Austin American-Statesman

In Mexico, spirituali­sts see not end, but new era

- By Mark Stevenson

MERIDA, MExICO — The crystal skulls have spoken: The world is not going to end.

American seer Star Johnsen-Moser led a dancing, drum-beating ceremony Thursday in the heart of Mayan territory to consult several of the life-sized crystal skulls, which adherents claim were passed down by the ancient Maya.

The skulls weren’t the only inheritanc­es left by the ancient civilizati­on that have been making waves this week: The supposed end of the Maya long-count calendar today has prompted a wave of doomsday speculatio­n around the globe.

“This is not the end of the world; this is the beginning of the new world,” Johnsen-Moser said at a gathering of hundreds of spirituali­sts at a convention center in Merida. “It is most important that we hold a positive, beautiful reality for ourselves and our planet. … Fear is out of place.”

The supposed 5 a.m. doomsday hour had already arrived in several parts of the world with no sign of the apocalypse. The social network Imgur posted photos of clocks turning midnight in the Asia-Pacific region with messages such as: “The world has not ended. Sincerely, New Zealand.”

In Merida, the celebra- tion of the cosmic dawn began with the sacred fire to honor the calendar’s conclusion. Gabriel Lemus, the guardian of the flame, was joined by about 1,000 other spirituali­sts at the convention center about an hour and a half from the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza.

Yucatan Gov. Rolando Zapata’s state is home to Mexico’s largest Maya population and has benefited from a boom in tourism. “We believe that the beginning of a new baktun means the beginning of a new era, and we’re receiving it with great optimism,” he said.

He said thousands of tourists and spirituali­sts are expected for Friday’s once-in-5,125-year event.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States