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The Book of Destiny: Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Mayans and the Prophecy of 2012
“Face to face with the schism caused by rational and scientific thought, Carlos Barrios undertakes an authentic and passionate search, bringing us close to the Cosmovision of one of the most ancient and wise people of our continent.”
— Nobel Laureate Ernesto Sabato James Redfield’s The Celestine Prophecy and the writings of Nostradamus meet Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements and the work of Carolyn Myss ( Anatomy of the Spirit, Sacred Contracts ) in The Book of Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Mayans and the Prophecy of 2012 . A contemporary Mayan Priest and Shaman reveals the genius of the ancient Mayan calendar and its accompanying horoscope, and examines in depth the ancient 2012 prophecy that many believe will forever change the world as we know it. The Book of Destiny is the most complete and authentic book on the secrets of the ancient Mayan culture and what it means for readers today.
— Nobel Laureate Ernesto Sabato James Redfield’s The Celestine Prophecy and the writings of Nostradamus meet Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements and the work of Carolyn Myss ( Anatomy of the Spirit, Sacred Contracts ) in The Book of Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Mayans and the Prophecy of 2012 . A contemporary Mayan Priest and Shaman reveals the genius of the ancient Mayan calendar and its accompanying horoscope, and examines in depth the ancient 2012 prophecy that many believe will forever change the world as we know it. The Book of Destiny is the most complete and authentic book on the secrets of the ancient Mayan culture and what it means for readers today.
- GenresSpiritualityCultural
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2009
36 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 29, 2009
The only book I've found on Mayan calendrics from a Mayan shaman and member of the Mayan Elders Council. Has an excellent, detailed section on each of the 20 Cholq'ij day signs. My favorite book on the subject!
October 8, 2009
Gives a more credible interpretation of 2012 in the Maya calendar from the viewpoint of Mayan accounts of their own history and cosmology, the author being a mayan priest and member of the Elders Council of Guatemala. I'm always interested in calendars, and he goes into many of the 20 mayan calendars here also.
May 22, 2023
Mayan spirituality and cosmology have significantly impacted my life in a positive manner, much more than I could ever have predicted. And to think that, growing up in Alaska as a child, I don't even recall hearing about the Maya. This beautiful book by Carlos Barrios, "The Book of Destiny," has become my go-to reference book over the 25 years I have studied the subject.
Whether one has an interest in the Mayan culture, from all those temples built in Mesoamerica in centuries past to the millions living today in countries like Mexico, Guatemela, Belize, and Honduras, or whether one's interest is more to do with knowing how to live within a world-view that honors Nature as a guide, this volume is full of useful information. For me, it is the practical cosmic spirituality and the idea of engaging with the cycles of time to optimize one's life that keeps bringing me back to "The Book of Destiny." It's as valuable now as it was leading up to the great Mayan calendar cycle that turned over on 21 December 2012.
A topic pertinent to all is learning about one's native Mayan birth sign (as well as one's conception sign and destiny sign). The Mayan astrology, if you will, that is detailed in the book is informative and useful. Another relevant topic is on living the days in accordance with the Mayan sacred calendar name, which we can overlay on top of the Gregorian calendar. Many of us already do something sort of similar when we overlay moon phases onto our monthly planner.
I do recommend this book if any of the above thoughts resonate with you.
Footnote: I saw Carlos Barrios speak at the Prophet's Conference in Palm Springs in 2004. He was asked by the Mayan elders to take their message of harmony on the road...
Whether one has an interest in the Mayan culture, from all those temples built in Mesoamerica in centuries past to the millions living today in countries like Mexico, Guatemela, Belize, and Honduras, or whether one's interest is more to do with knowing how to live within a world-view that honors Nature as a guide, this volume is full of useful information. For me, it is the practical cosmic spirituality and the idea of engaging with the cycles of time to optimize one's life that keeps bringing me back to "The Book of Destiny." It's as valuable now as it was leading up to the great Mayan calendar cycle that turned over on 21 December 2012.
A topic pertinent to all is learning about one's native Mayan birth sign (as well as one's conception sign and destiny sign). The Mayan astrology, if you will, that is detailed in the book is informative and useful. Another relevant topic is on living the days in accordance with the Mayan sacred calendar name, which we can overlay on top of the Gregorian calendar. Many of us already do something sort of similar when we overlay moon phases onto our monthly planner.
I do recommend this book if any of the above thoughts resonate with you.
Footnote: I saw Carlos Barrios speak at the Prophet's Conference in Palm Springs in 2004. He was asked by the Mayan elders to take their message of harmony on the road...
March 12, 2015
It took me some time to read the book from cover to cover as I was not always in a spiritual state of mind to continue reading it so I had to take breaks that sometimes lasted months.
The Book of Destiny is a really good book that I would recommend to fellow seekers of knowledge and wisdom from the past that has been "lost" in our modern society. It gives some really good insight into what we do not and did not learn in history class with regards to the "pale face" visitors that came to North, Central, and South America. And it's good to know that many of the sacred texts and artifacts were hidden prior to their arrival.
On a side note, it was good to learn more Nahuatl words as I learned a few through various Spanish classes when talking about Mexico. In life learning is often about remembering what has been lost or forgotten and this book is a great learning apparatus!
Thank you for this book and for demystifying the Mayan calendar system--it is not just 1 calendar. In our society it is needed as we think that since Westerners use the Gregorian calendar and there is only one that everyone else must also have only 1 too.
Namaste...light shines through this book and not just through the Energy of Ajpu!
The Book of Destiny is a really good book that I would recommend to fellow seekers of knowledge and wisdom from the past that has been "lost" in our modern society. It gives some really good insight into what we do not and did not learn in history class with regards to the "pale face" visitors that came to North, Central, and South America. And it's good to know that many of the sacred texts and artifacts were hidden prior to their arrival.
On a side note, it was good to learn more Nahuatl words as I learned a few through various Spanish classes when talking about Mexico. In life learning is often about remembering what has been lost or forgotten and this book is a great learning apparatus!
Thank you for this book and for demystifying the Mayan calendar system--it is not just 1 calendar. In our society it is needed as we think that since Westerners use the Gregorian calendar and there is only one that everyone else must also have only 1 too.
Namaste...light shines through this book and not just through the Energy of Ajpu!
November 9, 2009
This was actually one of the more interesting books on 2012 I have read. It was wisdom passed on from the Mayan grandfathers or elders. I learned a bit about ancient Mayan culture. Its prophecies pretty well summed up some of the things going on in the world today. It also had a section where you could plot different personality types (I am an amature astrologer) and it gave me new insight into the important people in my life. I will read this book again.
Read
June 30, 2020One of the most indispensable books written about the Maya, timely, succinct, true and more relevant today than when it was released around 2011. Carlos Barrios, a ceremonial priest and spiritual
guide of the Eagle Clan, Guatemala, offers a refreshing world-view of where we are at collectively as humanity, and how each of us can re-connect those lost connections with each other, the earth and with our delicate ecology. A must read!
guide of the Eagle Clan, Guatemala, offers a refreshing world-view of where we are at collectively as humanity, and how each of us can re-connect those lost connections with each other, the earth and with our delicate ecology. A must read!
November 2, 2009
This was an interesting book. It discussed the Mayan civilization and their outlook on the world. The Prophecy of 2012 was not as I thought it was. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Maya.
January 30, 2025
DNF
The mysticism of the Mayans is quite interesting but somehow this book is neither mystical nor interesting. It reads far more like a sociologist’s critique of the modern world. I do not want to read about how great this Mayan culture is and how bad the west is. I want to read about the prophecies themselves but I don’t want them to be hidden between a bunch of propaganda.
The mysticism of the Mayans is quite interesting but somehow this book is neither mystical nor interesting. It reads far more like a sociologist’s critique of the modern world. I do not want to read about how great this Mayan culture is and how bad the west is. I want to read about the prophecies themselves but I don’t want them to be hidden between a bunch of propaganda.
June 5, 2018
Lido em Português é um livro bom para descontrair das fantasias e dos dramas, e aprender um pouco mais sobre as superstições, mitologias e revelações Maias, um assunto que acho interessante, se estivermos atentos aos sinais.
July 30, 2018
Anthro class- read for a research assignment. I like that it had a bit of a different perspective from others that I have read on the topic. All and all-decent.
February 14, 2010
Okay I had to read at least one book about 2012 didn’t I? I figured why not read one by an actual Mayan priest since I know they certainly didn’t mean the end of the world like all the other idiots are running around screaming. This book really was a nice an introduction to current Mayan living, Mayan philosophy and history. No book on 2012 is complete without talking crystal skulls which this does and gives an idea what they might be for. I enjoyed Barrios narrative voice and the stories he chose to tell.
Naturally, the end of the world should be better stated as the end of this era with a new one following. The Mayan were (and are) very good mathematicians (and medically advanced for their ‘golden age’ back in the days before the conquistadors) and kept calendars of amazing accuracy running for thousands of years. They had some pretty impressive astronomical abilities as well. Speaking of the conquistadors, they are mentioned to and not in a nice way (big surprise)
The second half of the book is all about Mayan ‘astrology’ and how it affected them, apparently deeply. Pretty much you were expected to go in to whatever career whose sign you were born under (and that for me makes little plot bunnies breed in my head). It was difficult at first to wade through it then I sort of gave up since there was no way of figuring out how it related to our calendar until I flipped back to the rich appendices. (Really that should have been at the forefront of this not the end because really reading star sign after star sign gets dull). I’m T’zi, the dog. Apparently we’re all about law and order and spiritual growth. We’re great writers (yay) and better lovers (double yay) though we tend to end up alone (well I’m there now…). We’re doctors, lawyers, educators and mathematicians (Okay I’m a doctor, now an educator with a minor in math so…). My power places are mountains and beaches (two favorite places though I can’t just sit on a beach) And it includes people such as Steven Spielberg, J.K. Rowling, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and…uh, Hitler…
The one thing I didn’t like though really bothered me a lot. It wasn’t some of the really fru-fru new agey stuff. I can look past that. It’s the whitewashing of history, making them out as barely knowing what war was when that doesn’t even come close to matching what’s written in their own histories (I see this a lot with some of the new age stuff). But overall, if you’re curious about 2012, this would be a good book for you.
November 21, 2010
Barrios unwittingly shows the Mayan religion to be just another religion. Nothing more and nothing less. He does what every other believer has done for centuries; he tries to prove that his beliefs are different, that his 'gods'have the answers.
Barrios uses the clicheed scare tactics employed in these books. He says that intolerance, murder and war are worse than ever. I know I'm being simplistic here but humour me - Genghis Khan murdered 125 million people, Hilter & The Allies 65 million, Stalin 20 million. Casualties in Vietnam - 5 million, recent Gulf War – less than 1 million. Any historian would agree the atrocities men commit have always existed. Perhaps human sacrifice in Mayan culture does not count as an atrocity.
The only truly notable Mayan achievement, along with tribes from the Middle East, was to use 0 in calculations. Mayans also built stone monuments – a craze around the world at that time. Even the Zimbabweans built these. Perhaps the key to our salvation lies to the north of the Limpopo?
They predicted their demise, and proceeded to scatter, fulfilling their prophecy. They never invented the wheel. They did however, kill their enemies, and more disturbingly, many of their friends.
However, Mayans were great timekeepers, and Barrios has it on good authority that the end of the world will not happen on 21 December 2012. Good news indeed.
P.S. This book is badly written, and Barrois’s method for discerning Mayan Symbols incomprehensible. I urge you not to buy it.
0/5
Amanda Patterson
www.writerswrite.co.za
Barrios uses the clicheed scare tactics employed in these books. He says that intolerance, murder and war are worse than ever. I know I'm being simplistic here but humour me - Genghis Khan murdered 125 million people, Hilter & The Allies 65 million, Stalin 20 million. Casualties in Vietnam - 5 million, recent Gulf War – less than 1 million. Any historian would agree the atrocities men commit have always existed. Perhaps human sacrifice in Mayan culture does not count as an atrocity.
The only truly notable Mayan achievement, along with tribes from the Middle East, was to use 0 in calculations. Mayans also built stone monuments – a craze around the world at that time. Even the Zimbabweans built these. Perhaps the key to our salvation lies to the north of the Limpopo?
They predicted their demise, and proceeded to scatter, fulfilling their prophecy. They never invented the wheel. They did however, kill their enemies, and more disturbingly, many of their friends.
However, Mayans were great timekeepers, and Barrios has it on good authority that the end of the world will not happen on 21 December 2012. Good news indeed.
P.S. This book is badly written, and Barrois’s method for discerning Mayan Symbols incomprehensible. I urge you not to buy it.
0/5
Amanda Patterson
www.writerswrite.co.za
October 26, 2013
2012 has been and gone now and we're all still here (not that i ever doubted that anyway) so i thought it would be interesting to read about the mayan prophecies and what the future really holds for us..
unfortunately i just couldnt get into this book as i found the chapters to be a bit disjointed and in parts quite boring which resulted in me flicking forward and possibly missing some interesting facts..that said i did still manage to learn a bit about Mayan culture and it was also interesting to read about my own sign - b'atz..apparently we’re all about the start of life, infinite time and unity and this sign symbolises cosmic phenomena and original wisdom - WOW that's all me ;o) but as with modern day astrology there are parts i read which are 100% me and other things that i dont connect with at all..im still eager to learn my lifes purpose and discover my destiny so i will be looking out for new titles about the mayans so id welcome any recommendations..
unfortunately i just couldnt get into this book as i found the chapters to be a bit disjointed and in parts quite boring which resulted in me flicking forward and possibly missing some interesting facts..that said i did still manage to learn a bit about Mayan culture and it was also interesting to read about my own sign - b'atz..apparently we’re all about the start of life, infinite time and unity and this sign symbolises cosmic phenomena and original wisdom - WOW that's all me ;o) but as with modern day astrology there are parts i read which are 100% me and other things that i dont connect with at all..im still eager to learn my lifes purpose and discover my destiny so i will be looking out for new titles about the mayans so id welcome any recommendations..
January 10, 2013
A timely and interesting Christmas gift from a friend. I began it before the Mayan calendar was supposed to end, and finished after the melodrama wound down. The author claims to be a shaman in the unbroken Mayan tradition and a member of the Mayan Elders Council. The first chapters give a good background on Mayan beliefs and cosmology as well as disclosing what happened after the conquistadores arrived. The second half explicates detail of Mayan astrological signs.I did not succeed in calculating my sign. The pictographs and Mayan names were a little difficult to follow and I wasn't sure whether I was pronouncing the syllables correctly. However, I did like reading about the esoteric beliefs of the Mayan culture. It was much less sensational and more gentle than the fear-based messages being promulgated on the Internet.
June 2, 2012
I was able to work out what destiny sign I was born under and thus read the meaning and significance of this sign to me and everything in the planet. In so doing, it was like reading a excerpt from my own life!! It was absolutely amazing.
Carlos narrates the destiny signs and their significance in a very clear and concise manner, that makes interpreting meaning to oneself and the planet very easy.
Carlos narrates the destiny signs and their significance in a very clear and concise manner, that makes interpreting meaning to oneself and the planet very easy.
June 13, 2010
I can't wait to read the Popol Vuh. I learned quite a bit from this book about Mayan culture, but the whole December 21, 2012 prophecy sounds hokey and the Mayan signs at the encd of the book sound like the zodiac signs. Not sure why others gave it a four. I gave it a 3 because the first half of the book is very informative.
October 15, 2012
This was really well done. The author not only describes the ancient calendar (which is much more than a way to "count/number the days") but also provides guidance on the cultural use of the system then and now. The now part is interesting as he spells out how to gather a personal perspective of one's strengths and challenges. Very good reference, and guide, book.
October 3, 2011
I was disappointed by this book. The chapters were short and disjointed. The calendar info is almost word-for-word of what's on the Internet. I was really hoping for some new insights, since the author is a "Member of the Mayan Elders Council" but those insights weren't there.
October 20, 2009
To lear from our ancestors you have to read it. Ludovica y Carlos hacen un gran trabajo.
May 29, 2011
Spirit dropped this one into my lap after a visit in El Reate with tribe and on my way to Tikal Ruins!!! A must read and great reference book.
August 2, 2013
This book was not what I expected, it's much better.
June 20, 2010
Very good book from a real Mayan Guatemalan. I think the Mayans got it right! TOTALLY!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews