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Hopefully you haven't maxed out your credit cards in the belief that the world will end this Friday. Many are in the belief that the Mayan calendar ends on the specific date of December 21, 2012, the winter solstice. Although it comes as a somewhat foreboding thought that an ancient culture that dates back to 2000 BC would have their calendar end in this day and age, the calendar itself does not end. Scientific agencies such as NASA state on the topic, "just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then, just as your calendar begins again on January 1, another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar."
There have been numerous predictions over the years about the end of times. In 1877 the Jehovah's Witness religion predicted that armageddon would commence in the year 1914. This never happened, although World War I did occur shortly after the prediction. Even first-century Christians were convinced that Jesus would return within one generation of his death. In more recent years the Christian radio host, Harold Camping, predicted the Rapture to take place on May 21, 2011 and when that didn't happen he moved the date up to October 21, which also turned out to be false. What makes the "end" of the Mayan calendar perhaps more noteworthy is that it is not based on Christian beliefs and the numerous predictions over the years that never took place.
Although it's extremely unlikely the end of the world will happen on Friday, some such as massage therapist and self proclaimed "consciousness steward," Kristy Marie O'Neill, who is also known by her spiritual name, NurJehan Chishti, have some thoughts on the matter. She has studied various religions over the years including Native American religions, Christianity and Sufism. The following is an interview with O'Neill about her interpretations of the end of the Mayan calendar.

Reader: Could you explain a little about the difference between the Gregorian and the Mayan calendar?
 
KO: The Gregorian calendar works on a 12 month cycle, while the Mayan calendar is a 13 month cycle, which goes more directly in line with the stars and the moon, the moon meaning month. There are 13 cycles to the moon in a year, but we only count 12.   

Reader: I've seen that according to some, that this date may have already happened, maybe earlier this year? Do you have any thoughts on that?

KO: In the Mayan belief system it's not so specifically tied to that date per se, but it's the end of an era. They don't necessarily believe completely in time as something that can be pinned down. It's been toiled and jolted by a lot of people that this will be the end of the world, but according to the Mayans, it's just the end of an era.

Reader: With the way society and human existence has been going, do you feel that there's any significance to this era?

KO: Well basically we move forward consciously or there won't be any moving forward. It's as if consciousness is climbing a mountain. With the new technological era, it doesn't so much look back to the ancestors, it just looks forward for forward's sake. In tribal cultures, they're often linked to the earth and the stars. Part of what the shift is both worlds needing each other. It's been explained to me that when a majority of the technological minded society takes this technology to connect with this ancient past and that spreads like a wildfire, and through a period of time, I've heard from 2009 to 2015, humanity will be getting flashes from the past and lining up and remembering to look back and see where they came from. Once this remembrance happens, the DNA or consciousness of the people will know exactly how to move forward. It's not something that even needs to be studied to manifest.

In an earlier email discussion with O'Neill she wrote, "There are many meditations happening all over the globe, lots of them synced up in unison. With the thought that with enough volume of people bringing themselves simultaneously to peace, that the rest of the world could somehow acclimate like we all climbed the mountain. Like water rolling down stream. An era where the ancient world meets the new world. A time where simplicity meets the complex, with ease, understanding and compassion and most of all, collaboration."  

Reader: With collective consciousness it's been noted that among religion and technology that people come up with an idea and on the other side of the world someone pops up with a very similar thing or concept. Do you think with the attitude of the world today that people will find this common consciousness?

KO: In general, any truth seekers of any kind are putting pieces together as they will. It's true that it's kind of like a magnet that attracts people who are like minded but even so, I think there is quite a reality that we as a species are using two planets worth of resources and we only have one planet. There is a tipping point where we can learn to live in harmony with our planet and obviously it doesn't seem to be going that way. But just like a natural disaster can swipe out with in one slash in a day, so can consciousness change. I don't think we really have a choice to ignore the way the world is going.

Reader: No, but there are a lot of corporations and shareholders who are making a different bet.

KO: That's going under the thought that only 5% of the population makes what happens happen. And if the majority of people started realizing their own affect and their own inner peace, then there could be changes.

Reader: When you look at the Occupy movement, a group of people who stood up against Capitalism and greed, it seems hard to believe that many people would be able to quiet their minds and come together like that. Although I guess I have curiosity about things, I don't think I quiet my mind that much.

KO: It's not totally necessary to quiet your mind but you can also look at things like the shooting that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary and what an impact that had to our whole Nation and our whole world. Supposedly in this time it's supposed to get worse before it gets better.  In any great movement, any great consciousness change, it does get worse before it gets better. That's how we learn as a species. If you look at the birth process, a lot of people call it the birth of a new era, and if you look at the birth process of a woman, there's a lot of pain before the baby is born. I wouldn't be surprised if a big chunk of humanity had to die before this actually rose up. There have to be enough things to wake people up. It has to bring people into being alive, a lot of people aren't living, they're just numb to the world.

Reader: I'd agree. You mentioned the shooting: on the other hand, there have been plenty of innocent people killed in Afghanistan and Iraq and it seems to be minimized. It seems that we can't keep heading down this road, but it's like we don't have a choice. Maybe people will wake up, I don't know.

KO: In this new era of waking up, that's part of where if enough people realized their potential and to wake up. The people that are waking up are pushing the consciousness to a different level. Light penetrates darkness, there's no two ways around it.

Reader: So in the end you feel that there is some validity to the solstice coming up as being a sort of milestone in getting this sort of consciousness?

KO: Yes I do. Part of the milestone, is that there are so many people around the world. It's not something that pertains to anyone country. It's on such a global scale that it pertains more to humanity versus one culture. If everyone took responsibility for their own peace, then there would be world peace.

In a closing email message, O'Neill wrote, "whether or not we make it as a species doesn't necessarily matter to this shift, for in dying we will wake up. The fact that we are not in charge is bigger than us, and will prove itself whether we live or not." O'Neill will be performing at the "Awakening to Unity" show at Sacred Heart this Friday along with Emily Heart and vocalist/experimental musician, Adam Sippola.