn spinning scary yarns around the fire at summer camp. We must understand astronomy and astrology, weaving the two back into a harmonious helix of cooperation. We must interrupt the nonsense speculations and reset people back to critical thinking and intelligent assessment of the cosmic variables we so readily perceive. We must avert the crisis of erroneous speculations regarding 20Y2K12. Join the cause now. Hurry! Time is running out. Only four more years to print bumper stickers and shift the consciousness of fearful negativity before the Mayan Calendar concludes.

So, what is the take home lesson?  Don’t feed the hysteria people.  If you run into someone who is convinced that something crazy is going to happen in 2012, then either sit down and try to talk some sense into them, as you would a small child who is afraid of the dark, or just nod your head and back away very slowly.

 

38 replies on “Everyone Should Calm Down About 2012”

Unfortunately, you are very true.

Even here in Italy it’s 2 years I’m hearing about 2012, and about friendly aliens arriving to party with us in that moment.

The only thing who makes me happy is that I just heard modern astrologers talking about this, traditional ones like Thomas in Altair blog, luckily seem to be very skeptical.
Margherita

the main reason modern astrologers like 2012 so much is because the outer planets will change signs. You know the moderns… can´t make anything without one of the Three Sisters.

But I am still hopeful in 2012 the zombies will invade! Yes, zombies rules !

My worst fear is that if there is really an “shift in counciousness” and we all end up eating tofu and macrobiotic…

Lol, I totally agree with you! And I have heard some otherwise normal-seeming astrologers going wonky over this 2012 thing, too. Ridiculous! Thanks for the link to Phil’s site, and I agree with him when he says that when the Mayan calendar ends a new cycle begins. I have heard others make this same point.

Seems to me, however, that you’re just pointing out how “stupid” and “cockeyed” these people are and the main point you present as your proof is that they are “stupid” and “cockeyed”.

I am less interested in arguments against something that are largely comprised of statements such as “what’s wrong with you people?”, “if we expect to be taken seriously and credibly” and “[their arguments] do not deserve attention” is just the same as the age-old debate tactic, however incredibly flawed, as “any sane person believes [X]” and “only a fool believes [Y]”.

All I got from your blog post is that you think they’re crazy.

Got anything else?

Please read the series that I linked to above which dispels many of the more prevalent 2012 myths: http://www.universetoday.com/2008/05/19/no-doomsday-in-2012/

At Kepler I developed a healthy distaste for some of the 2012 hysteria that was going on because I had the opportunity of studying under Bruce Scofield, who is one of the only astrologers who has really studied Mayan astrology in depth.

On a number of occasions he lamented the fact that although the origins of the 2012 date had some basis in Mayan astrology originally, the whole notion had been hijacked by non-astrologers who were using it as an excuse to make some pretty far fetched, non-astrologically based predictions about the future.

I realize that astrology has a long history of being used for millenarian purposes, and I even wrote a paper about this at one point, although as serious astrologers I don’t think that we should be as credulous about feeding into wild speculations about the future, especially when it involves a form/tradition of astrology that most of us are largely ignorant of.

Scofield has some good articles on 2012 on his site that I should have linked to above, so I will edit the post and add a link there in a minute: http://www.onereed.com/2012.php

I wrote a significant part of my post in jest, although I do believe that people who are really freaking out about 2012 being the end of the world in some form or another are somewhat crazy. I offered up some links to some worthy articles which provide a counterpoint to many of the more prevalent theories, and I think that that is sufficient because it throws the ball back in the reader’s corner and gives them the opportunity to research the subject and come to a more informed conclusion about the matter.

When someone his/her time lecturing or writing about the fact that aliens in 2012 are going to exporting in our world their higher level of knowledge and Maia knew this from the beginning, for me it’s very strange to hear complains about lack of proof.

But i’m just talking about my way to see things.

Margherita

Many a true word is spoken in jest!! (‘scuse cliche)
Seriously now, right behind you Chris, 2012ers do have a touch of the Chicken Little going down and it’s really nothing to do with western horoscopic astrology anyhows. Not only that, sh*t happens every darn year, aliens, asteroids, consciousness, or not, it’s just a matter of what, where and when…
I like your essential points – 1) don’t prostitue the art for the hype and 2) get off the astrological butt and get informed! Especially if proposing to be an ‘astrologer’. My,you’ve offered humour and intelligence re the subject, supplied excellent sources to follow,and cite Mr Scofield who’s one of the very few authentic specialists on this. How spoon-fed does one have to be?
Cheers – from Oz (must get asking, wonder what our Aborigine cosmologists, a really really really ancient race, would have to say?).

Hello Chris,

It shows how even the smallest and thinnest ripple of a fact, one of the smaller Mayan Long Count periods does end, can inspire fantastical visions. What isn’t so much talked about is that in 2012 the last of the four Royal Stars, Regulus, will be leaving Leo! They will all be in mutable signs. Now that is a sensation!

Cheers,
Thomas

PS Thanks for the kudo!

Had to chime in again,
Hear, hear – now that truly ‘is’ notable. Well spotted Thomas!
Heartening stuff (for astrological thinking).

Donna

Who knows when the next big threat is to befall the human race. Maybe it’s overdue. It’s a dangerous universe and time could end for any of us or all of us in any given moment. It’s nicer to just not think about it. Still it seems some people just can’t resist it. Perhaps it’s the morbosity. Whether or not this so called astrological event is significant or not and what it’s significance is remains to be seen. But it won’t cure people of their fear of death, and it won’t stop people from prohesizing either. Calling people stupid or treating them like children won’t help. Maybe a well done psychological/anthropological study of the phenomenon is in order because fear and hysteria about the subject seems on the rise. Perhaps more documentaries of this type are in order because lately there have been many, many programs about apocalyptic prophesy on History, Discovery and National Geographic.

Hi,
2012 is not the END as perceived by the WORLD!!!
2012 is the MAJOR CHANGE Year & the NEW Beginnings in our lives may be initiated, which eventually will become known to our Conscious Beings.

Look around and there is CHANGE happening; in Individual’s Life (Thinking Pattern, Living, Emoting Levels, Networking Collective Consciousness,…)

So I present an APPEAL to ALL
to Participate in the Movement to make it HAPPEN
For We are the Molders of OUR DESTINY
In our HANDS LIES the POWER TO CHANGE…
Collective Efforts bring MAJOR CHANGE RAPIDLY!!!

THINK & ACT NOW!

AN END may be the BEND OF THE ROAD Which We are Still not able to see till NOW!

An APPEAL

An Appeal to all the responsible WORLD CITIZENS
If the presented idea resonates with your Being in any way, please pass on the Message
Also I would insist Whether you BELIEVE or NOT…
Spread this Message as a Responsible WORLD CITIZEN for the Movement to gain momentum & herald the Change

Let’s Call Upon LIGHT to lead us from Darkness unto LIGHT…

LET US ALL PARTICIPATE IN THE WORLD MOVEMENT OF LIGHT CHANNELS

For more info please visit:

http://www.lightchannels.com
http://www.lightdivine.blogspot.com
http://www.lightdivine.ning.com

Thanks in advance,
Love & Light to all Alike
O

David Wilcock (who very well may be the reincarnation of Edgar Cayce) is the leading expert on the subject and is absolutely one of the most brillant and intelligent human beings on the planet. Everyone ought to become educated through his work. And if they are still not convinced of what is presented (aka they are “stupid”) then perhaps a lifetime spent trying to disprove his scientific knowledge and spiritual insight would prove fruitful, if for no other reason than to discover absolute humility. I provide this link so that your bombastic, pretentious outline of 2012, which is utter conformity, can be safely expiated, purged and dispoved of.

http://www.divinecosmos.com

There are things you just don’t know about, Chris. You realize you’re about to crack, I’m sure.

As a survivor of the Harmonic Convergence of 1987 it seems to me that all the “hullabaloo” is from people disappointed when nothing happened at Y2K.

But for those of you still worried, perhaps you will take heart of the following: as the Mayans were wrong about the birth of the world, I am certain they will be wrong about the end of the world.

Point Taken. I wonder if my Y2K stash of soup cans and sterno are still good…

I for one think that Chris Brennan post lacks intelligence. For someone to flat out state that something is wrong when they have no true proof is well for lack of a better word moronic.

It may be that all this hype is just simply hype, but I for one believe that grand things occur, they have occurred and will occur continuously through out time.

To dismiss something in the manner in which Mr. Brennan has done shows me what is really on his mind, fear. He fears the unknown, and he fears that he isn’t ready to handle such a change. Or perhaps he doesn’t want the change to occur at all.

For all of you who know this will not occur I ask you to prove it, tell me how you know your opinion to be fact.

I for one am not sure either way.

I think all the talk about 2012 is true. Our ancient ancestors have warned us for millions of years about this date. I don’t think the world will end but I do thing we will start a new beginning.

Stories about the end of the world have threaded all through our civilization. We are still here. I personally believe the Mayans could clearly measure the moment of the end of the cycle. Through their extraordinary math tables, they were able to work the measure backward from the end to the beginning, for as many cycles as they felt were effective. As the cycles coincided they were able to define specific moments in time with specific events. From studying the past they were able to predict the future. It is a famous quote by Carl Sagan who was not even an astrologer, paraphrased “Study the past to learn about the future”. That’s what astrologers do all over the world every day.

I don’t believe in fearing the future just as I don’t believe in denying the past. We learn by doing. Fear immobilizes us, ruins our present, and can create a self-fulling prophecy. We need to study, and learn, and grow, and cope. I’ve been an astrologer a long time, 35 years. I’ve heard so many doomsday prophecies. None have come true. We can get caught up in hysteria, but that doesn’t make us stupid. That’s an attention-getting lead-in to a story, but since the author said it was in jest, I don’t have reason to doubt that author. it does mess with his conclusions because his readers become defensive. There will always be those who take advantage of the ignorance and fears of others, that’s human nature, even in astrology. I agree with the author, such negative misuse of our field is stupid, and unkind, and we are all painted with that lack of credibility paintbrush.

It is possible that this is a very significant date for humanity and not just a time marker. What if it is the end of all things? What can you do about it besides ruin all the time between now and then. We need to hope that it is positive and a marker for the evolution of humanity, give it as much positivity as we can muster, make ourselves ready for that moment, and live today successfully. If I am all I can be at this moment, I will create a better tomorrow and all my tomorrows for however long I have. That will rub off on everyone I touch and make their lives better. Don’t worry, be happy!

And check out my new website and blog (as soon as I learn how) presidentsofhopeandchange.com

I just got done watching the new Nostrodomus Effect special on History, you know the doomsayers beloved newscast. Especially disturbing. Disturbing context that consists of a biased fear. This program has an attitude like “We are adamant the end is near, and you should be very scared… but (we) are not saying that… “Some people believe this and that, book of revelation… blah blah blah”. !

Have you noticed all the History Channel seemingly endless “Amerigedin / end of world related” programs. Seriously, wtf. Look it up…. Must be like 20 different (no exaggeration) individual films on this topic.

The truth is History Channel loves this crap. People love this crap. It has always been this way.

It’s no surprise to me Hollywood is banking on this 2012 thing, the movie 2012 due out in theaters in November this year. They must have noticed how popular History Channel programming has shown to be.

If you take the time to correctly interpret the Mayan calendar and its meaning you would know the date December, 2012, means a new era. “New era? wtf… ughh shucks.. I thought the world was gonna end…” Yes, new era or new binging. The Mayan’s never specified or said this means the end of the world. New era could mean anything or nothing.

As mentioned many times above there is no reason to be afraid. The world may END (anything is possible) but being fearful is fruitless. Fearing something won’t make it go away.

If there is any good out of this “2012 / doomsday / mortality” hysteria, it is that people take a closer look at themselves. Personal thoughts of one’s own mortality should provoke change in one’s self for better.

Finally, It’s my own belief that people naturally want to be apart of the end of days or Armageddon. Whether they want to assert their personal faith or just feel special to be apart of it, they just simply and truly desire it.

http://www.NothingWillHappen.com @ eBay!

The History Channel has been leaning more towards chasing ratings and sensationalism in recent years, and while I still love them, the fact that they have a reality TV series called Ice Road Truckers that has been going on for about three seasons now is kind of disappointing.

In the same way, one gets the impression that just cranking out the 2012 shows because they know that lots of people will watch it, so in some way it seems like ratings are dictating what they produce much more than it did some years ago.

To their credit though, they do still produce a lot of interesting stuff.

At this point I’m far less annoyed/concerned by the History Channel than I am about the number of terrible 2012 books on the shelves nowadays, with all manner of absurd and outlandish speculations about what will happen that year.

Y2K sounded more plausible then this stupid alien theory. At first all I heard about was how our megnatic feilds would be altered or thrown off our axis then I find out that the threat was alien related give me a break. Are people that stupid that they are dreading an alien attack?

my knowledge in science is very poor.but at least it is very obvious to me that, our thousands years of civilization can not be destroyed refereed by Mayan which exist thousand years before.

As best I can tell, we’ll be looking back on 2012 with a mixture of relief (that it wasn’t worse) and surprise (that it wasn’t nothing). I think what I keep seeing in my “pings” of the future is a period in which we see the end of one cycle (or many sub-cycles converging at low points simultaneously) and the beginning of another.

I think we’ll see some surprises, too, globally (in 2011 and 2012) – but we won’t see the end of the world. Maybe the end of the world as we know it right now… for a while… I mean, reasonably, a Solar Mass Ejection could knock out the power grid and at least some satellites for a few months or years. But even if that happens, we will rebuild. We always do.

As for what is actually going to happen, my best guess would have to be a SME. Whatever it is will make believers out of skeptics, but I am confident that the vast majority of humans will survive, if anyone dies at all. It isn’t the end of the world. And hey, maybe we’ll also succumb to the ridiculous hype and hysteria and start some wars, go crazy over religion, and do what we usually do when we are all afraid of the unknown en masse. Then we have an excuse to say “See? It really was what so-and-so predicted.”

Or maybe, we’ll just see a period of time when things are tight financially.

Whatever the case, I always get back a response that says 2012 is going to be different in a significant way when I “ping” the future. I, for one, hope that whatever happens in 2012, we can finally get on with living and let go of the ridiculous fear mongering and hype soon. It’s gotten old already… just like Christmas music in October.

well im ten years old and i know that 2012 is not true cause god will tell us when it is time not a man that siys oh the world will end when he says so thats not the way its gonna happen it is god who will tell us that duuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris,

Thanks for that article – it certainly needed to be said! Though if 2012 is going to be so catastrophic, why are people trying to make money out of it? That money will be rendered worthless after the cataclysm, surely?

Also, 2012 seems to be distracting us from more basic things going on – such as the Jupiter-Saturn opposition this year and next.

Personally, I see 2012 and 2013 as a time of renewal and recovery, as we move away from the Jupiter-Saturn opposition.

Whoever it was that decided to sit down one day and write down the dates of the Mayan calendar ..

He had to stop writing at some point .. he couldn’t keep writing for ever and ever. Maybe one day he got fed up, or died, or just thought “ok, that’ll keep them going for a few years”.

The idea of astrologers calling anything stupid is ridiculous. Remember, you’re astrologers! You believe that the stars can be used to mke predictions, and you condemn this?

Not to say you’re wrong about 2012, the people who believe that need to be thrown in a pit and buried alive.

I say why worry about 2012 isn’t everyone’s doomsday their deadth which can hit anytime? why not focus on more important relevant things developing cures for diseases (by that I mean “NOT SURGERIES” rather easy painless ways to cure diseases) rather than worrying about 2012 what even will you achieve if 2012 comes true? absolutely nothing most of us are not even prepared to face God due to our sins but are inclining towards dead more and more we should focus ourselves to find religion (islam), develop cures for diseases and not worry about 2012 its pure garbage 100% waste of time.