In Mexico, spiritualists see not end, but new era
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.