SimplyNumbers

Welcoming 2012 (part 1)

You’ll likely welcome the coming new year with a few resolutions, as there may be some life changes you’d like to make. However, you’ll more likely stay committed to your resolutions with a solid strategy and outside support. One of the biggest issues for most people is thinking of a goal without anticipating potential obstacles, or making a detailed plan about what will be required to reach your goal. We don't think about what we'll need to do on a day-to-day basis to stay on track and stay motivated. Steve Levinson Ph.D., author of “Following Through”, simply says, “We fail because we don't follow through!”

Fortunately, Numerology offers support for staying true to your goals. A strong Numerological theme for 2012 involves learning more about ourselves, often through opportunities and transitions, which are aligned with the needs of your heart. By paying attention to your heart, and its innate inner wisdom, you'll have the ability to reshape your life. As your heart is connected to your path in life, you may wish to look to your Life Path and begin to see where it fits (or doesn't yet) into your life now. Aligning your goals to your Life Path can give you a better chance at success!

Curiosity is also a strong theme within the year. Be open to looking at your life as a mystery. Be curious. Learn to trust your intuition. Pay attention to gut instincts and feelings. Notice the flavor of your dreams. What does life want for you? What do you feel drawn to explore? What do you feel guided toward? What has your heart been calling for?

Throughout the year, situations may arise which enable you to structure your life in ways you’ve barely imagined. Again, look to find ways to align to your Life Path! Ideally, as opportunities develop, rather than holding back, you’ll be able to accept them as a chance to step deeper into the life you desire.

In order to take full advantage of your opportunities, you may need to let go of non-supportive habits, relationships or situations. This may involve taking chances and opening new doors. Or, it could be about simply trying to embrace your intuition and heart’s wisdom in ways you haven’t before. Following your heart, and it’s intuitive wisdom, can help you to thrive.

Before you make your resolutions, you should take time to do a life review. While your resolutions can be about eliminating certain things, you may wish to evaluate your life in terms of the things you would actually like to bring in. This is not necessarily about material goods, but about listening to the needs, desire and wisdom of your heart, and trusting your intuition. What does your heart need to feel balanced and safe? What has it been yearning for? What risks feel attainable?

Making changes for 2012

The coming New Year offers an opportunity for you to not only make resolutions, but to review your past and perhaps step away from situations which no longer support you. Certain habits, people or activities may not be appropriate for your overall mental, spiritual or emotional health. It might be difficult to distance yourself from the things and people that may seem integral to your life, but if their presence is doing more harm than good, you need to be willing to let go.

Whatever you need to let go of, the process is not necessarily an easy one. However, letting go can help you to heal and build the life you really want. Letting go can create space in your life for something new to unfold. Letting go can help you to step past restrictions and constraints, which hold you back and prevent you from making desired changes.

You may wish to hold some type of observance or practice, which others can take part in as well, to help you release and let go of harmful or unhealthy situations, habits or relationships from your life. As part of a New Year celebration, you could gather and talk about the things which you’re trying to let go of. Together, you can guide and support one another. Having a group of people behind you can help you to feel supported and honored. Feeling supported can help you to have a better chance of sticking to your desired changes and resolutions.

To add a sense of sacredness and specialness to your observation you can light candles and have a roaring fire. According to many traditions, fire represents purification and cleansing. With the fireplace, in addition to talking about your issues, you can write them down and safely burn them in the fire. Placing your issues into the fire represents a willingness on your part to do what’s necessary to let go. Being willing to let go means that you’ll consciously live your life in a way that supports your desired changes. For instance, you might decide to let go of unhealthy eating habits, and this might involve clearing out your cupboards and donating the foods that no longer support you.

Numerologically, 2012 offers the opportunity to learn more about ourselves and our lives, and find greater meaning in life. Curiosity is a strong theme within the year. Be willing and open to looking at your life as a mystery. What does life want for you? What do you feel drawn to uncover?

Working with the fire practice can help you to explore your life and make room for new opportunities and new learning. This is not necessarily about going back to school, but simply finding ways to allow your life to have specialness, deeper meaning and importance, which often comes through listening to your heart. Utilizing the fire, you can open to the true call of your heart. What is it calling for? Now is the time to listen and act on it.

Throughout the year you can light a candle each night to support the changes you wish to make within your life. You may wish to set aside a special time each day to sit in silence before the candle. You can use this quiet time to reflect and meditate. It can be a chance to deepen your connection to your heart. You can also journal the thoughts and ideas that come to you in silence.

Thinking about 2012

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

Numerologically, I’d like to look at 2012 from a personal perspective. On a global level, it’s true we’ve seen some very important shifts happen in recent years. The above quote has great resonance at this time, but we’re interested in evaluating how these shifts, whether local or abroad, may have stirred something deep within your heart. I believe that we need to pay attention to our hearts, in order to truly feel fully alive and be able to make changes in our lives, and the lives of the people that matter to us. If we ignore our hearts, then we deny the world the chance to truly see us. We also deny ourselves the chance to fully come alive.

What will the general dynamic or theme of the year be for you? What kind of potential does this new year bring? How might you take advantage to help yourself, your family and your community? 2012 can be a great time for self-reflection and redirecting your life. The coming year can allow you to tap into parts of yourself that you’ve denied, forgotten about, or ignored.

Paying attention to the stirrings of your heart can help you to better connect with yourself, your gifts and your dreams. Perhaps you’re drawn to find a way to step out into the world, or perhaps to teach others move forward in some way. In many ways, we’ve all felt deep inner urges to shift and change. However, some of us still feel stuck or confused.

How can we as individuals better listen to our hearts, so that we can better utilize and share our hope, energy, wisdom, compassion and caring? For many, a first step will be to find a way to ask for help. Much of the help that you need can come from setting aside regular quiet time to begin to hear what your heart has been calling for. Over time you’ll begin to be better able to respond to it’s needs. But you should know that 2012 will offer time to look within and reflect on changes you’ve been drawn toward in your life.

Some of the help that you may need will come when you’re finally able to ask for what your really want. Asking for help can require you to first recognize your own strengths and weaknesses. Without outside help, your challenges can be more daunting. With help you may be more able to make the changes you desire. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to look within and ask yourself important questions about your life.

Some question that you can ask yourself at this time are:

• Do I believe that I have the power to make the changes I desire?
• Do I embrace, and smile at, life?
• Am I willing to ask for help?
• Am I willing to offer help?
• What is my heart calling for?
• Have I been recording/analyzing my dreams (which can provide insights)?

The Mayan code

Nova has an excellent program about the Mayans, called "Cracking the Maya Code". It gives a fascinating perspective on the ways in which everything slowly fell into place for the Mayan researchers around the world to learn about what the glyphs mean.

Our wounds and fears

“...our wound, instead of obstructing our wholeness, is actually an expression of it, as without our wound we wouldn’t have been introduced to the part of us that is free, healed, whole, liberated and awake. Our true nature can never be obscured, just as clouds in the sky seemingly obscure the sun, but from the sun’s point of view, it is always radiantly shining, even on the cloudiest of days.” -- Daniel Pinchback/Paul Levy, Toward 2012

Our fears can wound us, and block or prevent us from leading the lives that we want to lead. Fear can hold us back from achievements that would help us to move forward, and sometimes fear can prevent us from simply finding life more enjoyable. But, fear can show us what we desire. When you fear that you can't have something, that can help you to focus in your dreams. Fear can show you what you truly want.

What do we typically fear? One of our biggest fears is fear of future. We fear that we can never have it. There is a part of ourselves that fears the unknown and unknowable. The book, Toward 2012, begins to address our fears and ways of living that may help us to live our lives more successfully, now, in 2012 and beyond.

For many people, their primary fear is fear of the end. Fear of the end of your own life, or perhaps the end of the world when we reach as particular calendar date, such as 1987, 2000, 2001, 2012 or some other date. Other people have fear of crisis. To them, it can seem like we are constantly living within some form of calamity or crisis. They can be worried about economic or political problems that seem beyond their reach. But, unless we try to extend ourselves, we'll never know if we can make it or not.

We have to live our lives as if they have meaning! We have to have purpose in our lives. Purpose, meaning and hope can help you to live a fulfilling life. Finding purpose can help you to live from a place of aliveness, rather than constantly living with fear, doubt or worry about things that we may have little, or no, control over.

I like what the Dalai Lama has to say about fear. He says:

“One way to work with deep fears is to think that the fear comes as a result of your own actions in the past. Further, if you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.

Another technique is to investigate who is becoming afraid. Examine the nature of your self. Where is this I? Who is I? What is the nature of I? Is there an I besides my physical body and my consciousness? This may help.”

While, Gavin De Becker author of Fear Less, has these rational and calming words to say:
"Just as your imagination has placed you in frightening situations, it is now time to place yourself in empowering situations, time to see that you have a role to play, and contrary to many TV news stories, it isn’t just victim-in-waiting.”

2012 doomsday not likely

Don't believe the hype.

Mayan calendars

The Mayan used several calendars that were used for different purposes. Of course, you are probably aware of their Long Count calendar, but we’ll talk about the Tzolk’in and Haab calendars.

The Mayan Tzolk'in calendar consisted of 260 days. There are no weeks or months, but each day is numbered from 1 to 13, and each day has a particular name. Its primary purpose was to help to determine the correct time for divining and sacred events.

The Mayan Haab' calendar consisted of 18 separate months, and each month was composed of 20 days. At the end of the year was a 5 day period called the Wayeb. The Wayeb could be a time of “ill omen”, so the Maya practiced special rituals. Its primary purpose was believed to be for determining the seasons for the benefit of farming and harvesting.

Book review: The Mayan Factor

The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology - By Jose Arguelles

This book is absolutely necessary for anyone studying the Mayan culture. Jose Arguelles presents a detailed but easy to understand explanation of the Mayan Calendar. The ideas that he presents are very interesting and thought provoking. You’ll have to put in a little effort to understand some of his terminology and depth, especially when it comes to mathematics.

If you're interested in a study of Mayan culture, then this book should be considered as a vital addition to your library. It shows that there can still be mystery and wonder in our history, and that there is more yet to understand about our growth and advancement to the culture that we have today. The views and ideas that the book provides may be unorthodoxed, but it gives the reader a new religious, spiritual and cultural perspective to take in.

"Though I write in this book of things that may seem culturally remote or transcendentally cosmic, it would be a mistake to think of the Maya as inaccessible. As I have found through my life, the Mayan experience with its wealth of artistic and scientific lore is not so much alien or different as it is strangely, hauntingly familiar, like the numerous coincidences of the word Maya and it cognates that are scatted across the civilized world. " ~ Jose Arguelles, Mayan Factor

The book was originally published in 1987. Arguelles was 47 at the time and had spent over 33 years learning about and researching the Mayan culture. As a young teen he had his first Mayan experience while visiting Mexico, which his family left when he was young. He says that being in the ancient city of Teotihucan, and in awe of it, he was compelled and inspired to uncover the mystery of what had happened there.

"If I had not called the Harmonic Convergence and written The Mayan Factor which focused unprecedented popular attention on the Tzolkin, Haab, and all other aspects of the Mayan Calendar, including many original mathematical analyses, outside of the Day Keepers in Mayab, there would be no Mayan Calendar movement anywhere in the world today." ~ Jose Arguelles, Jose Speaks Out

Ultimately, the book is a good read and can be an excellent addition to your library. It can be an invaluable asset for those who are interested in learning more about the Mayans and 2012, and may even be a surprise help for you with your own personal practice.