This is Part 2 in a thought-provoking series – Darkness Before Dawn – by our contributing writer Jean-Jacques. You can also start by reading Part 1: Why has the World Become so Polarised? Then jump back to this Part 2.
Q: What is the prophecy for Katun 2 Ahau?
The portion of the prophecy for Katun 2 Ahau (2012 to 2032) that is considered the most important by scholars is:
“It was halfway famine, it was halfway feast. That was the burden of Katun 2 Ahau.”
This is Munro S. Edmonson’s interpretation of a version of the prophecy found in The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel [1]. The prophecy is actually more comprehensive than just those two phrases. The rest of it will be explored in detail later, in Part 4.
Kenneth Johnson explains in his book The Mayan Prophecies: The Renewal of the World 2012-2072 [2] that most scholars apply mainly two interpretations to the phrase:
‘‘It was halfway famine, it was halfway feast.”
The first one is that half of the Katun would be prosperous and the other half would be “difficult”. The second one is that there would be social disparities between the rich and the poor.
First ‘Feast’, then ‘Famine’:
As mentioned in Part 1, the energy of a katun ascends during the first half, reaches a peak in the middle, and descends during the second half. As stated in Energy Shifts – Part 4, the prophecy for Katun 2 Ahau should be read in reverse, i.e. that the first half of the katun (2012–2022) would be relatively easy (there will be continued growth) and the second half (2022–2032) would be difficult (there will be a decline of some sort).
This katun has, indeed, been prosperous from 2012 to 2020, with 2020 marking almost eight years of continuous general prosperity. Compared to past decades – and notwithstanding a lot of inequality still present in the world – there has probably never been so much general prosperity in the world on a global scale in the known history of humanity. That is if we consider how large the global population is today compared to past centuries when poverty levels were much higher [3].
An Unexpected Crisis:
Due to the negative economic repercussions that have yet to fully manifest as a result of the global quarantine measures (‘lock-downs’) that have been implemented in countries since March of 2020 as a response to the spread of Covid-19, a global economic downturn and a deep economic recession now seem almost inevitable.
Just six months ago, at the start of 2020, such an outcome was not evident at all, although there had been many warning signs that the global economic system was over-leveraged and overstretched because it never fully recovered from the 2008 financial crisis.
Getting Ready:
Since the extent of the imminent economic downturn cannot yet be measured (or fathomed), and since we are very close to the symbolic ‘feast’ to ‘famine’ shift-point according to the prophecy between the two katun-halves, it would probably be prudent to prepare for a drastic change in economic circumstances because – as we can see from current developments – the prophecy for Katun 2 Ahau has matched reality so far and is presently unfolding powerfully in real time.
Although energy shifts can take some time to manifest, an overlap usually starts a couple of years before a katun or half-katun shift-point (as illustrated in Energy Shifts – Part 3) and, as we know from history, financial collapses can be sudden and brutal … the 2008 financial crisis being a case in point.
Growing Social Disparities:
The first half of this katun, prior to the arrival of the Covid-19 crisis, had seen growing social unrest in the form of protests around the world [4] [5] [6] [7]. These protests were mainly because of high food and fuel prices caused by austerity measures implemented by governments, with the working classes and the poor affected directly and severely while more affluent members of those countries were hardly affected at all.
Although protests around the world were interrupted by the global lock-downs implemented in March of 2020, severe rioting and looting subsequently broke out in the USA in June of 2020 in response to a race-related, police brutality incident [8] that had occurred in the city of Minneapolis – and which then spread to various cities around the world. One could speculate that the intensity of those protests was exacerbated by pent-up frustration caused by the months-long, home-confinement measures.
Unrest has since flared up [9] in nations where new lock-down regulations have been implemented due to a resurgence of the Covid-19 virus in a second wave of infections (second waves being a common trait of influenza-like viruses [10]) after confinement measures had already been relaxed for a few weeks. How long the trend of lock-downs in response to this virus (and, perhaps, others) will continue is currently unknown, but what is known is that economies will continue to be severely impacted.
There’s no reason to believe that protests and social unrest would not continue to grow even further under such circumstances since a strong growing trend towards that had already existed prior to the lock-downs [11], and also because the lower strata of income earners in societies are generally much more affected by those type of measures than high-income earners. The result can only be that the gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen at an accelerated pace.
In light of all these developments, we can clearly observe – and safely conclude – that the prophecy for Katun 2 Ahau has been manifesting accurately since 2012 and that all indications are that it will continue to play out accurately all the way to its end in 2032. The Mayas were not wrong … they were right. It was just that few people in the mainstream paid attention to the katun prophecies.
Q: What typically happens during a Katun 2 Ahau?
Although the Maya calendars originated in Central America, scholars have learned over time that these prophecies also have a general application in the world at large – as has been illustrated in the analysis above.
In Part 1, it was mentioned that in some energy cycles the first half of the energy pyramid would be more materialistic and the second half would be more spiritual in terms of the mindsets that people would exhibit. Those mindsets would naturally also affect real events in society, and this segment will take a closer look at this concept within the context of what may happen during the rest of Katun 2 Ahau.
Studying the Katuns:
When Maya elders and shamans, or Western scholars, study a particular katun’s characteristics, they analyse the historical time frames of the katun’s past occurrences. The objective is to identify patterns of events that occur whenever a particular katun is active. Through this method, what typically happens during a katun becomes sufficiently clear to make predictions for what would or could happen when that katun is active again in the future.
Dissatisfaction in the Populace:
Kenneth Johnson identifies a recurring pattern of dissatisfaction in the populace during Katun 2 Ahau due to growing inequality, and he illustrates this through various examples. He states that in three of the previous Katuns 2 Ahau (731 to 751, 1500 to 1520 and 1756 to 1776), either the church or state rulers became completely out of touch with the needs of the populace. Corruption [6] was rife, taxes were high and excessive demands were placed upon the populace in various forms [12] .
Religious or Ideological Crises:
In an article titled The Maya Katun Prophecies (1996), Bruce Scofield (a seasoned writer and scholar of Maya culture and astrology) states that during previous iterations of Katun 2 Ahau, great religious or ideological crises arose. He explains that religions or ideologies either branched out into new forms, or were forcefully co-opted by others. He also identifies a pattern of countries and individuals aspiring to more liberties and rights [13].
“It is true that in previous 2-Ahau katuns there were great religious or ideological crises. Between 1500 and 1520 the Aztecs were conquered and forced to convert to Christianity. Also, in 1517, Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation. 256 years later, between 1756 and 1776, the ideas of liberty and the rights of countries and individuals became a growing trend and this led to the American colonies declaring independence from England.”
Bruce Scofield
Towards Autonomy:
In his book titled Mayan Calendar Prophecies: The Complete Collection of 2012 Prophecies & Predictions, writer Gary C. Daniels delves deeper into the contexts that brought about the political, ideological and spiritual divides that came up during previous manifestations of Katun 2 Ahau.
He details, for example, how between the years of 1500 and 1520 the priesthood hierarchy in the church lost its influence and was abandoned in favour of a direct relationship with God, and how that ended up splitting the church. He also comes to the conclusion that the aspiration to group and individual autonomy during that katun laid the seeds for political independence in the USA on the return of that katun 256 years later [14] .
An Evolutionary Process:
Each katun builds on its previous manifestation 256 years before it – and also on katuns that came before that. By studying history through a Maya calendar lens, it becomes evident that an evolutionary process related to the development of human consciousness is at work in the universe, which is – according to some schools of thought – the real reason why we find ourselves here on this planet, at this point in time.
Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom as will be revealed in Part 5.
By J.J. Montagnier
If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to read Part 3: Global Change: Preparing for the Hero’s Journey.
Notes and References:
[1] Edmondson, M. (1986): The Book Of Chilam Balam Of Chumayel. Heaven Born Mérida And Its Destinity. 1st ed. Austin: University of Texas Press, p.228
[2] Johnson, K. (2012): The Mayan Prophecies: The Renewal of the World 2012-2072. Pdf version. Published by Mystical Jaguar Productions, Taos, New Mexico, p.131
[3] Our World in Data / Maddison Project Database (2018): GDP per capita, year 1 to 2016 [Chart]. Retrieved July 19, 2020
[4] Latin American Protests Show Distrust of Government and Declining Support for Democracy (2019, December 10): CuencaHighLife. Retrieved, July 19, 2020
[5] What to Know about France’s Yellow Vest Movement (2019, January 24): Stanford University. Stanford News. Retrieved, July 19, 2020
[6] Global Protests in 2019: Demonstrators Around World Demand Reform (2019, November 30): Voice of America. Retrieved, July 19, 2020
[7] Lebanon, Chile, Catalonia, Iraq: Why are People Around the World Protesting? (2019, December 2): ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved, July 19, 2020
[8] George Floyd Protests: A Timeline (2020, May 31): The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved July 19, 2020
[9] Outbreak: Lockdown Protests Explode in Several Countries (2020, July 16): The Mercury News. Retrieved July 20, 2020
[10] Report: COVID-19: The CIDRAP viewpoint – Part 1: The future of the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons Learned from Pandemic Influenza (2020, April 4): CIDRAP. p.6. Retrieved July 19, 2020
[11] The story of 2019: Protests in Every Corner of the Globe Wright, R. (2019, December 30): The New Yorker. Retrieved, July 19, 2020
[12] Johnson, K. (2012): The Mayan Prophecies: The Renewal of the World 2012-2072. Pdf version. Published by Mystical Jaguar Productions, Taos, New Mexico, pp.131, 132
[13] Scofield, B. (1996): One Reed: The Maya Katun Prophecies. One Reed Publications. Retrieved July 17, 2020
[14] Daniels, G. (2012): Mayan Calendar Prophecies: The Complete Collection of 2012 Prophecies & Predictions (pp. 29, 30). [North Charleston, S.C.]: CreateSpace
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Full Darkness Before Dawn Series:
Part 1: Why the World Has Become so Polarised
Part 2: Maya Katun Prophecy is Unfolding in Real-Time
Part 3: Preparing for The Hero’s Journey
Part 5: The Lights Along the Way
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Dean Jean-Jacques, I have a researcher and explorer of Mayan time keeping. The Maya are history’s masters of time. Your article here is a good exploration into Katuns providing an accessible explanation and exploration into how Katun 2 Ahau is unfolding. I’ve read more of your work on Gypsy Cafe. Nice work!
One thing I wanted to note in your writing is your explanation of going from the 4th world to the 5th world, where you talk about going from 4th world masculine (water element) to balanced 5th world masculine/feminine (and all five elements, with the inclusion of ether as the fifth element).
You talk about 2014 being the year the current katun started to take hold (after starting in 2012). My observation to world events shows a strong correlation of the rise of cryptocurrencies and other “ether” elementals (i.e., digitization and moving into “space”). It’s not a coincidence the second largest cryptocurrency, Etherium — literally called ether or ET — came into the world in 2015. We have seen great “feast” for those in the crypo (ether) world of consciousness.
These are my observations and thoughts on what it means for “ether” as an elemental power to come into the world in the 5th age. I think I’m the only one making these connection to cryptocurrencies, digitization, and “space” coming into human consciousness at this time as it pertains to Mayan prophecy and time keeping. Are you aware of any others making these connections or talking about this?
I’m traveling to the Yukatan in two weeks and curious if you know of any primary sites (i.e., source locations) where I can “see for myself” things pertaining to the Mayan short calendar, katuns, or other things involving the Maya being masters of time. Do you have any recommendations on sites/locations. I’m more into pre-classic Mayan history and the underpinnings and origins of their advanced knowledge of Time.
Best,
Octavius
Dear Sean, I much appreciate your comprehensive comment and feedback on my writing. It’s great to meet you and know that there are other people out there wgo are seriously interested in keeping up the research about the Mayan calendars and how they can assist us in understanding our modern times better.
About ether; Carlos Barrrios talks about the Five Worlds and their five elements in his book, ‘The Book of Destiny’ and in the documentary film ‘Decoding Baqtun’ and some articles online. He explains that ether will be harmonizing the other energies and elevate them at the same time. In addition it will bring a new perception we did not have before.
My personal intuition about one of the aspects of the ether influence is that it will be like the Knife (Flint) energy in the Tzolkin calendar. Knife has an energy of revelation and clarification, revealing truths and that which is hidden. I guess will have to see how it unfolds, because the energy is increasing very slowly, (but steadily) over time. Things are not so well between the sexes at the moment, but this will return to better balance again too, which I’m sure we are all looking forward to. We live in exciting times and just this aspect along is reason to be positive, even though there’s a lot of darkness too.
Your observations are very sharp and also interesting – it’s refreshing to see that you are looking at real-world phenomena as they appear and then fitting them into the Katun cycle’s energy framework, which I have found to be a very valuable tool too and it changes the way one looks at life from a cause and effect perspective.
I am not aware of anyone else who is specifically factoring in the development of crypto-currencies into the Mayan cycle (the Etherium name observations very interesting!), but Kenneth Johnson in his book ‘Mayan Prophecies’ published in 2012, (only available in Pdf) says that the 5th World will be an age of exponential technological advancement, your observations would fit into Kenneth’s view.
My view about technology and crypto is somewhat different in the sense that for me it’s just a temporary phase (there will be a rise and fall in the next decade or two), but something will come after that. I think what we can expect to come online then will be ‘spiritual technology and science’, i.e. the development of telepathic abilities and the subtle use of energies that to date we have not been mentally capable of, although it might be a couple of hundred years before these techniques develop within human mental consciousness.
Thank you for your question about sites to visit in Yucatan; as far as your interest is concerned, the two sites I visited that would fit the bill are Copan in Honduras and Tikal in Guatemala. Other important sites for your interests would be El Ceibal and Quirigua, for inscriptions and art-works (I have not been to these two).
Not all sites are equally easily accessible. For example in Peten I visited Yaxha, which I really liked a lot, it was peaceful and impressive, but it took time to get there and I had to pay for private transport. There were a couple of smaller sites in Belize I really liked a lot too. I can recommend that you make contact with Mark Elmy in Guatemala (his site is The Four Pillars) and he would be able to advise you. Also, if you can afford it, it’s worth going with professional guides that can provide understanding of the inscriptions and deeper meaning.
My general experience was that I often had to look up information after visiting the sites, because not everything will be explained or will be obvious – if you know some of the Maya language (hieroglyphs) that would also help. Generally the Mayan sites gave me an enormous energy boost visiting them and inspired me to to keep on exploring Mayan time long after I had been to those sites. I hope this will be the same experience for you.
It would be interesting to hear about your insights and experiences after your journey and perhaps you would consider submitting some articles about that to Fatih (the owner of this site and blog). I’m sure he would consider publishing them and then we can all learn from your experiences.
Wishing you a great journey and I hope this info helps.