Published January 09, 2007 12:00 am - ASHTABULA - If your long-range plans go beyond 2012, you might want to tighten things up a bit. After all, the end is near. The approaching apocalypse is message of "2012: The Odyssey," a feature motion picture that presents a speculation stew of calendars, prophecies, mystic teachings and cycles pointing to the end ...

The end is coming, the end is coming


Star Beacon

Less than six years to go, according to Mayan calendar, mystic teachings

Lifestyle Editor

ASHTABULA - If your long-range plans go beyond 2012, you might want to tighten things up a bit. After all, the end is near.

The approaching apocalypse is message of "2012: The Odyssey," a feature motion picture that presents a speculation stew of calendars, prophecies, mystic teachings and cycles pointing to the end of our current age somewhere Dec. 21, 2012.

With a tag line of "Armageddon is not what it used to be," the Sharron Rose film casts the end of this age as a time of opportunity rather than annihilation, an age whose final chapter will be written by enlightened humans, not fate or God.

In the film, Rose travels across the United States interviewing experts and visiting sites like the odd murals at Denver's airport and the Georgia Guidestones to present a picture of how the current age will end and what will come with the new one. The independent film was produced by her husband, Jay Weidner.

Three showings are scheduled for the Wellness and Total Learning Center, 715 West 30th St., Ashtabula. The times and dates are 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Seating is limited to 40 persons per showing and there is a $10 admission charge.

As a follow-up to the Sharron film, the WTLC will present "Evolution of Consciousness: Mayan Calendar" video 1 p.m. Jan. 20.

Susan Deak, director of the WTLC, said she has previewed the Sharron Rose film and agrees with it's premise that a major change is in the making.

"I guess I'm seeing a shift in consciousness, that we're developing because of changes like the world getting smaller and the Internet," Deak says. "People are sharing more, learning more about each other and I think it raises our consciousness. I'm not sure the world is going to end, maybe it's just going to be different."

A diverse group, ranging from Bible Code proponents and astronomers to practitioners of ancient traditions, take great interest in the 2012 date. However, the fundamental basis for this speculation stems from the Mayan Calendar, which according to the film's Web site, www.2012theodyssey.com, runs out of time on Dec. 21, 2012.

Jose Arguelles, one of the experts interviewed in the film and a proponent of the "Thirteen Moon 28-day calendar," writes on the 2012 Web site that the Mayans measured time in a 5,125-year cycle called the Great Cycle. Translating that to the Gregorian/Julian calendar, that puts the dawn of the current age to Aug. 13, 3113. Arguelles points out that most Western history books date the beginning of civilization to 3100 B.C.

"Mayans say that this whole cycle of civilization('s) 5,125 years comes to an end on the Winter Solstice December 21, 2012 A.D.," writes Arguelles.

Some writers suggest drastic changes will occur on that date - nuclear war, a reversal of the Earth's magnetic fields, an asteroid or comet crashing into the planet or the return of our "alien caretakers." Others talk about an age of spiritual awakening, psychic abilities and great shifts in consciousness; a time when people all traditions and races will live in harmony with each other and their planet.

"When the Cycle closes during the Winter Solstice, the Earth should be adorned with a circumpolar bridge which will alter forever human self-perception and elevate it to permanent cosmic consciousness," writes Arguelles.

But what does all of that mean for the guy on the street, however? Will he have to report for work on December 22? Should we stock up on water, pretzels and electrical generators, deja vu Y2K? Or, if you're a young person, should you drop out of school and "have a blast while you last?"

Jay Weidner says being prepared for what's to come is why people should devote 99 minutes of the 71 months they have left to see the film.

"You need to be prepared for the things about to come," he said in a telephone interview. "It is in our self interests to get ourselves ready for the events about to take place."

Weidner feels that the end is not so much a single big bang but a series of events already under way. He says the globalization of economies and the instantaneous sharing of information through the Internet are examples of how the current era is moving toward a conclusion that will usher in a new age, which according to Arguelles, will launch "Timeship Earth 2013" and signal "entry of the planet into cosmic civilization and full membership in the Galactic Federation."

Although these concepts are foreign to orthodox Christian thought, which paints a picture of fiery destruction at the close of the age, Weidner says the film does not ignore Biblical prophecies. Indeed, he feels they add further credence to the speculation.

"There are a lot of Christian groups talked about in the film who believe that the return of Jesus is due in 2012. Even the Christians have the same prophecy that this age or time period will come to an end," Weidner says. "The film embraces that idea and shows how that could coincide with what (the others) are saying."

online: Filmmaker's Web site, www.sharronrose.com; Film Web site: 2012theodyssey.com