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Messages from Wisdom Keepers
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    Mayan Itza Initiations

The Mayan Council feels honored to offer you the Initiation in the Sacred Mayan Culture.
This initiation may be one or more days long according to your convenience and the program we are advertising in our web site.

The Mayan Ceremonial Center Lol Be is the only one in the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico, that offers this kind of Mayan initiatic works. This program is directed to all the initiatic people or researchers of the Mayan culture that want to go further into the Maya cosmic culture.

We all know that nowadays most people just tell the same silly stories about the Mayan culture. This is due mostly to the fact that the official organizations from all over the world just repeat what the first friars wrote about a great culture they never really understood.

That is the main reason why the Mayan Council has decided to teach the true Mayan culture of the Itza Tradition at the Mayan Ceremonial Center Lol Be. For further details on how to register and participate in this important Mayan teachings, please access the following web site.

www.yumchaak.com.mx

May the Great Spirit be always with you.

Hunbatz Men
Maya Itza Council
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2012: The end of the world?

México, February 8th, 2010. A group of Mexican anthropologists will investigate in México and Guatemala what Indigenous Mayas think about the apocalyptic interpretation that occidentals have of their calendar that has been shown in the North American film “2012”.

“The way Mayas think, it is all about one cyclic moment that has an end. Mayas never conceptualized this as a catastrophic date,” explains José Huchim, an archeologist and member of the Mayan community.

“It is a worry that the vision that we have as Mayas is taken another meaning”.  Said Huchim, investigator of the National Institute of Anthropology and History of México (INAH), in an interview with AFP.

“Genuinely the Mayas predicted that on this date, a deity associated with the war was going to descend, but does not exist a final count of the time,” explained Guillermo Bernal, investigator of the Center of Mayan Studies of the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM).

The experts reject interpretations like the book “The Mayan Testament” of Steve Alten, which has sold 10 millions copies, and originated the North American film,  revealing that Mayas announced  the end of the world on December 21 of 2012.

The investigators will move on March to Yucatán (Southeast of Mexico)   and Guatemala where they will contact the Xamanes (Mayan priests) of the Mayan communities to evaluate how they are preparing for 2012, and what they think about the publicity generated around  the movie.

The biggest concern of the investigators is that those interpretations can be used to support the penetration of religious sects between the indigenous.

“In the recent history have had examples of sects using this kind of apocalyptic interpretations to incite collective suicides,” remembers Bernal.

According with official numbers, the Mayan population in Mexico is almost 1.5 millions, concentrated in the Yucatan Peninsula. In Guatemala the descendants of the Mayas are approximately 13 millions, the 40% of the population.

According with an Estela found in Cobá, an archaeological zone of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo (East) on 2012, conclude the current age of the Mayan calendar that began 2,144 years before our age.

The calendar called “The calendar of the long count” was created for the Mayas in order to register specific dates of their past and future that were engraved on Estelas. This calendar is divided in 13 bactunes or cycles of time of 144,000 days, and on December 2012 conclude the last one. But that does not mean the end of the world, explains Bernal.

“Then starts the bactun 14, the continuous counting of time. For instance, in Palenque (archeological zone of Chiapas, Southeast) exist an Estela with a faraway registered date: the year 4772 of our calendar in which the anniversary of a leader of that Mayan city is mentioned… Said Bernal

The specialist also regret that between all the occidental interpretations about the Estela of Cobá there is none even one that expresses “the true feeling of the Mayas”.

“Unfortunately  ,  the technology helps with the  emerging of those kind of ideas, more than the true  ways Mayas think, so we are selecting a group of Xamanes to know  how the Mayas live this shift of cycle”, said finally Bernal.

http://mayanews.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/2012-the-end-of-the-world/

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The Mayas Do Not Prophesize the End of the World

Mexico City.  February 6th 2010.The director of Center and Middle America studies of the Estate University of Russia of Human Sciences indicated that the Mayas do not speak about death on 2012, only about droughts.

The director of the Center of Middle America studies,  “Yuri Knórosov” of the Estate University of Russia of Human Sciences, the lady Galina Ershova, affirmed that the end of the world was not prognosticated in the prophesies of the  Mayan culture.

During the masterly conference “The Mayas´ live through the hieroglyphic texts” in front of students of the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, México (UANL). Doctor Ershova, specified that the Mayan theory only prognosticated droughts and diseases in the next 20 years from its writing moment.

She emphasized that the astronomic texts do not say anything about any prophecy, “Astronomic texts refer to real and very specific things, nothing of Cosmo vision or deaths on 2012, they simply talk about droughts”.

The Russian academic Historian specialized on the study of ancient civilizations, cultures and languages of the New World and particularly in Mayan culture and writing, said that the astronomic texts only focus in the space of humanity’s life.

“The Mayas did not talk about that in their prophecies in any text, they were smarter than that,” emphasized the author of more than 200 scientific articles in art, literature, and more than eight books about Mayan writing, history and archeoastronomy.

She explained that in order to decipher the Mayan hieroglyphic the Russian pioneer Yury Knórosov, had to used a mathematic model, 365 signs of syllabic phonetic writing, and the 29 signs of Diego de Landa in order to understand the Maya world.

She mentioned that the studies done in Russia were based in real facts, not in versions that offend the cultural patrimony of an indigenous pueblo.

“The education of a classic European culture  let Yury Knorosov got like in the water to decipher the Mayan writing, so I was fascinated with my compatriot , and I wanted  to share this work  with him also” she said.

Galina Ershova indicated that in her work they analyze Mayan life through the ancient texts, not through stupid things that appear in movies, like the one of Mel Gibson, which offended the Mayan culture because he talked about the ancestor Maya’s life, when they are using all the current things in Yucatan and Quintana Roo. It is foolishness,” she said.

She said also that “The Mayan texts are not only one vision of the universe; they are a reflection about ourselves in order to realize how the world we are living in as it is.”

http://mayanews.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/the-mayas-do-not-prophesize-the-end-of-the-world/

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(left) Glyph for (right)Hunbatz Men- Elder

The Mayan Ceremonial Center Lol Be was built to freely perform Mayan rituals. We all know that the Mexican government controls the Mayan ceremonial centers and will NOT ever allow anyone to perform rituals in those sites.
In short, in these web sites you will find plenty of information about the Mayan culture and will also learn about some of the many aspects of the cosmic Mayan wisdom, like prophecies, calendars, crystal skulls, and a lot of additional information about the movements of the New Age.
So if you wish to learn more details, please check up the web sites below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4znJHpZrfOQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=QVGlPrqnicY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=LV13aRUExLw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=l-8wsGB0qYQ&feature=related
http://elistas.net/lista/galacticmaya/archivo/indice/441/msg/2389/

May the Great Spirit be always with you.

Hunbatz Men
Maya Itza Tradition


To all my Solar Siblings:

May the Great Father Sun be with you.
It is a pleasure to inform you about our next Initiatic work coordinated by the Mayan Council of Mexico. This time we are going to teach how to work with the solar energy and how to apply it in order to make ourselves physically healthier.

The Mayans from the old times used to believe that the spirit was of solar origin; and that was the reason why they did rituals to honor the sun, which was their Father. According to their beliefs, the Father Sun was the one that gave them their spirit, so he would be able to heal their spirits.

A body that is physically healthy and a spirit that is ethereally healthy make a perfect life.

Here is the web site of this event in case you want to book for this initiatic tour. There you will find out how to book and join us in this important event where you will learn many secrets of the Mayan wisdom.

 Please see the following web site for further details: www.yumchaak.com.mx

Hunbatz Men
Maya Itza Tradition
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Grand Maya Itza  Council Speaks About 2012
Merida, Yucatan, Mexico November, 2008

Cosmic Brothers and Sisters :

The GRAND MAYA ITZA COUNCIL  feels proud to distribute this list of sacred sites to all the Initiates and Workers of Light from all around the world.  These sites must be used  to do the work of returning of the Great Spirit in order to prevent our mother Earth from the unfortunate events foreseen to happen in these years leading up to  2012.

We the MAYA ITZA people are very aware of the bad news and disasters that are going to occur in these years 'of 2012' as foreseen by many  people. According to many of them, the world will come to an end due to  phenomena like the ones mentioned in the Apocalypse of the Christian  Bible.
Photo of November 13 Full Moon which had the Sundog Rainbow of Change encircling it's energy.

We the Mayans who have not been cultured by the  Western Culture do not agree with all the negative things our sacred calendars have been involved in.  That is the main reason  why we are distributing this list of sacred sites where we are planning to  do our spiritual work. Every Full Moon we are going to make a  spiritual journey to every one of the sacred sites on the list, starting  our first ceremony on November 13, 2008, and continuing that way until carrying out the last ceremony on December 28, 2012,which is the actual date when our Sister and Mother Moon is going to perform the big change on the  mankinds mentality.  

In our communication, (below),  we are going to explain you how the ancient Mayas used to make these spiritual journeys to the ancient ceremonial centers in order to activate all thesacred sites from all around the world.  This will be the best to  contribute to the salvation of our Mother Earth as well as the sacred human  race and all the living beings.

GRAND MAYA ITZA  COUNCILNew Cycle of Mayan Wisdom

Please pass this  information onto all your contacts and acquaintances Cosmic Brothers and Sisters:

I feel very grateful to our Mayan  Creator Hunab Ku for having let me reincarnate to  gather again with my siblings  of the Maya Itza Tradition.  This way, we will be able to get together as  we used to do long time ago in these sacred lands where the cosmic wisdom of the  Itza Light still reigns.

Every Full Moon we are going to  gather together  in spirit at the sites of the list below so that our Sister Moon can remind us of the time when we stopped understanding her and the mankind got lost in the lunatic illusion we are living nowadays.

This initiatic work will be done in 52 moon cycles and after we complete the whole cycle we will be able to remember  our cosmic past again.The rituals of these spiritual journeys will be  held in the following way:

The rituals and journeys will be held by 5 initiate  people; then the sacred site where the ritual is going to be held must be selected and then 4 of the 5 people must be placed on the four cardinal  directions, one on the east,another one on the west, another one on the north  and the other one on the south; the fifth and last person must be lying face up with his or her head pointing to the north.

The ritual is going to be held in a Full Moon night and will last a little more than an hour. The 5 initiates could be male or female and must be adults.They should also wear white clothes. When they do the ritual, their bodies and spirits must be in complete harmony. During the ceremony, both the ritual  conductors as well as the whole humankind will be asked to keep their minds clear so that our understanding ability can be illumined and we can understand  the wisdom of the universal intelligence.

Note:   If you do not have a 'group' to perform the  ceremonies, you may work alone, or with one, two, three, four OR many  more.   The importance is the 'intent' of your meditation.

GRAND MAYA ITZA COUNCIL
New Cycle of Mayan Wisdom

For more information contact:
Hunbatz Men
Ph.: (999) 982-5824   
Fax. (999) 982-5562
E-mail: mayan20@prodigy.net.mx
Web: www.themayas.com.mx

GRAND MAYA ITZA COUNCIL                            
FULL MOON CEREMONY CALENDAR
No. Of Moon -SACRED  SITE - COUNTRY- FULL  MOON DATE  Cycles/Months
 No. 1 - 1 ANGKOR, CAMBODIA November 13,  2008       
No. 2 - 2 ASTRAKHAN, RUSSIA December 12,  2008       
No. 3 - 3 BASRA, IRAQ January 11, 2009       
No. 4 - 4 BLYTHE, CA USA February 9,  2009       
No. 5 - 5 BUNDOOMA, AUSTRALIA March 11,  2009       
No. 6 - 6 CAHOKIA, IL USA April 9,  2009
No. 7 - 7 CARNAC, FRANCE May 9,  2009       
No. 8 - 8  COBA, MEXICO June 7, 2009       
No. 9 - 9 COPAN, HONDURAS July 7,  2009       
No. 10 - 10 CUNAGUA, CUBA August 6, 2009       
No. 11- 11 CHACO CANYON, USA September 4,  2009       
No. 12 - 12 CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO October 4,  2009       
No. 13 - 13 DEBRECEN, HUNGARY November 2,  2009       

No. 1 - 14 ESFAHAN, IRAN December 2,  2009       
No. 2 - 15 GRAN PIRAMIDE, EGYPT December 31,  2009  KEOPS    
No. 3 - 16 GUAYAMA,PUERTO RICO January 30,  2010       
No. 4 - 17 HATOR DENDERA, EGYPT February 28, 2010
No. 5 - 18 HELFRANTZKIRCH, GERMANY March 30,  2010       
No. 6 - 19 IZMIR,TURKEY April 28,  2010            
No. 7 -  20 JIBHAFANTA, MONGOLIA May 27,  2010
No. 8 - 21 KALACMUL, MEXICO June 26,  2010       
No. 9 - 22 KRAPINA, CROATIA July 26,  2010       
No. 10 - 23 KURUMAN, S. AFRICA August 24,  2010
No. 11 - 24 LATAKIA, SYRIA September 23,  2010       
No. 12 - 25 LHASA, TIBET October 23,  2010       
No. 13 - 26 LUBAANTUN, BELIZE November 21, 2010       

No. 1 - 27 MACHU PICCHU, PERU December 21,  2010       
No. 2 - 28 MALAKAL, SUDAN January 19,  2011       
No. 3 - 29 MAORI, NEW ZEALAND February 18, 2011
No. 4 -30  MEXIANA, BRAZIL March 19,  2011       
No. 5 - 31 MIXCO VIEJO, GUATEMALA April 18,  2011       
No. 6 - 32 MOUNDVILLE, AL USA May 17, 2011       
No. 7 - 33 NAMPULA, MOZAMBIQUE June 15,  2011       
No. 8 - 34 OLLANTAYTAMBO,PERU July 15,  2011       
No. 9 - 35 PARANA, ARGENTINA August 13, 2011       
No. 10 - 36 PIRAMIDES DE.  SPAIN September 12,  2011   GUIMAR    
No. 11 - 37 SERPENT MOUND USA October 12,  2011       
No. 12 - 38 SILSBURY HILL, ENGLAND November 10,2011       
No. 13 - 39 SIPAN, PERU December 10,  2011            

No.1 - 40 STONEHENGE, ENGLAND January 9,  2012       
No. 2 - 41 SURAKARTA,INDONESIA February 7,  2012       
No. 3 - 42 TAJ MAHAL, INDIA March 8, 2012       
No. 4 - 43 TANGER, ALGERIA April 6,  2012       
No. 5 - 44 TAZUMAL, EL SALVADOR May 6,  2012
No. 6 - 45 TEOTIHUACAN, MEXICO June 4,  2012       
No. 7 - 46 TIHUANAKU, BOLIVIA  July 3,  2012       
No. 8 - 47 TIKAL, GUATEMALA August 2, 2012
No. 9 - 48 TONGARIYAMA, JAPAN August 31,  2012       
No. 10 - 49 TUCUPITA,VENEZUELA  September 30,  2012       
No. 11 - 50 UXMAL, MEXICO October 29,  2012
No. 12 - 51 VAASA, FINLAND November 28,  2012       
No. 13 - 52 VIJAYANAGAR, INDIA December 28,  2012

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Mayan Calendar:
A Message from Mayan Elder Hunbatz Men
Hunbatz Men's message.....
 It is an honor to share with you a message from my uncle, Don Beto, who was the last guardian of X Wenk'al, a Mayan ceremonial center. I have kept this message deep within my soul for many years, but the ever-increasing ecological damage that afflicts Mother Earth has prompted me to release it.
The Mayan Cosmic Calendar and its connection with essence spirit: All that exists on Mother Earth has essence as well as spirit. To the Maya, essence and spirit are one and the same and their never  ending cyclic language tells matter how to act to give way to the cyclic changes.
My uncle, Don Beto, explained this to me many years ago in a very simple manner. One day, as my uncle and I were walking in the jungle near Espita, my home town, he suddenly gestured indicating that we sit on some stones that were under a beautiful tree. As we sat down I perceived the aroma of mango fruit. My uncle was watching me and he asked me if I felt like eating a mango. Then, he said: "This is the right day for you to understand the essence-spirit concept."
My uncle asked me if I could see a mango on the tree and I answered that I did not see any. He said: "Today, the mango fruit is not present. That is the way of existence; everything arrives spiritually first. Just as the mango fruit arrives, so does everything that exists. That is how we humans arrived in this world, first spiritually and later physically."
"Hunbatz, remember the pyramids at X Wenk'al. That site is sacred to us, the Maya. Our physical roots are in that ancient site and it was there that our ancestors understood many laws on all that exists from the Great Spirit. In X Wenk'al, as well as in hundreds of pyramids on this continent, our ancestors performed ceremonies to honor all that was visible and all that was not visible. You cannot see the mango fruit, yet you can perceive its aroma."
Then, my uncle's expression turned sad. I respectfully asked him the reason for such change. There was a sad tone in his voice as he answered: "The way things are changing makes me very sad. Modern civilization is losing respect for all that comes from the Great Spirit." He continued: "Many of the different animals that I used to see around this jungle are physically gone, the big trees are gone too. Everything is disappearing physically and my spirit grieves for this reason. I always implore the sacred Hunab K'u that we are not left without the essence-spirit of all that is gone and that, some day, He sends again the physical beauty we no longer see."
In 1994, my Solar Sister Anja Korner (founder of Avebury Mystery School) invited me to give some lectures in England. While I was in that sacred land, I had the privilege of walking on one of the crop formations that have been found in wheat plantations at various locations in England. When I walked on one that had recently been formed near the Avebury pyramid, I could sense the change in frequency of the energy emitted and I felt as if Mother Earth were emitting energy upwards.
It is important to note that the day before, a group of initiates and myself had performed a ritual precisely in that magnetic site and the crop formation was not there, but it was there the following day and, as we walked on it, we entered its dimension. Some people claim that these geometric designs are made by the farmers of the area. I am absolutely certain that this formation was not man-made.
When I sat within the formation to meditate, I remembered my uncle telling me to always remember the teaching of the essence-spirit concept. Then I understood that, through this sacred site, Mother Earth was trying to communicate with intelligent, open-minded human beings that could understand the language of sacred geometry in its mathematical and vibrational aspects.
When I was in Florida in 1996, for reasons of cosmic coincidence, I met Kathy Doore, who gave me a photograph of a recent crop formation in England, which seemed to suggest that the essence and body of our Mother Earth was not in the orbit it had occupied for millions of years and this saddened me.
I have carried this photograph to many ceremonial centers and, at each sacred site, I show it to Father Sun and, sometimes, to Sister Moon and, when in meditation, I send it to the heart of Mother Earth and ask for her advice as what can be done in order not to lose her essence and her body. I invite every human being to do likewise.
I still remember my uncle's sadness over the animals and trees that were gone and I too, feel sad. When you, Solar Brother and Solar Sister notice that in the area where you live the animals and the trees begin to disappear, you will realize that we are gradually facing isolation, that the life-giving spirits are disappearing, that the spirits that support this blue planet are being lost to another dimension. Should all essence-spirit be gone, Mother Earth may exhale her last sigh. Without her essence, her body may disappear and we all may pass to the memory of what once was here.
The purpose of the Mayan initiation work is to determine what can be done to avoid the aforementioned, as we were sent to this planet to care for it and to love it. Let us ask Hunab K'u to show us the way and, through meditation, come to understand the calendar cycles, which will enable us to pinpoint our errors.
All are invited to learn to adjust their lives in accordance with the sacred Mayan calendars and ask Mother Earth what is their cyclic responsibility so that we can all live in harmony with the essence-spirit of Mother Earth. This is the only way to preserve the spirit of our planet.
I invoke the spirit of all the masters of all times and dimensions, as well as the spirit of all forms of life so that they guide us and protect us and that they all be present as essence of the solar light on March 21 (Mayan New Year). At the Dzibilchaltun ceremonial center where the sacred Hunab K'u illuminates his children, I will pray so that, once again, we can see the light of wisdom as the Great Father Sun becomes visible for us to understand his cosmic cycles. Hunbatz Men - Maya Tradition
As we become more and more sensitive to essence/spirit, we will be able to perceive something about to manifest. If the essence/spirit of the next dimension can be felt through resonance before it arrives we can be at the right place at the right time just by being sensitive. Essence/spirit becomes our well-worn unseen path to the next world. If we feel drawn to a special place and/or feel an otherworldly presence or feel a higher frequency this very well may be a doorway to the next dimension.
One of the main reasons so many are drawn to sacred sites around the Earth is that all sacred sites exist on all dimensions at once. When we move into the next reality sacred sites will remain, but our modern society built of skyscrapers and superhighways will not. This is because sacred sites have a thread of energy that ties them to all the dimensions.
Sacred sites are built on energy vortexes. Because of the centuries of solar lightwork done in these places, a magnification of the frequencies has been built. When we visit sacred sites, we feel excited, as they exhibit high frequencies and lower magnetics. These altered frequencies and lower magnetics attract those who are working to be free of limitations. Sacred sites are actually preparing us for dimensional shifting. Higher frequencies help us clear out the unnecessary baggage we have carried for lifetimes and also give our body a workout so we will be in shape for the shifts. Lower magnetics prepare us for the possible disorientation we can feel when we enter a dimension that is timeless and non-linear. Sacred sites prepare our body and spirit for the shift of the ages.
Because we are the keepers and co-creators of this reality, if we ignore and dishonor the essence/spirit of the unseen, unmanifested worlds, we are actually working against nature and keeping reality from materializing. The winged ones, four-legged ones and the world of plants will not manifest if we have no respect for them. Why would they. If we kill them and cut them down, pollute them, why would they desire to manifest in this reality. If we don't learn respect for all of creation, we could literally erase life's participation in this dimension on Earth!
This is a hard message to share, but as humanity awakes to the spirit in all matter, I have absolute hope that we will begin to live and work in a sacred way again. We did not come this far through the burden of time and space to end it in this way. We are here to be victorious. We are here to witness and participate in the great celebration.
It is funny humanity as a whole feels that we have no impact on this reality. How can we believe so little of ourselves that we feel we are just blowing in the wind, as if by accident, just witnessing or being a victim of this reality. The big issues we face today on Mother Earth are directly related to our lack of self-esteem. Isn't it funny that clearing up old self-esteem issues could save the Planet! Think about it! We need to realize, honor and respect our creative force and realize we are creators. We hold this reality together. We are the keepers of the Earth. When we truly honor ourselves and our awesome creative power we will again live in a sacred way where we honor all life. When we honor all live the essence/spirit of all living things will manifest.
Humanity is waking up, and in this important year we are riding the crest of a very big wave. We are living on the edge. We are living between worlds. How we live, the choices we make, the sensitivities we develop, and our love and honor for all life will see us through.
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Message from the Council of Knowledge

In May 2006, I was contacted by the Council of Knowledge that consists of 12 Masters from all cultures.  They stated that they had changed the portals in the Sun so that mankind could be activated to higher frequencies and meet the goal of vibrating faster to experience the many dimensions of reality and re-remember their history.

Therefore, when this article came from NASA, it validated the information that was received by the Council and I share it with you so that understanding the Universal Mind of Source in our growth will help you on your journey.  Everything we receive will be from the Universe and the Earth, which contain all knowledge of our past and energy activations for our future.  

In Lak'ech,
Judith
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Magnetic Portals Connect Sun and Earth
(Left)An artist's concept of Earth's magnetic field connecting to the sun's--
a.k.a. a "flux transfer event"--with a spacecraft on hand to measure particles and fields.

Oct. 30, 2008: During the time it takes you to read this article, something will happen high overhead that until recently many scientists didn't believe in. A magnetic portal will open, linking Earth to the sun 93 million miles away. Tons of high-energy particles may flow through the opening before it closes again, around the time you reach the end of the page.

"It's called a flux transfer event or 'FTE,'" says space physicist David Sibeck of the Goddard Space Flight Center. "Ten years ago I was pretty sure they didn't exist, but now the evidence is incontrovertible."

Indeed, today Sibeck is telling an international assembly of space physicists at the 2008 Plasma Workshop in Huntsville, Alabama, that FTEs are not just common, but possibly twice as common as anyone had ever imagined.

Researchers have long known that the Earth and sun must be connected. Earth's magnetosphere (the magnetic bubble that surrounds our planet) is filled with particles from the sun that arrive via the solar wind and penetrate the planet's magnetic defenses. They enter by following magnetic field lines that can be traced from terra firma all the way back to the sun's atmosphere.
"We used to think the connection was permanent and that solar wind could trickle into the near-Earth environment anytime the wind was active," says Sibeck. "We were wrong. The connections are not steady at all. They are often brief, bursty and very dynamic."

Several speakers at the Workshop have outlined how FTEs form: On the dayside of Earth (the side closest to the sun), Earth's magnetic field presses against the sun's magnetic field. Approximately every eight minutes, the two fields briefly merge or "reconnect," forming a portal through which particles can flow. The portal takes the form of a magnetic cylinder about as wide as Earth. The European Space Agency's fleet of four Cluster spacecraft and NASA's five THEMIS probes have flown through and surrounded these cylinders, measuring their dimensions and sensing the particles that shoot through. "They're real," says Sibeck.

Now that Cluster and THEMIS have directly sampled FTEs, theorists can use those measurements to simulate FTEs in their computers and predict how they might behave. Space physicist Jimmy Raeder of the University of New Hampshire presented one such simulation at the Workshop. He told his colleagues that the cylindrical portals tend to form above Earth's equator and then roll over Earth's winter pole. In December, FTEs roll over the north pole; in July they roll over the south pole.

 A "magnetic portal" or FTE mapped in cross-section by NASA's fleet of THEMIS spacecraft.

Sibeck believes this is happening twice as often as previously thought. "I think there are two varieties of FTEs: active and passive." Active FTEs are magnetic cylinders that allow particles to flow through rather easily; they are important conduits of energy for Earth's magnetosphere. Passive FTEs are magnetic cylinders that offer more resistance; their internal structure does not admit such an easy flow of particles and fields. (For experts: Active FTEs form at equatorial latitudes when the IMF tips south; passive FTEs form at higher latitudes when the IMF tips north.) Sibeck has calculated the properties of passive FTEs and he is encouraging his colleagues to hunt for signs of them in data from THEMIS and Cluster. "Passive FTEs may not be very important, but until we know more about them we can't be sure."

There are many unanswered questions: Why do the portals form every 8 minutes?  How do magnetic fields inside the cylinder twist and coil?  "We're doing some heavy thinking about this at the Workshop," says Sibeck.

Meanwhile, high above your head, a new portal is opening, connecting your planet to the sun.
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