Preparing for the Miraculous

2012 and 1956: Doomsday? 97the change of our planet’s spin rate, solar fireworks, nearbysupernovae, gamma-ray bursts, black holes, alien attacks,monstrous mutations on the Earth itself, or biological ornuclear terrorism.This does not mean, nevertheless, that the present situationof planet Earth and its denizens should not be takenseriously. The interpretation of the Mayan long-count calendaris not the only prediction of an imminent best or direst.Our moment in time is also supposed to be the end ofthe Iron Age, the dawn of the Age of Aquarius, the momentouschange predicted by Edgar Cayce, and, accordingto Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, the time of upheavalinevitable in the transition to a new stage of the terrestrialevolution. The bewildering circumstances caused by thistransition are clearly expressed in the extreme phenomenawhich seem to threaten life on Earth; in the mental, religiousand spiritual confusion of the “postmodern” period;in the vulnerability of our planet as perceived by science;and, not least, in the astounding increase of the humanpopulation which seems unstoppable.Gaia in troubleJames Lovelock (°1919) is a scientist and inventor whoat one time collaborated with NASA in their search for lifeon Mars. He became sincerely worried because of the damagedone to the terrestrial environment by a careless humanity,increasing beyond all proportions. He formulatedthe analysis of his worries in Gaia: A New Look at Life onEarth, published in 1979. By the name “Gaia” – the Greekname of the Goddess of the Earth, proposed by his friendWilliam Golding – Lovelock wanted to make his readersaware that the surface and the atmosphere of the Earth, ifnot the planet as a whole, looked, acted and was as vulnerableas a living being.