WHAT TIME IS IT ANYWAY?

WHAT TIME IS IT ANYWAY?

This material was written by Roderick W. Marling (author of HISTORYASpiritualAnalysis.pdf (application/pdf Object) ) and is protected by copyright. However it is formatted so that you can easily download it for your own personal use. Give it to all those you feel might benefit, but for any other consideration please contact KamaKala Publications.

In the final days of the millenium all the philosophers and prophets are in hyper-drive putting their individual spin on our collective future. We can hear their pronouncements and predictions from the street corners, the ivory towers and out on the web.

According to some, the sun will soon go dark and the stars will fall from the heavens and all the people of the earth shall mourn. According to others, the storms will come and the earth will quake and leave our cities in rubble, the seas will dry up and all the children of the earth will be hungry. There’s pestilence, plagues and pain in the forecast, with a technological meltdown waiting in the wings. As one popular song put it a few years ago: "this ain’t no upwardly mobile freeway, oh no, this is the road to hell."

I see you have the remote in your hands already pushing the buttons. The channel’s been changed, but one thing that is absolutely certain is that "the Times - they are a changin". Not only is change happening, but the rate of change is speeding up. In the drive for technological progress we now find ourselves being driven at warp speed into the future where Time is shrinking as the rate of change accelerates. And we’re all left trying to just get through the day with an ever-increasing barrage of pagers, cell phones, fax machines and e-mail. Even when you’re home, you’re still within your virtual office – hey, it’s "interconnectedness".

I hit my remote . . . Sitting at the fireplace watching the flames do their ancient dance, as the last few days of the twentieth century draw to a close. Is it not part of our nature as human beings to sit back once and awhile and wonder where collectively we are going? But as ironic as it may seem, part of the answer to that question can be found in knowing where we have been.

Late in the 18th century in the low-lying rain forests of Central America, archeologist found the remains of a magnificent civilization, which up until then no one even suspected had existed. They discovered the great ceremonial centers of the Maya, with their vast plazas, towering pyramid-temples, some of which rose up out of the jungle hundreds of feet. There was also found monolithic structures, intricately carved stones with hieroglyphic inscriptions, which no one could decipher until just relatively recently. And part of what was revealed on these structures or stela, was an extremely accurate calendar. Surprisingly, the starting date of this calendar was calculated to be Aug. 14, 3114 B.C.E. (Before Common Era).

This early date was long before the Maya civilization even existed and there is still much debate as to who produced the calendar. Leaving that to future archeologists, the main point of our focus here is the seminal date of 3114 B.C.E.

According to the mythology of the Maya, this date represents nothing less than the creation of the world. Now of course, according to our own believe system about the origin of the world, this appears to be rather late in the game to say the least. But when we move beyond this particular conflict and really begin to take a closer look at this date, something absolutely astonishing begins to be revealed.

Historically, the date of 3100 B.C.E. has proven to be one of the most important periods, if not the most important period, regarding three of the world’s most ancient civilizations: Sumer, Egypt and India. But before we can begin to appreciate what exactly happened in these three areas of the world in 3100, it is important to have some understanding of what came before this period.

The picture of the world before 3100 B.C.E. has been clouded in mystery and mythology, and not even mentioned in History textbooks. But contrary to popular ignorance, for decades now, anthropologists and archeologists have been constructing a picture of this period that is increasingly becoming quite clear.

From around 10,000 – 7,000 B.C.E. there appeared in various places throughout the world communities based on agriculture. Excavations at Catal Huyuk in what is now Turkey, Teleilat el Ghassul in the Jordan valley, the Hussuna, Samarran and Halaf cultures of the Mesopotamian plain just to mention a few, all show conclusively that these early agricultural communities were well planned villages and towns, some with elaborate irrigation and even sanitation systems.

One of the most striking features about these communities however, was the fact they were all built without any fortifications or defenses of any kind. And astonishingly these early cultures didn’t manufacture weapons of war.

This period represents a time when human relations were primarily based on peace, cooperation and mutual aid. The development of technology was used to enhance their quality of life. And everywhere, there was found plenty of beautifully decorated pottery, wall paintings, sculptures and figurines all displaying a rich array of symbols of nature; decorative motifs that portrayed the sun, moon serpents, bulls and butterflies.

No where in these early settlements do we find scenes of fighting, warfare or conquest. And what is perhaps the most important discovery in this whole period from 10,000 to 3,500 B.C.E. is the fact that the primary and universal image of their deity was always Female.

Reigning supreme over these agricultural societies from horizon to horizon was the Mother of Heaven and Earth – the Goddess. In fact, in the Sumerian language, the earliest language we have records of, the first written word for their concept of deity was AMA-TU-AN-KI, which literally translates: "Mother – who gives birth to - Heaven – Earth.

From Sumer to Egypt to India, She was known by many different names and was considered to be the origin and sustenance of Life. She was seen as the nurturing Mother, the indulgent Lover, and the merciful Grandmother who received the dying back into her arms to be reborn. Her life flowed through all of Creation, and all of Life’s creative expressions were unique parts of Her wholeness.

Given this brief cultural background for the previous seven thousand years or so, we now arrive at a point in 3,100 B.C.E. when something quite unexpected presents itself on the world stage; something so radical and yet profound that it represents nothing less than a real shift in the consciousness of the human species. This is the zero point in the Mayan calendar – the day of Creation. Fortunately for us we don’t need to speculate as to what happened in 3,100 B.C.E. – we can actually peer across the millennia and see for ourselves. For the story has been carved in stone.

One of the most dramatic of all discoveries in Egypt was made in 1898 in the temple at Hierakonpolis in Upper Egypt. There was unearthed a magnificent stone carving that has proven to be one of the most important historical documents ever found. (Fig.1). Here for the first time archaeological evidence could be directly linked with the written records. According to the historian Manetho, Upper and Lower Egypt were unified by a tribal chieftain from the South who brought the entire country under one rule in 3,100 B.C.E. His name, in Greek, was Menes, whom scholars have identified with the first Egyptian pharaoh, Narmer. Thus began the pharonic dynasties that lasted almost 3 thousand years. It was also written that Narmer set up his political capital at Memphis, and established the worship of the Sun God Ra at the religious center of Heliopolis.

So now as we take a closer look at our boy wonder strutting out onto the stage of History, we can really begin to appreciate the scene as it unfolds before us.

First of all, top-dead center is the absolute proof of who exactly we are looking at. It is the hieroglyphic inscription: "Narmer". On either side of his name is the Goddess Hathor as the "sacred cow". Her totemic animal symbol was the cow, which at one time was almost universal. This particular symbol of the divine is still worshipped in India to this very day.

If you look closely at the figure of Narmer he is wearing a tail. This is the tail of a bull, which is meant to indicate that as the divine bull he is the son of Hathor. In other words, he is being depicted here as nothing less than the son of the Goddess, and is therefor himself divine. As if to further substantiate his divinity, at his left is a priest paying homage with gifts.

At the upper right hand corner, we see a falcon, the totemic animal symbol of the Sun God Ra. The solar falcon holds a hook, which is attached to the nose of the king of Northern Egypt, indicating submission to the power of divine will. The saying "being led by the nose" is what is graphically indicated here. We can also see associated with this individual, long stem plant stalks, which depict the ever-present reeds of the Egyptian delta in the North. So the message is very explicit: by the power and will of Ra, the king of the North has been delivered into the hands of the king of the South.

Narmer is appropriately wearing the crown of Southern Egypt, while he holds the king of the North by the hair ready to strike with the club in his raised hand. Underneath this whole scene are two men who have been captured in the conquest and are now made slaves, indicated by their nakedness.

On the reverse side of this stone palette (Fig.2) we now see Narmer larger than life, wearing the crown of the North. The representatives of the various conquered tribes precede him, each holding their standard with the appropriate totemic animal symbol. This indicates that each of these local tribal deities is now subservient to the omnipotent god/king Narmer.

And if you still didn’t quiet get the message of what exactly happened here, to the far right is the final scene in the saga with rows of decapitated bodies. Yes, you guessed it, it was a massacre. And this concludes the story of how the land of Egypt was unified. But tragically this particular theme of conquest was played out in many other areas of the world as well.

As we now shift our focus to what has been known as the birthplace of civilization, the land of Sumer situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This area was once extremely fertile, and according to some Biblical scholars the original site of the Garden of Eden. Be that as it may, in Sumer we find startling evidence of almost the same episode being played out as in Egypt, and at exactly the same date – 3,100 B.C.E.

According to the Sumerian King List, there were twelve rulers in the royal city of Kish. They each were designated with the title ISAG, meaning "tenant-farmer of God". This being quite appropriate for a leader of a society based on agriculture.

But then a flood came and covered the land, and among other things interrupted the established political structure. Now after this interruption, the next name we find on the list of kings is Etana, who bore the title EN-SI as all successive kings also did. This title means "Righteous Shepherd". Were once we had a succession of 12 kings who were farmers or closely tied to the agricultural community, we now find a significant indication all that abruptly changed.

We learn a lot more about this new king from a well preserved text of that period, called the Etana Tablet. In this ancient text it is written that Etana worshipped the God UTU – the Sumerian name for the Sun God. It is also written there that Etana ascended to heaven on the back of an eagle - the Sun God’s totemic animal, as the falcon was in Egypt.

This story serves to establish quite clearly that Etana is no mere human, but a divine king who with the power of God ascends to the heavens, and returns to establish a New Order on Earth. For the King List reveals something else about Etana: "A shepherd; he who ascended to heaven, consolidated all the lands."

So now we have the final chapter in the story. Just as in Egypt with Narmer, we find the unification or consolidation of the lands under the dictatorial rule of a divine king who represents the power and will of the Sun God on Earth.

It is also interesting to note that excavations at the ancient site of Kish have unearthed the remains of a ziggurat (a stepped pyramid temple) with an orientation to the Sun, dated to 3,100 B.C.E. Most likely Etana made the royal city of Kish the center of the Sun cult/religion, as was Heliopolis in Egypt,

Now we will shift our focus further East to India, where we will discover that they too held 3,100 B.C.E. in special regard. In one of the most well known of India’s scriptures, the Bhagavad Gita, which has been called the New Testament of Hinduism, chapter four begins by pointing out a particular dynastic rule. Briefly, three names are mentioned: Vivasvat, Manu and Ikshvaku. In the context of what we have found in Egypt and Sumer it is especially amazing that we now discover that the first name on this list, Vivasvat, is the name in India for the Sun God. (Do we see a pattern developing here or what?)

The next name on the list is Manu, the lawgiver of India. Manu can very well be compared to Moses among the tribes of Israel, or Hammurabi the Semitic king of Babylon who was given the laws of the land by the God Shamash – the Babylonian name for the Sun God. So here we find the laws of the Hindu society, which are still observed in some places in India to this day, originating from the one and the same God as in Egypt and Sumer. These laws are then passed down to Ikshvaku.

What is particularly striking about Ikshvaku, is that this name isn’t an Indian name at all, but Akkadian, the language of ancient Babylon. Be that as it may, it is Ikshvaku who is regarded in India as the originator of the solar warrior dynasty of the Kshatriya caste. The ascendancy of this warrior dynasty is linked to the start of the great war recorded in the epic of the Mahabharata, and the beginning of the universal Kali Yuga – known as the Age of Materialism. From a number of different astronomical records and archaeological discoveries this auspicious date has been determined to be Feb 17, 3100 B.C.E.

I think we can now safely lie to rest all arguments of coincidence here. Even the legally blind can see the proverbial handwriting on this wall.

So now we’ve come full circle back to the Mayan calendar, which like the Indian concept of the Yuga cycles that begin and end within larger cycles of time, we find that within the Mayan calendar our current cycle of time will come to an end Dec. 23, 2012. This does not mean that the calendar itself ends, as some have interpreted. In fact the Myan calendar continues until the astounding date of Nov. 22, 154,587.

So as you can see the calendar doesn’t expire anytime soon, but our current time cycle of 5,000 years is definitely drawing to a close. In a sense, the fundamental Christians are right. These are "the Last Days", "the End Times". But the really big question is the end of what? As I indicated earlier, the answer to what is ending, lies in the understanding of what was begun. Quite simply, that which began in 3100 B.C.E. will now come to an end.

The 5,000-year reign of the Sun God will go dark. The kings of the Earth as the stars in the sky shall fall. The social and economic foundations of the world shall quake and be rent asunder. And all the people who worship at the altar of the almighty dollar will weep and gnash their teeth.

To be a little less poetic, the ending of this time cycle indicates the drawing to a close of all those religious, political and social programs that were initiated in 3,100 B.C.E. As we have seen in the three great centers of civilization, Sumer, Egypt and India, there was a radical shift from the feminine system of values to masculine domination. The Universal Mother Goddess was replaced by, or at the very least made secondary to, a masculine solar deity.

This dramatic shift, more than any other possible metaphor, indicates the most powerful change in human consciousness. As the image of the deity is so absolutely all encompassing, this represented a change of perception at our deepest levels; as well as influenced our highest aspirations.

The Sun God represents the archetypal symbol of masculine power. Gradually this image became completely divorced from the balancing influences of feminine values. The resulting power base then became violent and turned to programs of conquest and exploitation. The masculine ascended at the expense of the feminine, enslaving the weaker, slaughtering the unwanted, consuming all that it desired.

These destructive programs that were unleashed 5,000 years ago, set up male dominated hierarchical societies, with the alpha male presented as a God on Earth. This spawned the all too familiar concept of "the divine right of kings". We then find the rise of a warrior class within these cultures, accompanied by the institutionalization of warfare and conquest. Violence is held to be a legitimate means to political and economic ends, and exploitation and the eventual decimation of the Earth’s resources are perpetuated for short-term gains. Does any of this sound familiar?

Well, according to the Mayan calendar this 5,000-year cycle of History is currently in its terminal phase, and will pretty much be finished as a viable operating system, much like Communism is today in Eastern Europe. The final end date is just around the corner at Dec. 23, 2012.

In unbelief you may ask, how will such an all-encompassing transformation take place in such a relatively short time? Well one thing we can pretty well be sure of, is that no son of God is going to come down on the clouds in power and glory and save us. That story merely represents part of the same old solar deity theme. As does the idea of a fleet of alien space ships coming to set humanity straight. And I’m sorry, not even Mom and Dad are coming to the rescue. Not this time.

This time we are collectively being called to put away our favorite bed time stories. It’s time now for all of us to grow up and begin to take responsibility for our own lives. And part of this process of growth is moving us through and beyond our denial, allowing us to recognize what we have done to one another these past 5,000 years and what we have done to the Earth. This, in itself is no easy task. And there is always a danger of being lost in despair and hopelessness.

Regardless of this daunting task, we’re all being moved along by the inertia of this tremendous current of change, swept up in this time-stream that has been gaining momentum over the mellinea. Individually and collectively, we are involved in a process of transformation that is simply unprecedented in its scope. We are involved in one of the most dramatic evolutionary transformations of consciousness the human species has ever experienced, more significant and inclusive than the Renaissance of the Middle Ages, the Scientific- Industrial Revolution and the discovery of the Americas all combine.

Like millions of migratory birds in the fall beginning their journey south, we as a species are beginning our migratory journey in consciousness to a future with a more pleasant climate; a place with sunny days, with wide-open horizons and ever-expanding versions of Reality.

Our concepts of deity will be based on love, instead of fear and judgment.

Our social structures will be based on cooperation instead of cut throat competition, and will strive to develop the fullest potential of each individual, which in turn will be recognized as contributing to the fulfillment of society.

There will be an innate understanding that all species are interrelated and connected, and that there exists a cooperative venture in the infinite creative expressions of all life forms.

Therefor Economic and Ecological policies will work toward the same vision: a comfortable but sustainable planetary society that enriches the quality of life not only for the human population, but for all other life forms as well.

Men and women will work together as equal partners, and the various racial and cultural groups will be recognized as all essential members of our human family.

Violence as a legitimate means of conflict resolution whether between individuals or between nations, will no longer be considered acceptable by all thinking citizens of the world. This will serve to liberate a tremendous amount of time, energy and resources that in the past was religiously tithed to the military industrial priesthood.

A new day will have begun, but not without its own challenges and problems, for that’s what comes with continual growth.

A New Age will have dawned, but we’ll also realize that our work as a true planetary civilization has just begun.

WHAT TIME IS IT ANYWAY?

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