Immersion into the Maya culture to find out about the prophecy.
Is 2012 our last year on earth? What does the mayan prophecy really say? Questions that many people are asking all around the world. The maya calendar comes to it's end, for sure, but did these visonary people predict the apocalypse or are they just rumours from occidental superstitions created to sell books and hollywood movies?
Instead of believing the hype I decided to go and see for myself what it's all about. I went to Mexico, to the heart of the maya culture to interview (photo and video) the real Mayas, the shamans and elders to see what they really think of all of this. Since many years I have photographed indigenous people with shamanic traditions, their world and relation with Nature facinate me. My family comes from Argentina, thus I have enjoyed a long and special relationship with Latin America. During two months, I explored the south Mexican peninsula (The states of Chiapas and Yucatan) and the north of Guatemala. This year Mexico is attracting much curiosity from ''spiritual'' travellers and others. Many events and ceremonies have been organised (the words 'giant concert' and 'Santana' have been mentioned) around the winter solstice, the 21st of December 2012, the day when the earth will be perfectly in line with the moon, the sun and the center of our galaxy, which only happens every 26 000 years! Prophecies surrounding this event don't only come from the Mayan culture but have been reflected in many other ancient cultures around the world like Indian, Celtic or Chinese... According to the shamans I encountered this will provoke a massive emission of photons, particles of pure light, which will 'lift up our consciousness'. Many of those wise men doubt that a catclysmic event will wipe humanity off the surface of the Earth, but think that it will be a recalibration of the cosmic and spiritual energies. In fact, after talking to many mexicans, they are not preoccupied by these questions « Si Dios quiere, moriremos! ». Instead, they enjoy life and make fiesta on this magnificent Maya coast where turtles swim amongst tourists in turquoise waters and visit the mystic temples in the heart of an exuberant jungle populated by screaming monkeys and giant butterflies. For the local commerces this prophecy is a godsend that they really need, because tourism is in decline due to the violence of the drug cartels that is ravaging the country. I arrived the day of the spring equinox just in time to see the famous Kukùlkan, the cosmic serpent the source of life twisting on the superb pyramid of Chichen Itza, one of the principal Mayan sites. More than 30 000 people, mainly dressed in white, had come to celebrate this astronomical phenomenon. The authorities predict 50 000 for the next equinox!
I'm very curious to see what will happen in december, so I'm planning to go back to Mexico to continue my photo-documentary.
Is 2012 our last year on earth? What does the mayan prophecy really say? Questions that many people are asking all around the world. The maya calendar comes to it's end, for sure, but did these visonary people predict the apocalypse or are they just rumours from occidental superstitions created to sell books and hollywood movies?
Instead of believing the hype I decided to go and see for myself what it's all about. I went to Mexico, to the heart of the maya culture to interview (photo and video) the real Mayas, the shamans and elders to see what they really think of all of this. Since many years I have photographed indigenous people with shamanic traditions, their world and relation with Nature facinate me. My family comes from Argentina, thus I have enjoyed a long and special relationship with Latin America. During two months, I explored the south Mexican peninsula (The states of Chiapas and Yucatan) and the north of Guatemala. This year Mexico is attracting much curiosity from ''spiritual'' travellers and others. Many events and ceremonies have been organised (the words 'giant concert' and 'Santana' have been mentioned) around the winter solstice, the 21st of December 2012, the day when the earth will be perfectly in line with the moon, the sun and the center of our galaxy, which only happens every 26 000 years! Prophecies surrounding this event don't only come from the Mayan culture but have been reflected in many other ancient cultures around the world like Indian, Celtic or Chinese... According to the shamans I encountered this will provoke a massive emission of photons, particles of pure light, which will 'lift up our consciousness'. Many of those wise men doubt that a catclysmic event will wipe humanity off the surface of the Earth, but think that it will be a recalibration of the cosmic and spiritual energies. In fact, after talking to many mexicans, they are not preoccupied by these questions « Si Dios quiere, moriremos! ». Instead, they enjoy life and make fiesta on this magnificent Maya coast where turtles swim amongst tourists in turquoise waters and visit the mystic temples in the heart of an exuberant jungle populated by screaming monkeys and giant butterflies. For the local commerces this prophecy is a godsend that they really need, because tourism is in decline due to the violence of the drug cartels that is ravaging the country. I arrived the day of the spring equinox just in time to see the famous Kukùlkan, the cosmic serpent the source of life twisting on the superb pyramid of Chichen Itza, one of the principal Mayan sites. More than 30 000 people, mainly dressed in white, had come to celebrate this astronomical phenomenon. The authorities predict 50 000 for the next equinox!
I'm very curious to see what will happen in december, so I'm planning to go back to Mexico to continue my photo-documentary.
