“The End of Time” Takes A Time-Out

5:11 AM on December 21^st arrived with its usual complement of massive sleep shortage.  What was supposed to be a globally coordinated candlelight ceremony largely turned out to be a dud in the event Epi-Center at the Hacienda Hotel in Chichen Itza.  The center grounds were not opened to participants as planned. Wind and rain blew out the candles for those gathering instead in the hotel parking lot, staff leadership to open the ceremony never arrived, and other attempts at leading faltered as rapidly as the candles.

Only when meeting with another body softly chanting en masse at the nearby Pyramide Hotel did anything approaching Unity take place.  An inspiring spiritual gestalt then developed amongst two now combined groups, leading to each participant gliding down a path with fellow candle holders forming a supportive gauntlet to either side.  After finishing their journey through its middle, each Spiritual Warrior peeled off to one of the two sides and became part of the gauntlet themselves. From there, it was a deliberate and contemplative 1.5 mile walk to the Archeological Park.

The crowds were large, the press badgered everybody who looked wildly dressed or sufficiently crazed to make a statement related to “Aren’t you disappointed that we didn’t experience The End of Time?” And the expected gathering of up to 60,000 for the course of the day never materialized.  Once again, the hosts showed a unique Mexican approach to Park entry.  No organized entry lines at 6:30 AM.  Just follow a throng where people appear to be pressing in the hardest.

You buy one ticket – eventually.  There are no signs in English describing what you are getting, or why, or how much it costs.  I swear four different people pay differing amounts, depending on what their assessed net worth and attire rating might be.  I smile to myself.  “The Vertical Scan,” so redolent of life in Venezuela.  You pay, depending on what you appear to be worth and can afford.  Once having obtained a ticket, we head for the Park entry.

We are stopped.  “No, Senor.  Necessita una pequena billete” (you need a little ticket).  Not “you need a little ticket, also.”  Did I buy the wrong one?  I know there will be no refunds here.  Somebody has already pocketed my error.  Baby has milk for next week and Mama has new shoes.  I find out after repeated inquiries that, no, I need an additional small ticket this time.  But where?

I look for another throng.  It is a Darwinian free-for-all.  Those not willing to persist or who lack physical stature are pushed off to the side.  I don’t know if they ever got in.  I return minutes later and some recognizable bodies are no closer than when they had begun, as if spun into a whirpool vortex from which there is no escape.  But eventually one comes to the fore, softly grabs the attendant’s attention, and says “Billete.”  You have no idea if a third ticket will be required still, what this is for, or how much it will cost.  Of course, it is twice as expensive.  Cautiously, I finally proceed to the Entry Gate for the second time.  After being lectured about my candle not being allowed, I am eventually ushered inside.  Ah, Chichen Itza …

I can not describe all that took place once facing the impressive Mayan stone monuments inside Chichen Itza starting about 7:15 AM.  Operating on one hour of sleep in the prior 36 led me to be description deprived.  I can say there were no fights, there was peaceful if not complete harmony, the “come one, come all” dances led by Indigenous Natives were very well attended, and participants repeatedly created their own spontaneous ceremonies over an extended period of time throughout the day.

 And oh, yes, Time Did Not End.  It did not even hiccup.  There were no eclipses nor earthquakes nor giant condors flying overhead nor pole shifting nor Rapture emigrations throughout the vicinity.  None of the other spiritually significant sites chosen for a simultaneous Web Cast of the moment, such as Stonehenge, Ayers Rock, Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, or Easter Island manifested any indication of a Doomsday scenario either.   Whether a new blueprint existed or not, The Mayan Calendar merely moved on to its next phase, quietly and without fanfare, like a phantom retreating into the shadows.

Subsequent celebratory activities consisted of continued dancing, music, workshops, free massage and healing presentations of various sorts at the grounds of the Hacienda Hotel back in town.  Filling in what void was created by the peaceful procession of events were rumors of a LSD trip gone dramatically south with a young woman from the campground ending up in the middle of the road.  Descriptions of interference from police authorities apparently miffed at not getting their assumed  baksheesh (payoff) money followed.  Many of the locals thought the event to be a cash cow, and wanted in on their share of the unlimited lucre supposedly flowing into Synthesis 2012 coffers from the 2500 or so projected participants.

The evening was topped off by a wildly successful dance (back at the campground once again) at a spectacularly designed stage setting reminiscent of a pyramid-shaped funeral pyre.  I will fill in details later about those responsible for such a positive outcome.  For now, let us agree it is difficult to track all of what occurred when venues are so disparate, events are moving so fast, locations are constantly changed, no timetable is adhered to, and some scheduled events don’t take place at all.  What announcements that are made relative to these changes, are typically drowned out by music.

A signature for the event might best be illustrated through an interview I attempted to gain with Synthesis 2012 Founder Michael DeMartino.  DeMartino cultivates a highly praised, fawned over, charismatic persona.  His appearance is very much that of a pious Knight Templar, 1000 years past his prime. My aim was to get an assessment from his point of view what went right and what went wrong with the Festival.

In making the request, I asked for a specific place and time in a mixture that suited his convenience.  He agreed to a sit-down near the pool at the Hacienda Hotel complex, and indicated he would meet me “in about forty minutes and right in this area.  This is where I can always be found.”  He walked past me three times afterward, made eye contact on each occasion, and quickly moved on.  There never was an interview.

Overall, the event lacked similar cohesion and organized follow through.  As summarized by one participant from Los Angeles who regularly participates in The Festival Lifestyle: “We are used to gathering in one central area.  We were all spread out here. The communication was terrible. Things were so disjointed.  As a result, we couldn’t really Do The Work.  We are people who act with a high degree of integrity.  Synthesis 2012 is not the way we do things.”

The dining hall arrangements were a notable exception to most activities at Synthesis 2012.  Meals were served warm, on time, with a full complement of silverware and glassware.  The food was delicious, if somewhat repetitious.  It included Mayan green salad, a full fruit plate, rice, local creamed potatoes, tomatos, beets, chicken, fish, rolls, dessert, black bean sauce, and vegetarian options. A variety of cervezas and soft drinks was offered at a bar adjacent to the food.  Our wait staff was polite and unfailingly efficient.  Their efforts sadly went largely unnoticed.

Similarly successful was the live web streaming event from the command center room at the Hotel.  Whenever I peaked inside, there were beautiful images from around the globe of Solstice and Galactic Alignment type celebrations taking place worldwide.  The process and end product appeared at least to be flawless.  The claims of 20 million viewers tapping in however, were not believed by anybody, given the credibility of the event staff and their other pronouncements to date.

The Festival largely though not officially concluded Saturday the 22^nd of December with a generous daylong offering of workshops, speeches, presentations, music, and dance. Don Miguel Ruiz, the headliner who appeared two hours late and concurrent with long dinner lines, was a major disappointment.  He spoke for only 15 minutes and didn’t visit any new material not already present in his published bestsellers.  Perhaps the heart replacement surgery he had undergone the year prior, had understandably sapped his energy.

The best program was given by Dr. Joe Marshalla.  I will post more on his eye-opening presentation later.  For now, I wish to conclude reports on Synthesis 2012.  Despite the chaos and disorganization present throughout the four days, I believe the Festival to still be a success.  Sure, there were numerous talks about class action lawsuits over failure to deliver on promised (and paid for) services and performances.  Many said they would call their credit card company immediately upon return home to dispute paying $500 for a campground, missing transportation, meals which did not materialize, etc.

Ultimately, however, with changed hearts and minds and the connections made during the event there really appeared to me to be an internal shift within the participants which might support this success.  In the case of Synthesis 2012, the participants finally took over.  They made things happen themselves.  The inmates took over the asylum, and found out they were the keepers of the flame all along.  They made things work.  They connected and bonded without assistance from the organizers.

I witnessed much evidence of changed hearts, stilled minds, answered prayers, and realized intentions leading to potential healing, transformation and personal growth.  It was as a transformative event that Synthesis 2012 can stake whatever claim to success that it might.