El Quetzal Issue 59 : Welcome 2012

It's finally here. The most long-awaited, hysteria-generating, awe-inspiring year of our lifetimes. From blockbuster Hollywood movies to panicked children asking their parents if the end of the world is really coming, these four numerals have captivated our collective fascination for many years. And now we're standing on its doorstep.

The MCP community knows better than to go running under the covers with our life savings in a suitcase, or signing the papers for that last luxury underground bunker. Some of you have posted on our Facebook page how good you feel about this year, the positive energy you sense coming through, and that's fantastic. That's how we here at the MCP feel about 2012 as well.

But the truth is that there are more than a few people who are genuinely scared of what may come. Many of them are children and young adults. One of the worst things for a child is to live with fear. So if you have children, or friends with children, reach out, comfort them, share what you know about 2012 and what the Maya really said (as in, no doomsday prophecies), or point them to our web site. If you're online and see a blog or article perpetuating the same silly fearmongering, take a moment and submit a comment. If you're listening to a radio show and hear the same old doomsday talk, call in and give them a different point of view. If you're at a party of with friends and the subject comes up, even if in jest, speak up.

You'll be doing your friends and loved ones a greater service than you may realize. We've been living in fear for too long, on too many levels: our jobs, our homes, our relationships, our own identities. Do we really need another source of fear and worry? We think not.

Let's make 2012 a supercharged year!

Mark your calendars! On February 8 at the EAST WEST bookstore in Mountain View, California, at 7:30pm, Mayan Calendar Portal producer and author Birgitte Rasine will present Jonathan Talat Phillips, author and co-founder of Reality Sandwich, and his latest book, titled "The Electric Jesus: The Healing Journey of a Contemporary Gnostic."

The event will repeat the next night, February 9, at 7pm at Modern Times in San Francisco.

Jonathan will talk about the rise of an international movement that is trailblazing visionary ways to address our current planetary crisis through raised consciousness, and share his thoughts on personal transformation and a potential evolutionary shift for our world.

The event is free on both days, but the East West bookstore strongly recommends calling ahead for tickets to ensure a seat. The number to call is 650-988-9800.

For more information about these events, please visit the Electric Jesus event pages on the MCP web site: Mountain View and San Francisco.

There is perhaps no better place to be this year than Guatemala, the heart and soul of contemporary Maya society. And in March, the town of Momostenango is celebrating its 6th annual EXPO MAYA. Come learn about the Mayan Calendar directly from the Maya themselves, as well as the origins of Mayan writing, astronomy, native Maya foods, and many other topics.

Don Rigoberto Itzep Chanchavac, Maya Elder of the village of Momostenango, Guatemala, Daykeeper, Shaman, and MCP blogger, has extended a global invitation to the MCP community to attend the Expo.

Attended by visitors from all over the world each year, EXPO MAYA will take place this March 25th through 27th.

For more information, please visit the Expo Maya event page on the MCP web site.

And if you're planning a 2012 event of your own, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar! Just fill out the online form here.

For the list of Tzolk'in days this month, please see the list here on the left in the sidebar.

For information about the current Trecena and the day sign that rules it, just click the "trecena" link in the upper nav on the MCP web site at any time to connect with its energy.