RIP Jose Arguelles

by Robert Wilkinson

Just over three weeks ago we lost one of the most distinguished Beings of the 20th Century. He opened "doors of perception" that changed our world forever. Without his work, very few today would have speculated about the relative importance of the year 2012.

Most "cultural creatives" have heard of the great Jose Arguelles, who died on March 23. He was one of the originators of the Harmonic Convergence (the mid-August 1987 Grand Fire Trine), the Whole Earth festival, and the Dreamspell game where he introduced the 13 Moon/28 Day Calendar. He was a world-renowned author, artist, visionary and educator who also founded Planet Art Network and the Foundation for the Law of Time.

He introduced humanity to a new way of measuring time and a new way of regarding reality, especially the fast paced events of the years we're currently experiencing. He wrote several important books covering a new way of regarding time, space, and reality, including "The Transformative Vision: Reflections on the Nature and History of Human Expression (1975)," "The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology (1987)," "The Call of Pacal Votan: Time is the Fourth Dimension (1996)," and "Time and the Technosphere: The Law of Time in Human Affairs (2002)."

There have been criticisms of his work, especially since he made it clear that "his tools and calendar were not the Mayan Calendar," and there is no support for his claims by any Mayan scholar or Mayan elder. This is because Argüelles' calendar is based on a different day-count than the traditional Maya calendar. Basically, he synthesized several approaches in forming his view of time and how it's measured, and more than a few assertions come from non-Mayan origins.

Still, he worked tirelessly for promoting the best possible global shift in consciousness right up to his death, and was a powerful spokesperson for global awareness, peace through culture, and art as a spiritual tool to unify the world. He made a substantial contribution to our world, past, present, and future, and will no doubt be honored as a Being of global culture, peace, beauty, and evolution.

Aum Namah Shivaya to a truly great Being!