Microcosm-Macrocosm Relationship in Return of the Jedi

Duality of the world has created a duality of the individual. Likewise, the duality created by Darth Sidious has created an underground world of duality, a world of gangsters and smugglers, bounty hunters and Ewoks, a duality of the body. This duality is blurred by shadows and twilight (perhaps why Han’s vision is blurred on Tatooine and why Luke confronts Leia about their true heritage in the twilight of Endor). This is the natural realm. The natural realm is ruled by the gangsters and warlords, and on Tatooine, Jabba the Hutt. These two dualities, the duality of the Empire (the mind) and the duality of the underworld, or the real galaxy (the body) need each other to exist, which is why we see Darth Vader resort to bounty hunters in order to hunt down Han and Leia. The body is more powerful than the mind, but the mind divides the body. Just like the body of a group is powerful than its leaders, but they are sometimes blinded by the ambitions of those leaders.

Han is eventually captured by the efforts of Boba Fett and transferred to Jabba as his “favorite decoration”. The efforts of another within this realm, Lando, fail to save Han. Likewise, the efforts of Han’s natural connection, Chewbacca, and his feminine connection, Leia, fail as well. Neither can the efforts of the mind, the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, save Han. They are just tools. It is up to Luke, the soul of the group, the near-Jedi Knight, to rescue them all. In the same respect, it is a co-dependency that saves them, for Luke can’t save them himself. It is a TEAM effort that saves them all, the combined selves saving the SELF. This is the conquering of the dark of the Body, but then there are still the shadows, the twilight of the Body.

They then travel to Endor. There, they face the reaches of the mind, of the Empire, on the planet. It is this short skirmish that separates them, that polarizes them. Leia is “lost” during the small conflict, and rescued by an Ewok, Wicket. The Ewoks represent the good side of the “animalistic” or “primitive” Body. The female element works well with the animal element, for she is connected in a way to it. Thus, Leia works well with Wicket and becomes a Mother-Goddess figure. Without the female element, Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids, fail to recognize a simple trap set by these same Ewoks (Luke gets a sense, from his occult-like connections, but it is too late). After releasing themselves, the Ewoks are hostile to the out-of-balance crew, and begin worshipping C-3PO because he is an ember of the fire, a piece of shimmering technology. The ensuing entanglement leads to everyone except C-3PO (and Leia) being prepared for sacrifice. Luke must resort to the occult, the Force, to reconcile this conflict, to balance the mind with the body, to balance technology with nature. Once these elements are reconciled, and brought back into balance, the Rebel team then becomes “a part of the tribe”, and this team effort is what helps win the Battle on the moon of Endor.
Then, in the real battle, the Rebels rush in, perhaps blinded by arrogance that they are greater than the Ewoks, and thus only need them as “guides”. It is the combination of technology (the droids) and nature (all of the Ewoks) that frees the Rebels from another capture by the Empire. One last combined effort is needed to win the battle. We see this when Chewbacca, the natural element of the “hero group” joins forces with two Ewoks and captures an AT-ST, a “chicken walker”. It is this final “wearing the enemy’s skin”, nature combining with technology, that turns the tide for good, and wins the battle on Endor, which subsequently results in the destruction of the second Death Star. We see the true internal nature of everyone as Han concocts a plan of trickery in order to draw the Imperials out. While trickery is usually considered wrong, in this case, it is the correct mode of action, and the one that is most “natural” for Han. Using a triangular understanding of paradoxes, it is this “superposition” of options, a meeting between “morality” and “immorality” that allows Han to make a good decision. Sometimes the ends are justification to the means, especially if no life is harmed (the Imperials were captured, not hurt). This is a good example of Kohlberg’s 3rd stage of moral development.

Meanwhile, Luke fights his father, both to beat him and to save him. Luke refuses to accept the truth of Darth Vader’s reality and tells the Emperor, “You will not convert me as you did my father”, and instead believes that there is still good within him. This is the final showdown between the occult and Christianity, with the Demi-urge watching. Luke eventually resorts to a plan of non-action, a Taoist philosophy, but when Vader threatens Luke’s sister, Leia, Luke cannot hold himself back, his love is greater than his control, much like Anakin’s love for his female element, Padme. Luke fights viciously, beating back Vader, and then cutting off his hand, only to discover that it was just technology. Anakin Skywalker had become trapped within the hell that is technology. Likewise, Christ has become trapped within the hell that is monotheism. Luke, realizing that destroying Vader, destroying Anakin, destroying his father, would only perpetuate the endless circle of imbalance, refuses to fight anymore, throwing his lightsaber to the ground. The Emperor decides that “if [he] will not be turned, then [he] will die”. The Demi-urge then attacks Luke, filling him with lightning, burning him with the fire. Vader, realizing that he must save Luke, turns on the Emperor, and casts him down into the core of the Death Star. This is the redemption of Christianity. This is a microcosm of what I believe to be the “Apocalypse”. It will not be God fighting against the Devil, it will not be Christianity saved in a Rapture by Christ. It will be the Return of Christ, the true essence of Jesus Christ, within the minds of humanity. With this return, it will be up to Humanity to fight and defeat the Demi-urge. It will be up to Humanity to evolve into a state of peace, much like that which is described when John talks about the New Jerusalem (the New Republic of Star Wars?).

In the end of Return of the Jedi, everything is in balance. The heroes are back together, the Alliance is in cooperation with nature (the Ewoks), and all four elements are back within balance. They are celebrating in treetop villages (Air and Earth), with Fire (a symbol for Technology?) being used as a tool to light the celebration. The final element, the water element, lies in the fluid, almost water-like, nature of the Jedi “ghosts”. These ghosts are also a symbol of occult balance, as the three levels of the occult are in balance. Yoda represents the Orient, and is much like the real-life Buddha. Obi-Wan represents the Occident, and he is much like the legendary Merlin figure (“That wizard’s just a crazy, old man”). Anakin is the final element, the Levantine, and he has finally become balanced (unlike in reality); he represents Christ. And finally, we are Luke; we must balance these three presences, these three spiritual influences, with the influences of technology (Luke's technologically-rebuilt right hand and lightsaber), as well as the influence of nature.



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