I was recently introduced to the work of Ian Xel Lungold and Carl Johan Calleman on the Mayan Calendar. I found their ideas about how the Mayan Tzolkin calendar actually works with a person's consciousness to be very interesting.

One of Ian Lungold's central themes is to show how a calendar is the deciding factor that creates an orientation for the world view and/or cosmology of any civilization. In other words civilizations focus energy on an agreed upon shared reality within the coordinates of time and space based on the calendar they use. Lungold shows quite clearly how the Gregorian calendar locks our current civilization into a mechanistic and materialistic reality. The Gregorian calendar is so central to our reality that few people ever question it or even think about it's effect on our consciousness.

The Maya actually had a system of 3 calendars. To paraphrase, one calendar was for personal daily life, another was for agriculture and book keeping and yet another was for keeping track of the galactic progression of time and the transitioning of the ages. The Mayan personal calendar called the Tzolkin was actually not based on the mechanical movement of the earth around the sun but rather on a 260 day cycle related to universal energies or human soul intentions as understood by the Maya. I personally feel that this 260 day period may actually coincide with the human gestation period on both the physical and soul level.

The Maya didn't pull their ideas about time-keeping arbitrarily out of a hat. It is said that the information and concepts were given to them by an advanced being who came from the heavens. The Tzolkin was so important to each individual that the Maya people took their first name from the day that they were born. This day told them exactly what the "soul purpose" was for a soul who decided to enter physical reality on a particular coordinate of time and space... ones birthday. The Tzolkin was the system that guided a person through the process. In this way the person would be paying attention to why their soul entered physical reality in the first place... they would be focused on what they actually came here to learn with purpose and intention each and every moment of their lives. This is a much different and far richer perspective than what our current civilization adheres to.

What I found most interesting is that by following the Mayan calendar... by focusing on and gradually learning about the symbols of the Tzolkin, people claim to actually access a larger sphere of consciousness and align more readily with their soul's purpose. One aspect that is very attractive is that it's a very simple and easy process to learn and follow. It seems to work consistently for those individuals who incorporate the Tzolkin into their lives. It appears as a simple way to focus your own individual intention within your own personal piece of the hologram... a way to shift your personal viewpoint away from the status quo and thereby holographically effect the whole of the organism of human civilization.

Here is a shorter version of a lecture by Ian Xel Lungold that is normally several hours long.

A few months ago I was invited to a friends house to watch a documentary called Water. This documentary covers the work of many researchers all over the world who study water. If you have heard of the work of Masaru Emoto, you should be familiar with the idea that water is influenced by our very thoughts and intentions.

Soon after watching the documentary I had a conversation with a friend. We came up with the idea of conducting a healing water ritual with the intention of healing the planet and sending good intentions to all of earths inhabitants. We wondered about the best day to conduct the ceremony. Our answer came a few weeks later when we found out that World Water Day is on March 22nd of each year. Human consciousness on a massive scale is focused on water on this day!

Would you like to see the documentary and take part in the project? Click here.

We have all heard the expression “Live every day as if it's your last.” Upon hearing this “profound” insight most people nod their heads in agreement, but do we ever really think about what this particular expression implies? How does it make us feel? On the positive side perhaps we might feel inspired to venture out into the world and squeeze every ounce of experience and excitement from a brief and fleeting existence. To live with a passion for life and all of its beauty that we sometimes take for granted. But every coin has two sides. Have you ever thought about the deeper implications? The sense of reckless urgency that it implies when the clock keeps ticking away and your time is running out. The condition of the world that you will leave behind in the wake of such reckless pursuit? The selfishness of ego that might be aroused?  “Live every day as if it's your last.” Really?

What does it take to begin a shift in consciousness? Perhaps one way is to pay closer attention to the cultural self-programming of shared common expressions. Think about the peacefulness, patience, serenity and confidence that the following shift would imply: “Live every day as if you have another thousand years.” What would the planet be like if we each made this shift? How different would our treatment of each other be? What would our soil, air and water be like? What would our thoughts be like? What would our children be like? How long would our life spans be?

Our collective thoughts become our reality. Which reality do you choose? Make the shift.

Did you ever wish space people would show up to save us? I've been facinated with the idea of UFO's and alien life since I was a kid. I used to look up at the stars and wonder why the world was so messed up. I used to lie in bed and pray for the aliens to land and save us from all the bad stuff that we are doing to ourselves. I no longer wait in anticipation for them to land because I eventually realized that it's not up to anyone "out there" to save us. It's up to us to save us from ourselves. I've come to believe that our future is calling to our past and we are the ones we've been waiting for. So if you want someone to save the world, you'd better get busy.

The song is called Major Tom / The Arrival. It's sort of a medly that I wrote some time ago. Enjoy!

What would happen if every person in every country had sudden infusion of higher consciousness and from this moment onward refused to harm another living soul? Everyone- not just the so-called “terrorists” but EVERYONE!!!- Regardless of who we "think" is right and who we "think" is wrong? Regardless of how much we are getting paid? Regardless of our differences of race, nationality, religion, or culture? Regardless of what we are ordered to do? Regardless of the threat of court marshal, losing our job, imprisonment or reprimand?

If we did just this one thing together, is it possible that we might begin to trust each other again as human beings? After some time we might open truthful dialogs with each other. Perhaps we would stop forcing one culture upon another. One world at peace instead of a New World Order.

In a song called "Driven to tears" (on the Zenyata Mendata album by the Police) Sting used the lyric "Too many cameras and not enough food". Have you noticed how many more cameras we have these days? I believe that if we cultivated our love for others and ourselves, lack of food would not even be an issue and we certainly wouldn't need all the cameras. I truly believe that compassion can make the problems of the world dissolve in an instant. Doesn't love sound like a better alternative than population control?

Is it possible that within our heart is the power to transform the world? From the bottom up- like flipping a pyramid upside down. We have all heard expressions such as these: start with yourself- the world will follow, your heart knows the way- trust it. How many of us are actually living these concepts in a conscious way? Clear the mind. Give it a rest. Meditate and focus on the heart. Breathe. If a thought enters your mind observe it and let it go. Listen to what the heart tells you. Feel where it guides you. Stop resisting.

Too many cameras and not enough food... The universe is a very big place. There is room for every single living soul in it. We should be exploring the stars together- not installing cameras to protect us from ourselves. Shall we be free? Or shall we continue to build our own prison? Make the shift.

I hear so many people these days saying "We need to stand up and fight this thing or fight that thing." We are made to believe that we should declare war not just on each other but on practically everything imaginable- in the Nixon years it was the "war on cancer", in the George Bush senior years it was the "war on drugs", in the George junior years it's the "war on terror". Ask yourself this question: When we fight, do we ever really win? If we keep doing what we are doing, we will keep getting what we've got. Are you happy with the current state of world affairs?

The history books tell us that there are winners and losers in war, but let's really think about that for a moment. What happens to the hearts and minds of the soldiers on the "winning" side when they return home and try to re-integrate into society? How do these poeple process the waves of grief from the expierience of killing fellow human beings? What happens to thier mental and physical health? Have you ever wondered why most of the homeless people on the streets of every major city in this country are former veterans?

War serves no one because both sides always lose. The following words from Chief Joseph's surrender ring true to me  "I will fight no more... forever."

This part of the shift is a subtle one. Look at the problems we face as opportunities for healing instead of a call to battle.

As a thank you to all the SHIFT fans patiently waiting for the next CD release I've added 3 new tracks with lyrics to the media player at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!

Many people believe that the idea of changing the national anthem is a rather lofty goal. Others tend to think that it's a trivial matter. After all, the United States Congress has bigger fish to fry these days.

Do you believe that a song can change the spirit of a nation? I believe it can. We are living in extraordinary times. Perhaps we should all begin to set some extraordinary goals.

On the right side of this page you will find a banner for the petition. Sign it! If you believe that this is a good cause, feel free to use the banner on your own web site. You can link it directly to the petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/shift/petition.html