Synopses & Reviews
While researching the 2012 end-date of the Maya Calendar, John Major Jenkins decoded the Maya's galactic cosmology. The Maya discovered that the periodic alignment of the Sun with the center of the Milky Way galaxy is the formative influence on human evolution. These alignments also define a series of World Ages. The fourth age ends on December 21, 2012, when an epoch chapter in human history will come to an end. Maya Cosmogenisis 2012 reveals the Maya's insight into the cyclic nature of time, and prepares us for our own cosmogenesis--the birth of a new world.
Review
"The extensive research by John Major Jenkins into the Mayan astronomy and mysteries is very impressive indeed, and his book will no doubt become a classic in this field of study. Maya Cosmogenesis 2012 is a must-read for all those who feel that there is far more to our ancient past than meets the eye." Robert G. Bauval, coauthor of The Orion Mystery
Review
"Jenkins presents a wealth of information about the Maya astronomy, mythology, and calendrics in support of his analysis of the Long Count Calendar end-date . . . illustrations, maps, and extensive bibliography complement this detailed work." Library Journal
Review
"The extensive research by John Major Jenkins into the Mayan astronomy and mysteries is very impressive indeed, and his book will no doubt become a classic in this field of study. Maya Cosmogenesis 2012 is a must-read for all those who feel that there is far more to our ancient past than meets the eye."
Review
"Jenkins presents a wealth of information about the Maya astronomy, mythology, and calendrics in support of his analysis of the Long Count Calendar end-date . . . illustrations, maps, and extensive bibliography complement this detailed work."
Review
"The steady pace of Jenkin's unveiling of his remarkable conclusions is a testament to his skill as a writer and his confidence in the way he has pieced together existing ethnohistoric data, archeoastronomy, his own fieldwork and an admirable empathy for the people who first articulated this monumental story, this key to understanding the nature of our place as humans in the galactic patterns of existence." Curtis McCosco, CirclesofLight.com, May 2009
Review
“Readers will be impressed by Jenkins' scholarly yet interdisciplinary approach. He reaches beyond the confines of the ivory towers to break old paradigms and create several new ones. Primarily, he gives us insights into the nature of time and reality, how the larger cosmic cycles correlate to World Ages, which in turn shows us how to the world periodically renews itself.” Chris Lorenz, Dell Horoscope, December 2010
Synopsis
Jenkins brings to light the mysteries of ancient Mesoamerican cosmology, and shows that the end-date of the Maya Long Count calendar on December 21, 2012, marks the rare alignment of our solar system with the Galactic Center.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-173) and index.
About the Author
John Major Jenkins is a leading independent researcher on ancient Mesoamerican cosmology. He has authored five books on the Maya, including Maya Cosmogenesis 2012, Galactic Alignment, and Pyramid of Fire, and has given a presentation to the prestigious Institute of Maya Studies in Miami. In March of 1998, he was invited by the Indigenous Council of the Americas to speak at their conference in Merida, Mexico.
Table of Contents
List of Diagrams
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Terence McKenna
Introduction: Fixing Our Sights
Part I. Precession Astronomy
1. A Timeline of Mesoamerican Culture
2. Calendrics: Mapping Methods
3. Cosmology: Finding the Center
4. Precession: The Mystery of the Ages
5. Mythology and Astronomy
Part II. The Union of Captain Serpent and Captain Sun Disk
6. The Pyramid of Kukulcan: A Cosmic Myth in Stone
7. The True Meaning of the Toltec New Fire Ceremony
8. Zenith Imagery in Mesoamerica
9. The Long Count: Galactic Alignment in 2012
10. Maya Creation: The Stellar Frame and World Ages
11. The Cosmic Symbolism of the Maya Ballgame
12. Chichén Itzá Cosmology: Maya-Toltec Reconciliation
Part III. Maya Cosmogenesis
13. The Birth of the Hero Twins
14. A Hawk, a Cross, and a Mouth
15. The Man Who Was Swallowed by an Alligator
16. Shamanic Tools, Thrones, and Birth Portals
17. Conjuring Creation
Part IV. Izapa Cosmos
18. Ceremonial City of the Ancient Skywatchers
19. Southern Mesoamerica, 200 B.C.: The Izapan Civilization
20. Izapan Calendrics
21. Izapan Astronomy and Cosmology
22. The Monumental Message
23. Initiation into the Izapan Mysteries
Part V. Gazing Into the Galaxy
24. The Forgotten Galactic Paradigm
25. Back to the Center: The Message of the Maya End-Date
Appendices
Appendix 1. A Brief History of an Idea
Appendix 2. Mesoamerican Precessional Knowledge: In the Literature
Appendix 3. Space-Time Maps of the Sun and Pleiades in the Zenith
Appendix 4. Evidence for a Black Hole in Maya Creation Texts
Appendix 5. Response to Counterarguments
Appendix 6. Recent Breakthroughs in Decoding Ancient Cosmologies
End Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author