The Great Year Adventures
Ancient and traditional cultures across the globe share a belief in a Cycle of the Ages. This is variously expressed as the classical Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages; the Yuga Cycle of Hinduism; or the zodiacal precessional ages (Age of Pisces, Age of Aquarius, and so on). One turn of the large cycle, which takes about 24,000 years, is commonly referred to as a Great Year, and hence the title of this delightful book authored by Walter Cruttenden and illustrated by Skye Walker, The Great Year Adventures, with Tommy the Time-Traveling Turtle.Although this is a book that small children will enjoy and appreciate, with its large format, lavish full-color illustrations, and clear prose, it tells a very big story that should give many an adult food for thought. Tommy the Turtle travels through time, discovering that once we were in a Golden Age. Since then humanity has passed through lesser ages, but we are now waking up from the last Dark Age and on our way toward the higher ages once again. Tommy is also a space traveler, exploring the motions of Earth, Sun, and planets motions that are responsible for the cycles, including the Great Year, as our solar system orbits around another star!In my own research and writings I have long grappled with the truths underlying the concept of a Great Year and the rises and declines of world ages. We find evidence for this concept in ancient Egypt. My work demonstrates that the Great Sphinx has its origins well before dynastic Egypt, probably dating to a Golden Age, which the ancient dynastic Egyptians called Zep Tepi the First Time. In Turkey we have the fantastic stone structures of Göbekli Tepe, elaborately carved megaliths arranged in circles that date back to nearly 12,000 years ago. Is this too a remnant of a former Golden Age? These are but a couple of examples. The point is that the ancients themselves believed that forces of nature and the cosmos directly influenced the Cycles of the Ages. I believe the ancients were right, and so does Tommy the Turtle!Through Tommy, author Walter Cruttenden imparts a deep cosmology and profound truths. This is an absorbing book for children, literally and figuratively, with a message for moms, dads, and all of humanity.--Robert M. Schoch, Ph.D., author of various books, technical and trade, includingVoyages of the Pyramid Builders and Pyramid QuestThis is a fun and beautifully illustrated book! To many ancient cultures, the answers lie in the stars. In their view, time moved in a cyclical pattern, with human civilization and consciousness rising and falling as great ages came and went. Vedic scholars spoke of the Yuga Cycle, a great circular progression of ages; and Plato taught of a large cycle of time, which would slowly return us to a "Golden Age".Finally there is a book and character to explain this story in simple terms, "The Great Year Adventures - with Tommy the Time-Traveling Turtle". Think of it as a "Fingerprints of the Gods" primer. You might buy it for your children but you will probably read it again and again yourself!--Graham Hancock, author ofFingerprints of the Gods, Heaven's Mirror, Underworldand many other books that explore our lost historyThis book should be number one on your Christmas list since it's a present that anyone and everyone can enjoy.On the surface, it LOOKS as though it's written for children; and after a fashion, it is; however, the depth of exploration into ancient cultures, which Cruttenden so successfully reduces to colorful, beautiful, and philosophical prose underscore a much deeper message - a wisdom that we all possess but rarely express.There is no more engaging companion than Tommy, the time-traveling turtle, who humorously and intelligently elucidates the cyclical concept of the yugas for children and adults, alike. This book offers an ideal way to guide and explain the growing understanding Western cultures are finally embracing: our "comings and goings" and reincarnative journeys in which all living creatures engage as well as the cosmic forces that influence these cycles. Kudos, Walter Cruttenden for creating an ideal teaching tool for the awakening young people and their parents of today's world.--Alexandra Rose, Film Producer and Professor, Chapman University