The Mayan Prophecies: A Look at Kenneth Johnson’s New Book

In The Mayan Prophecies: The Renewal of the World 2012-2072, the authentic Mayan prophecies¾those of the 260-year Katun Wheel from the Books of Chilam Balam¾are explained and interpreted by Kenneth Johnson, author of Jaguar Wisdom.

These “knowledge books” were recorded in hieroglyphs on fig bark and wrapped in jaguar pelts. Friars translated them into Spanish in the 15th Century in Yucatan, Mexico. The earliest known example of the calendar board, still used in Mayan astrology today, was discovered inside the cover of one of these books.

The Katun Channel
The Books of Chilam Balam, in addition to recording local history in the Yucatecan towns for which they are named, also provide a prophecy for each of the katuns, which last 19.7 years in our calendar. (The next katun, by the way, commences on December 22, 2012.) Johnson presents the prophecies in Yucatecan Maya and in English before commenting on their significance.

This is no easy task, for they were written as poetic metaphor. For example, the prophecy for the katun of 4 Ahau is “Come is the quetzal, come is the blue-green bird.” Johnson says this refers to the return of Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent deity, which should occur by December 21 of this year.

December 22, 2012-September 7, 2032
The prophecy for the next katun, 2 Ahau, is “For half the k’atun there will be bread; for half the k’atun there will be water.” One interpretation is that this will be a “time of the haves and have nots,” which could easily refer to the Occupy Movement. A more literal interpretation links it to the ongoing failure of corn and other crops around the world due to record temperatures, which spells famine in many parts of the world. And higher prices for meat and other foods as well.

“I am not a crook!”
There are 13 katuns in the wheel, so after 260 years the prophecies repeat. While the same exact things do not happen, things do tend to follow the same rhythm and tone. Johnson looks into the past to find correlations between historical events in previous katuns and their prophecies. The one for the Seventies foretold of “…lies and madness.” Appropriate, since these were the Nixon years.

Johnson’s interpretation of the prophecy following 2 Ahau are: “The World Turned Upside Down” (13 Ahau, September 8, 2032-May 25, 2052) is fascinating and disturbing. A giant asteroid is projected to hit or make a near-miss to Earth in 2035, says Space Daily. Funny, that.

He concludes with “The Renewal of the World” (11 Ahau, May 26, 2052-February 10, 2072), which …well, why spoil the ending?

Johnson also goes into depth on the Long Count, giving vital historical background and fresh insights to these and other topics. He takes the view that the Long Count was as much about myth and cosmology as it was a method of recording the dates of the reigns of kings and queens and their accomplishments. This makes sense, because in this manner he is looking at the big picture, which tunnel-vision-afflicted archaeologists and anthropologist often fail to even consider, let alone do.

Well-illustrated with photos and drawings, the book is enhanced with charts and tables. Scholars will find useful the tables of Long Count dates and their correlation with the Gregorian calendar and the katuns from 1961 through 2012.

I learned a great deal from this book, and consider it a valuable resource for anyone studying the Mayan calendars, prophecies or culture. You won’t find a more thorough an up-to-date book about the Mayan katun wheel prophecies.

The Mayan Prophecies: The Renewal of the World 2012-2072 is available as a PDF for Windows and Macintosh computers. See the blog on Johnson’s Web site, Jaguarwisdom.org.