Happy New Year 2016

Raising of the World Tree (video)

I recntly came across this video which shows the Milky Way unfurl over the Southern Ocean along the coast of Australia. Watching at 00:45 into the clip, a beautiful view of the Milky Way rising to a vertical position is recorded - what the Mayans would refer to a the "Raising of the World Tree."

The video by Alex Cherney, titled Ocean Sky, was awarded the overall winner at 2011 STARMUS astrophotography competition.

Ocean Sky from Alex Cherney on Vimeo.

Be sure to watch this full screen to get the best appreciation of the fantastic lime-lapse starry sky imagery.

Raising the World Tree - Wakah Chan

Maya people honor the Ya'axche or Ceiba Tree (Kapok) as an energetic connection flowing between the Cosmos (sky), Earth, and the Underworld; it's seen to be the embodiment of the cosmic axis, Wakah Chan, connecting the multiple levels above and below a flat Earth (held in place by the four Bacabs, cardinal directions of north, south, east and west). This Sacred Tree of Life is at the center of a complex mythology of Celestial Gods, heros, and deities of the underworld, Xibalba. As World Tree, Wakah Chan also symbolizes the "raised up" path to the Mayan's ancestral home at the center of the Milky Way.

On Winter Solstice, at the beginning of the last calendar round cycle in 3113 B.C., a mythological event / ceremony took place, "The Raising of the World Tree", in which the cosmic axis was reset to center upon rotation around the North Polar star. This "raising" ceremony repeats every calendar round (and thus to be reenacted on December 21, 2012),  establishing a new "heaven" and new "sun" (cosmic age).

Raising Wakah Chan

In addition to my 2012 celestial conjunction series ("Time of Awakening"), I created this image specifically focused on raising of the Wakah Chan - two shamans (male and female) are raising the Cosmic Tree (seen as a Ceiba tree) with the Milky Way crossing at the top, centered on the North star. The celestial bird perches in the top branches of the tree. Below the tree, a frieze of guardians spirits protect the entrance to the Underworld.

This composition is based loosely on Mayan carvings depicting the World Tree and the ceremonial raising of Wakah Chan. Below, I have included one such reproduction (a drawing of a carved stone temple panel) which inspired my piece.

World Tree as Foliated Cross

The Milky Way is depicted as the tree of life where all life came from. Near Sagittarius, the center of our galaxy, the World Tree meets the Ecliptic. The Ecliptic is represented as the horizontal bar crossing the vertical axis of the world tree, with celestial crocodiles, or perhaps vision serpents, at each end of the cross bar. The World Tree is in the form referred to as a "foliated cross." At it's base, a major element of the World Tree includes the K'awak Monster, a giant head with a kin in its forehead. This monster is also a mountain or Witz monster (and represents the entrance to the Underworld). On either side of the "raised up" tree stand a pair of Mayan priests or shamans. On top of the World Tree perches the celestial Quetzal bird, the Principal Bird deity, Itzam Ye.

Time of Awakening Series

With the projected roll-over of the Mayan Calendar from Bak’tun 13 to the new age of the Fifth Sun this Winter Solstice (Long Count = 13.0.0.0.0), I've been watching and taking note of a parade of interesting celestial events over the last sixth months (starting with the solar transit of Venus, the second of a pair of transits this cycle – the previous transit occurring in 2004). I decided to make a set of commemorative banners to celebrate this unique time period. Of course, to honor the Mayan Long Count vision, I utilized Mayan glyphs, symbology, mythology in these images.

For archeologists and linguists, understanding of Mayan symbols takes on a syncreatic flavor, with some meaning derived from the context of use within codexes and monument carvings, other meaning derived from analyzing the spoken dialects of the region to better “explain” the associations of specific glyphs to various objects, actions, etc. - which often relies upon homonyms of “sound alike” words to expand the meaning context. More visionary archeologists apply a mytho-astromonical analysis to better understand the cultural memes presented, and hope to reveal more esoteric meanings within and between them. The stories and meanings are reflected in the stars. As Above, So Below.

For myself, a mixed astrological / astronomical / archeological / mythical framework flavored by shamanic journey work and dreams enhances my own personal understanding of the mytho-poetic and esoteric meanings originally intended by these glyphs.

Here are the six images that I created:

Venus Transit – June 5, 2012    

1) In the top register, Venus’s path across the solar disk is recorded. Below, in sequence: an image of the solar corona, an image of Venus (with its glyph superimposed), and at the bottom, a glyph for a building or temple (i.e.; earth). Inside this building are two others glyphs: a skull representing the opening to the underworld, topped by one of the 9 Underworld gods. On either side, Vision Serpents open their mouths emitting the heads of ancestor figures - yielding prophecy, instruction, and/or desired communication.

Total Solar Eclipse – November 13, 2012

2) In the center, the total eclipse of the solar disk (marked with the solar deity ‘Ahau’ glyph) reveals the glowing coronal ring in the darkened sky. Directly below, a trio of rabbits guide the full lunar disk through the heavens. (The Mayans saw a rabbit in the moon rather than a human face.) At the bottom stands the goddess Ix Chel in her guise as Grandmother who rules over the moon, the tides, and lunar mysteries. A serpent in her headdress swallows the sun, revealing the total eclipse.

Jupiter / Moon Conjunction – November 29, 2012

3) This commemorates the first of two Jupiter–lunar conjunctions which occur in the last quarter of the year. Jupiter is emerging from the mouth of a Pleiadian sky dragon. (The Mayans believed their ancestors descended from a race of beings who originated in the Pleiades.) At the top, the Pleiades (7 Sisters) watch over this conjunction. The Mayan glyph for this star cluster is a rattlesnake’s rattle.

Pyramid Alignment – December 3, 2012

4) On this night, the planets of Mercury (hummingbird as messenger between the spirit realms, drinking medicine nectar from a Datura flower), Venus (sky jaguar holding the Venus glyph), and Saturn (emerging from a Vision Serpent), come into alignment vertically over the three main Egyptian pyramids in the Giza complex. Such a syzygy occurs once every 2,737 years. The Mayan turtle glyph (i.e.; Earth) in the bottom register of this image shows the three original “hearth stone” stars that mythically founded Mayan civilization. (We now refer to these three stars as Orion’s Belt.) The pyramids at Giza have been shown to exactly map the projection of Orion’s Belt.

Dark Rift Alignment (Winter Solstice) – December 21, 2012

5) On Winter Solstice, during the day, Mayan astronomers understood that the Sun would conjunct the center of the Milky Way (more specifically, the Dark Rift stretching long the central galactic horizon.). Although they could not see the actual alignment during the daylight, they knew that the band of the Milky Way would rotate to a near vertical overhead (in the same way that all of the visible stars rotate during the course of an evening around the axis of the North Star). Likewise, they understood that at midnight on Summer Solstice, the Pleiades (their source of origin) would rise to its zenith in the same sky location.

 The Dark Rift was known as the “Dark Road” or the “Royal Road”. It represented a path to ancestral origins, to the spirits, watchers and gods who resided in the sky realm. The turning of the Milky Way to its most vertical extent during Winter Solstice was mythically envisioned as the raising of the World Tree connecting the three realms (Heaven, Earth and the Underworld). At the base of the tree can be seen a god of the Underworld with his mouth open like a cave entrance deep into the earth. At the top of the tree is found a celestial bird, a symbol of the Polar Star. The arms of the tree (forming the “foliate cross”) symbolizes galactic plane overhead. In the top register appears a blue sky/star band glyphic pattern with a pair of sky gods rowing the celestial canoe across the heavens.

 At this year’s solstice, astronomically both Mars and Venus appear on opposite sides of a linear alignment with the sun. These are shown in the banner on each arm of the foliated cross (along with associated glyphs).

Jupiter / Pleiades / Moon Conjunction – December 25, 2012

6) This commemorates the second of two Jupiter–lunar conjunctions which occur in the last quarter of the year. Jupiter is held by the lunar rabbit and surmounted by a celestial crocodile (related to both Jupiter and the Vision Serpent). At the top, the Pleiades watch over this conjunction. (The Mayan glyph for this star cluster is a rattlesnake’s rattle.) Along the bottom register, a row of Buffo toads dance. This is the species of toad from which Mayan shaman, priests, and royalty extracted a DMT-based potion for use during vision quests.

Starry Night

Incredible Timelapse Video of the Night Sky Recorded Using a Fisheye Lens.

French photographer Stephane Vetter captured this outstanding time-lapse of the night sky using a Sigma 8 mm fisheye lens, meaning that what you see in the video is a true representation of the entire visible sky. Titled Leonid and Zodiacal Light, the brief but jaw-dropping clip was shot November 17th of this year and includes a five-hour star trail and Vetter even takes time to label signifiant stars and other objects visible in the sky. Make sure you watch it full-screen.

 Originally posted on Colossal.com.

Dec 21, 2012 Is Right Around the Corner

Interesting take on the cycling of the Mayan calendar round:

December 21, 2012:
Meeting Zero-Point and Beginning Anew

By Eden Skywritten Nov 8, 2012 . 13 N’oj . 8 Seed

Dec 21, 2012 is a date carved in stone by the Ancient Maya over 1300 years ago that indicates the completion of a World Age Cycle. It clearly marks the end of a 5,125 year cycle, and many independent researchers and indigenous messengers affirm it is also the completion of a nearly 26,000 year cycle.

This infamous date, now scarcely 40 days away, marks an end and a beginning simultaneously, called a “Creation Day” by the Maya, literally a return to Zero-Point. 

What does this really mean? It is a question we are all being summoned to ask ourselves. As we each witness and experience the turmoil and rapid change taking place on Planet Earth, it is clear our future is unknown, with all too many factors and influences to possibly account for. There are endless predictions, projections and hypotheses put forward to proclaim our possible collective future, but in reality no one can be certain of the path ahead.

This rapidly approaching Dec 21, 2012 Synchronization date can be understood as an alignment of vast timing cycles, both celestial and planetary in nature, that was recorded precisely to alert us of the potent opportunity of these times we are now living through. The Maya say we will be entering “The Fifth World.” The Aztecs call it the Dawning of “The Sixth Sun.” By whatever name, we are approaching the Turning of World Ages, and every single one of us in an essential player in these planetary moments!

Read the full article here on the 13Moon website.

About the upcoming Annular Eclipse May 20th

Watch this informative video for details and viewing tips.

"Three Seeds" - Another Take on the 5th Sun?

from Reality Sandwich:

Image by Niffty Neal Fowler
Used courtesy of a Creative Commons license

Once upon a time, the tribe of humanity embarked upon a long journey called Separation. It was not a blunder as some - seeing its ravages upon the planet - might think. Nor was it a fall, nor an expression of some innate evil peculiar to the human species.

It was a journey with a purpose: to experience the extremes of Separation, to develop the gifts that come in response to it, and to integrate all of that in a new age of Reunion.

But we knew at the outset that there was danger in this journey: that we might become lost in Separation and never come back. We might become so alienated from nature that we would destroy the very basis of life; we might become so separated from each other that our poor egos, left naked and terrified, would become incapable of rejoining the community of all being.

In other words, we foresaw the crisis we face today.

That is why, thousands of years ago, we planted three seeds that would sprout at the time that our journey of Separation reached its extreme. Three seeds, three transmissions from the past to the future, three ways of preserving and transmitting the truth of the world, the self, and how to be human.

Imagine you were alive thirty thousand years ago, and had a vision of all that was to come: symbolic language, naming and labeling the world; agriculture, the domestication of the wild, dominion over other species and the land; the Machine, the mastery of natural forces; the forgetting of how beautiful and perfect the world is; the atomization of society; a world where humans fear even to drink of the streams and rivers, where we live among strangers and don't know the people next door, where we kill across the planet with the touch of a button, where the seas turn black and the air burns our lungs, where we are so broken that we dare not remember that it isn't supposed to be this way.

Imagine you saw it all coming. How would you help people thirty thousand years thence? How would you send information, knowledge, aid over such a vast gulf of time? You see, this actually happened. That is how we came up with the three seeds.

Continue reading 'Three Seeds' here: http://www.realitysandwich.com/three_seeds