Hopi "Life Plan" Prophecy

The "Hopi Life Plan" is a sacred petroglyph panel etched into a sandstone boulder near the village of Hotevilla, Arizona. Known as Prophecy Rock, it serves as a visual guide and warning, illustrating two diverging paths for humanity: one based on humility and living in harmony with the earth, and another characterized by technology, greed, and eventual chaos. 

Key Elements of the "Life Plan" Panel

The petroglyph is a metaphorical map of human history, natural law, and potential futures. The major symbols include: 

• Great Spirit (the Creator): Depicted pointing to the ground where the Hopi originated and holding the life plan (a trail) in his left hand.
• The Two Paths:
  • The Lower Path (Path of the Great Spirit): The lower, narrower trail depicts a simple life dedicated to growing corn. It is peaceful and leads to continuous life.
  • The Upper Path (Path of Greed & Technology): The upper, broader trail depicts a figure moving away from natural living. It represents the way of Western civilization, showing a rocky road that spirals into chaos and eventual destruction before reconciling with the true path.
  • The bridge connecting the lower and upper paths represents a final opportunity for humanity to turn away from material pursuits, embrace spiritual balance, and return to a more sustainable and harmonious way of life.
• Two Helpers: At the end of the paths, symbols like a swastika (representing the wandering of Hopi clans) and a Celtic cross symbolize the two helpers of the True White Brother who will return to usher in a new age of peace. 
  • These helpers will first "shake the Earth", as interpreted by two circles. The two circles that appear along the path and are believed to represent catastrophic events or periods of great upheaval. According to Hopi elders, these symbols correspond to World Wars I and II, conflicts that resulted in widespread loss of life and significant harm to the natural world. 

The Fourth World Transition to Fifth World

The Life Plan illustrates the belief that humanity has survived and destroyed three previous worlds due to greed, materialism, and disconnection from the Earth. Many Hopi elders believe we are in the final days of the Fourth World, and the prophecies warned of specific signs that would indicate we are in the "final stages" of the Fourth World. The petroglyph warns of a day when people will "spin cobwebs in the sky" (interpreted by elders as powerlines and satellite networks), a "container of ashes" might be thrown from the sky, boiling oceans and burning the land (interpreted as atomic warfare), "snakes of iron" would spread across the lands (interpreted as railraods), and more.

If humanity continues on the path of destruction, a period of purification involving catastrophic earthquakes, weather extremes, and widespread confusion will occur. Following purification, those who remain will unite, recognize the Great Spirit, and lay out a new life plan of peace, where the earth returns to its original, lush state. This era, called the Fifth World, this will be a rebirth and a new era of harmony.

Hopi elder and silversmith, Thomas Banyacya Jr created these beautiful pendants depicting this life plan prophecy. His father, Thomas Banyacya Sr, was a Hopi elder who spoke widely about Hopi prophecy. View Thomas Banyacya Jr's work here.