 |
THE STAR WARS CONNECTION |
Last year, I spent an afternoon at the Field Natural History Museum in Chicago, Illinois, as an escape from an immersion in tarot due to teaching and creating a curriculum for my CTC. I dropped in at the Star Wars exhibit and was immediately attracted to the central theme which outlined Luke Skywalker's hero's journey from simple farm boy to savior of the universe. The exhibit mainly drew upon the writings of Joseph Campbell's "The Power of Myth" emphasizing Luke's place as a larger representation of the struggles ordinary man endures on a more mundane level.
Fast forward to two weeks later. I notice a new tarot book in my favorite metaphysical bookstore, "Tarot and the Journey of the Hero" by Hajo Banzhaf. As I poured through his descriptions of the archetypal powers of each of the Major Arcana, I flashed back to elements of the Star Wars exhibit. I rushed back to the museum, double parked and ran inside to buy the book which accompanied the Star Wars exhibit, "Star Wars: the Magic of Myth" by Mary Henderson. When I got the book home and flipped it open to page 22, I was pleased to see the Fool, from the Rider-Waite deck introducing a section titled "The Call to Adventure." Working back and forth between Hajo Banzhaf's book, the Star Wars' book and "Jung and Tarot" by Sallie Nichols, I developed the correspondences which follow. I have found them invaluable in getting the essence of the Major Arcana over to beginning tarot students. I submit them now for your approval and dissection.
The Fool - The beginning of the journey. Luke finds Princess Leia's holographic message requesting help. This one incident launches him onto his quest.
Magician - Obi-Wan, of course. The tools that Luke will need are presented in the form of Luke's father's old lightsabre.
High Priestess - In addition to the physical tools Luke requires, Obi-Wan provides the spiritual tools in the form of The Force. Just as the High Priestess keeps some information hidden until the novice can fully utilize it, Obi-Wan provides a taste of the force, but also keeps much information concealed.
Empress - Aunt Beru Lars is the mother figure for Luke; however, I also feel there is an argument for See-Threepio in this role. We see so little of Luke's relationship with his aunt. See-Threepio becomes a fretting, caring substitute as Luke goes forth.
Emperor - Uncle Owen was my first choice here, but if you are going to accept See-Threepio as the daunting mother figure, you have to write in Artoo-Detoo as the all-business, logical father figure. Both of these two positions are definitely open for reinterpretation. I am doing it on a weekly basis myself.
Heirophant - Obi-Wan steps into this role on board the ship as he helps Luke master The Force. He is passing on a knowledge and belief system from ancient times. In the Star Wars comparison, Obi-Wan actually begins this training several cards back and continues the energy of the Heirophant up until and including the moment he is killed, the Hermit card.
Lovers - The decision maker. Luke discovers his family has been killed. It is at this point in the story he must go forward, since any return to his old life has been cut off. All has been preparation for the quest up to this point. Now Luke is forced to use the tools and abilities which have been offered to him.
Chariot - Hajo Banzhaf refers to this card as The Departure. Luke joins Hans Solo on board The Millennium Falcon to Alderaan.
Justice - I accept Hajo Banzhaf's (and other scholar's) ordering of the cards here. Hans and Luke are dragged into the Death Star and, in true "right will prevail" fashion, they are able to rescue Princess Leia from the Death Star.
Hermit - Obi-Wan is killed, which forces Luke to mature and walk on his own. Through this period of introspection, Luke will learn the ways of The Force and become a leader of others.
Wheel of Fortune - The wheel keeps turning and we feel the momentum shift to Luke and his fellow warriors as they prepare for the attack on the Death Star.
Strength - What better display of the meaning of this card than when Luke defeats the Death Star, not by outward abilities and power, but by self trust through the entity of The Force. Strength = Force. Coincidence? You decide.
Hanged Man - The entire second film has the energy of the Hanged Man. Luke prepares for his ultimate challenge with Yoda in the swamp of Dagobah. This segment of the trilogy has always felt like a bridge between the other two films, a waiting place, a place for hanging out. This is an initiation that Luke has chosen for himself. Early in this film, Luke is captured by a wampa, sort of an abominable snowman thing , and HUNG UPSIDE DOWN in an ice cave. His use of The Force saves his life and begins a two-hour initiation that we see in this film.
Death - In the third film, Luke enters the second Death Star, for only by descending into "Death" can he experience rebirth as a true hero.
Temperance - The Emperor tempts Luke with power and revenge. He offers to allow Luke to take the place of power Darth Vader, his father holds. Luke fights these darker forces for quite some time.
Devil - Luke gives into his anger and attacks Darth Vader savagely. The Devil in the form of the Emperor looks on the two people fighting below him in a parody of the image we see on the Rider-Waite deck.
Tower - Luke comes to the point of holding his father's life in his hands. As he is about to strike the fatal blow, he throws down the lightsabre and is immediately hit by the lightning-like electrical charges of the emperor. Luke calls out to his father for help and his father responds by attacking the Emperor and thrusting him into the energy core of the Death Star.
Star - Darth Vader is unmasked and the physical and mythical come together just as the water flows on the ground and into the water on the Star card. Everything blends together for a brief moment as Anakin Skywalker dies.
Moon - Luke honors his father in a funeral procession, while dealing with the shadows which remain. He has a mechanical hand which mirrors the one his father had. How deeply in the shadows lies his own Darth Vader?
Sun - A funeral pyre burns as a purification symbol of the end of the dark past.
Judgment - Anakin has found redemption and appears to Luke along side Obi-Wan and Yoda. With this appearance, Luke can go forth knowing that he has enabled the redemption of entire civilizations.
World - Luke has made the total transition from simple farm boy to hero. He walks among the laurels of victory knowing that the sacrifices were worth the ultimate prize - a safe and perfect world.
The hero's journey is something we all experience on a smaller level (one would hope) a multitude of times in our lifetime. Each step of the way is easier if we study the footsteps of those who have gone before. The concrete footsteps appear in films such as "Star Wars", any western or any type of underdog-kid/team-wins-the-Olympics story. On a more esoteric level, the footsteps exist for us in the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. Either source is a viable roadmap. The origin and destination of the journey is the same in all of these; only the costumes are different. May The Force be with you.