Community Profile

2012 is coming- and the growing interest in it is hard to miss. I've been quietly studying the whole thing, and have decided to take a common sense, heads-up, skeptical approach to it. Rather than spread panic, I want to spread calm, common sense and skeptical inquiry. And I want to create an atmosphere of level-headed discourse. Are the predictions of 2012 true? Are they myth? Is "2012" a New Age catch-all, guru trap and FUD generator, or is it an opportunity for actual spiritual growth and insight? This community will explore these things, and many more; and it will be a locus of intelligent discussion on the subject. We'll discuss books, programs and documentaries, social and historical context, catastrophes and other related subjects.

As for genuine apocalyptic events- or things that seem to be so until viewed with history as a buffer- we'll explore those, also, especially the anticipated Solar Max that unfortunately coincides with the year. That, along with climate phenomena and similar earth-oriented events, will also be featured and examined in this community.

We welcome links to articles, websites, videos, etc- that examine this subject.

Here's a pertinent quote from the Wikipedia entry about the Maya calendar, which is the source of the date 2012 and the 'end-time' predictions:

The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar forms the basis for a New Age belief, first forecast by José Argüelles, that a cataclysm will take place on or about December 21, 2012, a forecast that mainstream Mayanist scholars consider a misinterpretation, yet is commonly referenced in pop-culture media as the 2012 problem.

"For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle," says Sandra Noble[12], executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. in Crystal River, Florida. "To render December 21, 2012, as a doomsday or moment of cosmic shifting", she says, is "a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in."

This community will take a measured and intelligent approach to the whole 2012 meme. In addition, we will also examine related subjects, including ancient civilizations, catastrophes, and why the end of the world is so fascinating. Participation is encouraged- trolling and panic-mongering are not. Sunfell is the creator, maintainer and moderator of this community.

The Rules:

0. Introduce yourself! Don't just come and lurk (even though a bit of lurking is always good to get the feel of a place), come on- participate! Here are some introductory questions you can answer:
*Who are you?
*What are your interests?
*What brought you to this community?
*What intrigues/scares/annoys/[insert adverb here] you about the subject of 2012?
*What would you like to see this community explore, or accomplish?
*What books, websites, articles, people, etc. do you recommend? Or not?
*Whatever else you want to talk about]

1. Don't be a butthead. This isn't the place for ideological flame-wars. I have a Banhammer, and know how to use it. Treat each other with respect.

2. Please tag things appropriately. Tags will help future readers explore our posts as this community grows.

3. Please do not peddle your community here unless it is specifically related to the subject of this community. You might be the hottest Potterfic writer on the planet, but this isn't the place.

4. Please put pictures and videos behind cuts. This will be appreciated by folks who might not have broadband. Do not post self-starting files- especially music files. This will be grounds for moderation.

5. When citing articles, just quote a sentence or two, and put a link to the rest. Fair Use does not mean quoting an article in its entirety.

6. As this community grows, I will need co-moderators. If you are interested, drop me a line.

Visit the sidebar for related and informational websites.

Related Communities: spiritual_woo

Created April 14, 2009 First Draft 4/14/09
Modified (rules added) 4.15.09
Modified (quote and additional info added)4.16.09
Added Rule Zero 5/3/09