Farsighted Fly Girl

The year of 2012 brought lots of  unexpected situations and dramatic events but as I learned from traditional Mayan teachings in Chichen Itza, that cycle has ended and a new cycle of more peaceful energy is arriving. I look back on my 2012 travel adventures with gratitude and anticipation for even more excitement and new explorations in 2013 and I wish the same for all of you.

The energy was electric around the ancient site of Chichen Itza. To mark the sacred ceremony,I was covered in white clothing like many of the almost 30,000 visitors who journeyed to Mexico to witness the first leg of the 2012  Mayan equinox. I had glimpsed photos and seen videos but I still didn't quite know what to expect. Would the Mayan magic shift the ground? Would the sky darken? I intended to find out. Since 2012 marks the beginning of a new cycle in the Mayan calendar, the anticipation at the spring equinox was especially intense. I learned about the complexity of the Mayan calendar system and contrary to pop culture claims, there has never been a prediction forecasting the end of the world in 2012. It's simply the end of the old aggressive, violent cycle and the beginning of a new, gentler one. This cycle is supposed to be filled with feminine energy, I saw priestesses leading chanting rituals at the site. December 21, 2012 is the official transition to ...

Funny things happen when you travel. Inhibitions loosen, the stars align and stuff unfolds. I've written about the Mayan magic that seemed to float through the air during the spring solstice in Mexico but I didn't even touch on what happened at Chichen Itza. This sacred pyramid is an iconic Mayan landmark, watching the sun's shadow, in the guise of the feathered serpent god Kukulcan, creep down the pyramid's steps was a an otherworldly experience that I'll explore in my next post. For now, I'll discuss the other kind of magic I witnessed. His name is Piero. As crowds gathered to watch the sun descend, a woman shouted, "there's a living god walking!" My group turned to gawk at Piero, pictured above, bronzed skin rippling, wavy hair blowing.  Clearly, he was used to being admired and he seemed to  pointlessly stroll past us several times. But we were there to see the sun's shadow descend over Chichen Itza so we rushed closer to the pyramid. ...

The uproar about the Mayan prophesy of the end of the world in 2012 was hilarious to me.  Western culture always searches for absolutes when life rarely operates that way. According to the Mayan long calendar, the old tumultuous cycle ended in December 2011 and 2012 unfolds a new, gentler cycle.  I will journey to the Yucatan Peninsula next week to witness the Mayan Spring Equinox at Chichen Itza,  This sacred Mayan site boasts 1,000 years of Maya and Toltec history as well as cultural and spiritual significance. The Spring and Autumn equinox were sacred times of healing for the Maya, when day and night equaled exactly the same length and when the "Descent of The Feathered Serpent"  down the Pyramid of Kukulcan pictured above, marked the season of rebirth and renewal.  I will hopefully witness the perfect alignment of the sun with the Kukulcan Pyramid, creating a play of light and shadow that conjures up the illusion of a massive reptile representin...