by Burke McKay

Created on: October 17, 2008

If you're reading this, there is a fair possibility that you've entertained a number of the various theories that surround the Winter Solstice {December 21} of 2012. The "Doom & Gloom" theories tend to overshadow all, probably because so many of us love to be scared, with the "alien" and "mind expansion" theories coming in a close second and third. However, there are certain events of some significance that are rarely written about, almost never talked about by the pontificators of 2012 events, and as a result only a few, if any, contemplate them.

Every 13 millennia {13,000 years} the Solar system transits the elliptic plane of the Milky Way galaxy.
From our perspective, we'll be moving from above the galactic plane to below it. The last time the Solar system was making this same transition was 26 millennia ago, which is also the approximate period for Earth to complete one precessional cycle. When related to something more familiar, these large numbers take on a fascinating and remarkable aspect that is usually hidden because of the size of the numbers involved.

Some years ago a song was released about a soldier in Vietnam. He kept a deck of cards with him, instead of a Bible. His description of why was a clue for me to look at 2012 in a slightly different light.

The deck has 52 cards, there are 52 weeks in a year. There are 4 suits, a year has 4 seasons. Each suit has 13 cards, each season has 13 weeks. Half of the deck has 26 cards, half of the year has 26 weeks.

Many wonder why the Mayans ended their calendar on December 21, 2012, and from this seemingly inexplicable ending come all the theories. I believe I have an answer for this strange event, and if I'm right, the answer has been right in front of us for as long as there have been calendars.

Each calendar ends on December 31 because the year has ended, and the next calendar will begin on January 1 because the new year has begun. Though our calendar ends on December 31, the Solar year {measured from solstice to solstice to solstice through the equinoxes} actually ends on December 21. By now I'm pretty sure you know where I'm going with this.

Maybe the Mayans ended their calendar on 12-21-2012 because it is the New Year's Eve of the Galactic Year, ending a 52 millennia cycle. Their calendar points to this date, and this event. On that date, perhaps at midnight, perhaps at sunset, we, the inhabitants of planet Earth, will witness the ending of the previous Galactic Year, and the beginning of the New.

Each year we celebrate the passing of the Old and the promise of the New, we resolve to make the New Year better, and by the end of January, we've forgotten all the promise, resolutions, and optimism with which we greeted the New Year. Maybe when this Galactic Year ends, and the New Year begins, we will try harder, hold on tighter, and make this next Galactic Year better than the one we're in now. Maybe we'll make resolutions that last longer than a month; after all, the New Year will only last 52 millennia.

Learn more about this author, Burke McKay.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.