We are hovering at the apex of the grandest time in human existence. For years, we have all experienced references to the year 2012 and prophecies about the cataclysmic changes that would ensue. The most famous reference has been to the Mayan calendar and the date December 21, 2012, when supposedly the world would end as the Mayan calendar concluded its 5126-year cycle. Many religions in many different civilizations have referenced the “end times.”

The Book of Revelations in the Christian Bible speaks of the end times, but the reference to a concluding moment in humankind’s era is common across many cultures. There are Tibetan, Hopi, and Lakota prophecies. People have built monuments, temples, and pyramids that reflect the significance of this time, specifically this key date of December 21, 2012. Astrologically, the stars have been studied and read to forecast this event and religious documents from a variety of sources have referenced this time and its significance. We have most often looked to the “ending” but all endings presage a “beginning.” If we find meaning in these terminations of our current state, their most significant message for us is what lies on the other side.

Our most common terms for the ending include apocalypse, Judgment Day, Armageddon, catastrophe, day of reckoning, and end of the world. With such bleak descriptors, it is no wonder that we focus on disaster and destruction. I believe we are at the end of times and that which defines our culture is beginning to break apart and disintegrate, but I view it as a moment of transformation, reconfiguration and renewal.

We are in the times of economic crises, climate change, and clashes of cultures. Religions promote crusades and jihads, wealth skews into the hands of an elite few, and partisan politics avoids solutions and promotes failure. We are pushed to the brink, but our era of dissolution is truly about opportunity, for we possess the most significant of all possible prospects—choice. The failures we see have been long in coming from the time we assumed domination over the Earth and created a false vision that humankind was distinct from and in control of the cosmos. Thankfully, we have been given a clear view of the future and the means by which to transform this existence into alignment with the true nature of the universe—to see ourselves as an element in a unified and effectively functioning ordered system where we are one with all existence and the beneficiary of the universe’s perfection.

We are the creators of the future and our tools of creation are our thoughts and words. Quantum physics has revealed that the simple act of observation has a tremendous impact on that which is being observed. As scientists have attempted to observe matter at the sub-atomic level, they discovered, to their initial surprise, that their observation itself altered and mutated the matter beyond any other forces. Physicists have come to understand that existence itself is so highly interdependent that even the engagement of consciousness with external matter and force fields changes the nature of what they study. The message from this for humankind is that we can truly create force fields of change by our very thoughts and intentions, that we can alter the vibrations that surround all of us, and that the spiritual forces that emanate from and to us are real and ever active. The prophecies have predicted this time of ascension—a movement to a higher plane of existence, a higher dimension, and a higher vibration.
Embrace this time of Ascension. Recognize it, learn about it, practice it and ascend with mastery in 2013.

Change is a renewing force, just as stagnation is characterized by atrophy, decay, and death. Change is often distressing because it asks us to step out of our comfort zones, but the alteration of our condition provides a chance to find a greater meaning to our lives, a higher vibration of existence, and the strength and courage that comes from our restoration of the wholeness of the universe. The prophetic interpretations of the past have focused too stridently on the “end of times” as a destructive force and failed to realize that to go forward, we must go back. The history of humankind has emphasized a movement away from our “natural selves” and toward a belief in control and dominance. The universe now sends clear messages of the errancy of our ego-focused view of existence and self-destructive tendencies by exposing the failures of our institutions, policies, and actions; but, in their beneficence, the spirits offer clarity of direction, opportunity for transformation, and the possibility of the greatest of all human achievements—an access to the power of the universe by our reunification with the cosmos. The great irony of our “advancing” civilization is that we have diminished our power by attempting dominance and that we have created our own problems by the belief in our supremacy. The prophecies of change are real but, as with many of our misinterpretations, we see lost rather than an opening to unimaginable opportunity, destruction rather than creative possibilities, and an end rather than a beginning. Amid the rubble of our crumbling infrastructures and the collapse of our misguided policies of greed and control, there lies an astounding and boundless resource of transformation—an activation of the choice the universe provides to transform all of existence by the conscious decision to move to a higher plane and to attune to the higher vibrations of a different future.

My prophecies for 2012 are for the beginnings of:
•a transfiguration of our planet achieved by an emerging realization of new possibilities for our human relationships;
•a metamorphosis of our relationship to our natural world that focuses on reintegrating ourselves into the true state of interdependence and mutual support;
•a conversion to a view of ourselves as one with the universe, gaining simultaneous humility and power; and
•a change in seeing our difficulties as simply the removal of obstacles to a better life.

It has been said that the Chinese ideogram for “crisis” is a combination of two characters signifying “opportunity” and “danger.” It has been theorized that the meaning of crisis, in this sense, is that there is an opportunity for change and growth or a danger of regression or stagnation. Whether it is an accurate interpretation of Eastern wisdom or not, the concept is valid. As we alter our thinking , we change the vibrations around us and create intentions that impact all of our universe—we fulfill the ancient prophecies by our actions and we bring about a new reality by the inspired genius of our imaginations. Each of us embodies the prophecies of an end and a new beginning—we are the change we seek. The crisis for the planet and humankind is real and the choice to be made lies within each of us. I believe that we will exercise the opportunity and fulfill the prophecy of the dawning of a new age.

Author's Bio: 

Jan Engels-Smith is a graduate of the Foundation of Shamanic Studies and has trained with individual shamans. She has had a thriving shamanic practice since 1994. She has performed over 3,000 soul retrievals and viewed as an expert in her field. She is an author, Shamanic Practitioner, Reiki Master, a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Chemical Dependency Specialist, a Marriage and Family Counselor a Hypnotherapist and a Reconnection Healer.

Jan founded the LightSong School of Shamanic Studies, which has eight associate teachers and is the first of its kind to offer three accredited degrees in shamanism: Internship (IP), Licensed Master Practitioner (LMP) and Doctorate in Shamanism (ShD). You can learn more about these programs at http://www.lightsong.net.
Jan also conducts individual and group healing seminars for intensive personal growth.

Her training and experiences have been extensive both in the traditional philosophies and metaphysical traditions. Her personal philosophy is to assist individuals in gaining their own personal empowerment, which will in turn, promotes self healing, better communities and a healthier world.

Contact Jan at jan@lightsong.net or call 503-669-3013 (Portland, OR).

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