Astrologer Cathy Bednar says that the date Dec. 21 of this year -- the so-called last day on the Mayan calendar -- is generating the kind of interest and fear as did the Y2K at the cusp of the millennium.
"The Long Count Mayan calendar, which runs for a total of 5,125 years, ends on Dec. 21 this year, also the date of the winter solstice, and many people are curious about it," said Ms. Bednar, who will deliver a talk on the subject at 6:30 tonight at the Oakmont Carnegie Library, 700 Allegheny River Blvd.
The calendar comes from the Mesoamerican civilization from about 250 to 900 A.D., when advanced mathematics and primitive astronomy flourished. The calendar was used in Central America prior to the arrival of Europeans.
Ms. Bednar said the talk, which is free and open to the public, is titled "The Astrological Connections of Dec.21, 2012; the End of the Mayan Calendar."
"I've had a lot of people ask me what I thought about something happening on a catastrophic level on that date and I thought I'd put the topic out for discussion," she said.
In her talk, she'll encourage questions and give her audience connections associated with the date from an astrological point of view.
She'll also hand out visuals such as astrological charts and posters on astrology. She said her talk won't be a history lesson on the Mayans, but an astrological exploration of the date.
"Because the [Mayan] calendar seems to be running out on Dec.21, some people are thinking of it in terms of being the end of the world," she said. "In reality, it is likened to an odometer that reaches the count of 999, then turns over one digit to become 000."
Ms. Bednar likened the heightened interest in eschatology -- the study of the end of times -- is similar to the Y2K scare "in that some people thought the turn of the millennium would be a disaster."
One belief held by some people holds that the planets will align in such as way on Dec.21 -- the sun will be aligned with center of the Milky Way for first time in 26,000 years -- that the solar system will collapse.
But Ms. Bednar points out that astronomers and NASA have discounted the fear.
She also said she finds nothing unusual about the date from an astrological perspective.
The Monroeville woman said she has studied astrology for 15 years.
"I've been interested in astrology since high school when I read the daily horoscopes in the newspapers," she said. "I soon realized that they're too generalized and not customized to the individual. They give short blurbs on each sign for the day or month, but for an individual horoscope -- or natal chart -- a person needs to provide their birth date, birth time and location of where they were born."
Ms. Bednar has done many individual consultations with clients and inputs their natal information into a database for a computer software program she utilizes in her work. The program then generates an astrological chart for each client.
"A lot of people are curious about their chart because it gives them information on their background, relationships, career aspirations, finances, motivation and personality," she said.
In recent years, Ms. Bednar has been giving lectures and workshops at libraries, holistic centers, private clubs, yoga centers and at places like Whole Foods and the East End Co-op. Two years ago, she's was also interviewed on a radio station in Eastern Pennsylvania.
In October 2009, she delivered a talk at the Oakmont Library titled "How an Astrological Chart Can Help Define Your Life's Purpose." Robin Almendinger, program coordinator, said the talk drew a large crowd, which is one of the reasons the library invited her back.
"Our lecture topics have included everything from Reiki massage and guided imagery to finances, health and gardening," she said. "We're hoping that Ms. Bednar brings in an audience different from the ones our other talks do."
No comments:
Post a Comment