December 21, 2012: Five Facts to Face - The Natural Independent

December 21, 2012
Five Facts to Face

The doomsday date of December 21, 2012 has become a significant cultural phenomenon, spurring movies, documentaries and conspiracy theories. The cloud of information surrounding this date is filled with what very well might be the internet’s most creative treasure trove of ideas. Ideas full of references to ancient knowledge, from Mayan skywatching to Babylonian astrology. Ideas about ascending humans with fully activated ‘light bodies’. Ideas about our collective consciousness being devoured by the black hole at the center of our galaxy, and our awareness being suddenly, rapturously upgraded under a sea of intergalactic photons. Ideas full of doom. Ideas full of transcendent bliss.

Ideas full of extreme astronomical inaccuracy.

Here are five facts to face about this date.

1. The end of a calendar does not mean the end of time

The bizarre level of speculation placed on the fact that the Mayan long count calendar seems to end right around December 21, 2012, is certainly an interesting phenomenon. The speculation often includes the idea that the ancient Maya knew that this particular date would usher in some kind of vast golden age or era of transformation. In fact, the ancient Maya had several calendars, one of which “reset” to “day 0″ every 1,872,000 days, which by certain scholars is interpreted as on or around the winter solstice of 2012. Even this end date is a speculated one. Let’s face it. Additionally, the Maya do not have a great track record for predicting the future. They didn’t even predict their own demise. My desk calendar ends on December 31, 2011. After that, I will buy a new one. The world continues, with our without a calendar.

2. There are no special planetary alignments, and there will be no pole shift

Well, there will be one planetary alignment. The Earth and sun will indeed be aligned on this date with the center of the Milky Way galaxy in the constellation of Sagittarius, but this happens every year around the winter solstice. So far, during those alignments, I have not been beamed up, nor have I broken on through to the other side.

Regarding the infamous pole shift or complete ‘”magnetic reversal” that so many claim will occur near this date:

An actual geographic pole shift in which true magnetic north and true magnetic south completely flip is physically impossible. The idea that there have been cataclysmic pole shifts in the past is not scientifically supported. There is no proof. Research does show that a ‘polar wander’ of approximately 30 degrees has occurred on our planet over the last 200,000,000 years. There is also evidence of changes in the axial tilt of earth over very long periods of time (precession), but no evidence to tie this with any specific disasters.

3. Solar flares will not destroy us

While NASA does confirm that 2012 does correspond with the peak activity of our sun’s regular 11 year cycle, this does not bode all hell breaking loose. A solar flare of great enough power to “knock out the power grids” on earth would be extraordinarily rare, and even if one were to cast its mighty wrath upon us on December 21, 2012, it would likely only affect a small region of earth due to the nature of how the coronal-mass-ejections of our sun travel towards earth. The sun is very, very big in comparison to the earth, and the chances of a direct hit are not good.

4. There is no planet X, also known as Nbiru, Death Star, Wormwood, Marduk, the Destroyer or Great Red Planet

The legends of this evil beast of a planet, supposedly on a collision course with ours or hell-bent on disrupting our earth’s rotation, are just that–legends. Supposedly, ancient Sumerians knew about Nbiru. Yes ,the Sumerians were a brilliant civilization–but they didn’t know about Neptune or Pluto, and they had no understanding of the fact that the planets of our solar system orbit around the sun. NASA has dismantled the doomsday claims that some rogue planet is coming our way. It just does not exist.

5. Doomsday is Payday

At this moment, there are over 180 books on Amazon.com with 2012 as their subject, either promising doom or detailing a new golden age. Regardless of the viability of their actual content, the books are proof of the 2012 phenomenon’s commercial success.

Doomsday ideas make money. They make movies and books. They make prophets, and prophets make money and books. Until their prophecies fail. Then, they make new prophecies, and new books and movies.

That’s all, folks.
Time will tell.

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