Barrios is a member of the Guatemalan Elders Council and a Mayan Priest.
He writes of his experiences with two Mayan leaders: Don Pascual - a leader of the Eagle clan and Don Isidro - a Mayan ruler.
According to Barrios, 2012 is the beginning of a change of consciousness, a time when peace and harmony can exist during this next stage of evolution.
The Mayan view is that we have forgotten what is most important in our lives: to balance the material and spiritual.
The natural order, the importance of community and living in harmony with nature are important to the Maya.
Barrios provides a good understanding of the Mayan people, those who did not vanish as is the myth but survive today in Guatemala and the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico.
He discusses their sacred books, such as the Popul Vuh and Books of Chilam Balam.
The prophecies come from the Chilam Balam.
The Mayas claim an earlier existence than scientists and traditional historians do.
They believe they came from the sea.
An interesting piece of Maya history is that they built subterranean irrigation canals of thousands of miles through Guatemala, Belize and the Yucatan, bringing water from the Gulf of Mexico and desalinating it in large tanks to allow their people to grow crops and survive for thousands of years.
This is not the history we normally hear about these peoples.
One gains a respect for them through Barrios' words.
The Maya coordinated pyramids with celestial events and took advantage of terrestrial and cosmic energy, reminiscent of the Egyptians.
They knew about the equinoxes, solstices and sunrises and used this information for planting and harvesting.
They knew how to manipulate a section of the brain to allow more highly developed parts to develop.
The Maya created 20 calendars, each with a different energy and purpose.
They had calendars for Venus, Mercury and Jupiter, among others.
These calendars show their abilities to track planets for long periods of time, an example of the terrestrial and cosmic energy mentioned above.
According to Barrios, their greatest legacy is "their method of handling energies.
" They believe each of us can find a right place in order to live a full, harmonious life by understanding and utilizing this skill.
I know from astrology that one can follow an astrocartography chart and find the right place to live.
I had such a chart done for me over 20 years which was surprisingly accurate about the many different places I lived.
From this first-hand knowledge, I accept this claim from the Mayas.
I am amazed, as with all of their knowledge, that they understood these energies so many, many years ago.
They understood the use of energies for all aspects of life.
The Maya are providing us with some additional data and/or validation about energy.
There is so much more in this book.
The author explains some of the individual Mayan calendars and provides a detailed discussion of Mayan astrology, with all of the data needed for readers to determine their own signs and influences.
I am fascinated with astrology and this new view was equally appealing.
My own sign was quite accurate.
Barrios succeeds in creating a respect of his people and their historical importance.
He believes that modern Mayas are safekeeping their ancestor's knowledge and will gradually be revealing more.
His book provides a good access to some of the beliefs and thoughts of these people who are so connected to the year 2012.