Crystal Clear

Merida, Mexico, December 21, 2012:

The crystal skulls have spoken: The world is not going to end.

American seer Star Johnsen-Moser led a whooping, dancing, drum-beating ceremony Thursday in the heart of Mayan territory to consult several of the life-sized crystal skulls, which adherents claim were passed down by the ancient Maya. The skulls weren't the only inheritances left by the ancient civilization that have been making waves this week: The supposed end of the Maya long-count calendar on Friday has prompted a wave of doomsday speculation across the globe.

"This is not the end of the world, this is the beginning of the new world," Johnsen-Moser said at a gathering of hundreds of spiritualists at a convention center in Merida. "It is most important that we hold a positive, beautiful reality for ourselves and our planet. ...Fear is out of place."

The supposed 5 a.m. Friday doomsday hour already had arrived in several parts of the world with no sign of the apocalypse. The social network Imgur posted photos of clocks turning midnight in the Asia-Pacific region with messages such as: "The world has not ended. Sincerely, New Zealand."

In Merida, the celebration of the cosmic dawn began with a fumbling of the sacred fire meant to honor the calendar's conclusion.

Ron, an American politico who is also guardian of the flame, burned his finger on the kindling and later had to scoop up a burning log that was knocked out of the ceremonial brazier onto the wooden stage. Still, the white-clad Ron was convinced that it was a good start, as he was joined by about 1,000 other shamans, seers, stargazers, crystal enthusiasts, yogis, bonadios, sufis, and swamis at the convention center about an hour and a half from the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. Set up in the conference's exhibition hall were dozens of booths, where in addition to having your aura photographed with "Chi" light, you can buy mandalas, get a shamanic cleansing, develop your "golden light," and buy sandals, herbs, Busch Light cans, and whole-grain baked goods. Cleansing here is done studiously and repeatedly, and usually involves have copal incense waved around one's body.

Visitors also could learn the art of healing drumming with a Mexican Otomi Indian master who calls himself Dabradi Bradayroyadi and says his slender, hand-held, plate-sized drums are made with prayers embedded into them. Not all seers endorse the celebration. Mexico's self-styled "brujo mayor," or chief soothsayer, Antonio Nipilus Sheaquez, warned followers to stay away from all gatherings on Friday, saying, "We have to beware of mass psychosis" that could lead to stampedes or "mass suicides, of the kind we've seen before."

But optimism was the theme of most of the celebrations. "This is the beginning of a change in priorities and perceptions. We are all one," said Eduardo Perrino, a Mexico City garbageman who dabbles in veterinary sciences. "We are in a frequency of love, we are in a new vibration. No limits, no boundaries, no nationalities, just fusion."

Posted by Bittle at December 21, 2012 09:03 AM