The 2012 time period originally came into the realm of discussion by researchers discovering that the Mayan calendar ends in or around the year 2012. It is interesting to note that many modern people don't think the Mayan people even exist anymore, which couldn't be farther from the truth! It is estimated that there are six million Maya that share cultural heritage living in Southern Mexico and Central America.

However, unlike their ancient ancestors, most modern Maya live in poverty and exploitation. It's sad. But it is also an important part of Mayan prophecy: That humans will completely lose their connection to the sacredness of nature, and when that happens, the world as we know it will end. Many other indigenous cultures have similar prophecies.

We also find striking similarities of what is going on in the world today from many other sources, including the bible, the Jewish calendar, Islamic cosmology, and psychic predictions by Edgar Cayce and Nostradamus, among many others.

The other important side to all this is the science. Many scientists are now realizing that our planet is overdue for catastrophic events such as another super-volcanic eruption, earthquake, asteroid strike, etc. In addition, we have a whole slew of man-made environmental disasters, such as climate threats, war threats, health threats, and sustenance threats.

For years I have been trying to awaken people to this. In my book Ecoshamanism: Sacred Practices of Unity, Power and Earth Healing I lay out more than fifty shamanic practices to help deal with the many crises we now face. So, in dealing with the 2012 topic I went back to my roots and consulted the "First Shamans," Grandfather Fire and Grandmother Growth, a technique I learned from more than twenty years studying shamanic practices with indigenous shamans.

The bulk of the material in my book, Beyond 2012: A Shaman's Call to Personal Change and the Transformation of Human Consciousness, includes the conversations I had with the First Shamans and the wisdom they have imparted.

The main message they have shared with me is that we need to reclaim our "luminous self," the self that transcends ego and purely personal human concerns. The self that is connected to the source of our lives: Our Mother Earth.

The way that they have instructed is to use many different techniques to awaken our luminous self. These included the construction of shrines and altars; the making of offerings; working with the Mayan "Day Creators;"; using the power of healing, talking, and divining stones; reclaiming, raising, and wisely using our personal energy; and techniques for living on a daily basis through our luminous selves.

The message from the First Shamans about 2012 is a positive one: that we control our own destiny. That is also the message I have received from the modern Maya.

Recently I had the privilege to receive a small book that has been written by the Mayan Elders of Guatemala because they know that the time has come for their ancient prophecies and vision to be shared with the world. The similarities of that book with the information I received from the First Shamans are simply incredible. The messages are very clear: it is time for us to switch gears away from never-ending consumption and join the First Shamans in conscious acts of co-creation. The time period we are now living will be the evolution of human consciousness, or the end of our species. The choice is ours.