Han Solo has been frozen in carbonite. Luke Skywalker has lost a hand and gained a troubling truth. R2-D2 and C-3PO are held hostage after arriving at Jaba’s palace. Galactic events are shrouded in the dark side of the force. Luke arrives shortly after, rescues his friends and returns to Dagobah as promised to Master Yoda.

You Already Possess What You Need

Luke finds Yoda in a sickly state, hobbling through his hut. Luke resists the fact that Yoda’s time in this form is coming to an end as Yoda climbs into his bed to welcome death.

Luke is still struggling with the truths revealed in Episode V, that Darth Vader is his father. He knows it on a feeling level but cannot bring himself to accept it fully. Yoda is reluctant to tell him, not because he is afraid of the truth but because even the declaration of truth requires timeliness and sensitivity in its delivery. Luke would have been much better off completing the training, being more centered in the force, before learning of something this heavy and painful.

Luke struggles with the same thing Obi-Wan does in Episode III, confronting and having to potentially kill Anakin. Luke expresses this to Obi-Wan’s force ghost and Obi-Wan tells Luke that his father is “more machine now than man, twisted and evil.” This can be interpreted as Anakin/Darth is more ego than divinity. This is a perspective that can help someone understand when they interact with a fellow human-being with a dense ego what they can expect to encounter. It will not be a safe exchange. It carries the potential of danger but you already possess what you need. Stay true to your inner divinity, do not give into your ego (the dark side) and you will be fine.

May the Forest Be With You

Han Solo and company embark on a mission to disable the deflector shield of the newly rebuilt Death Star on the forest moon of Endor. Luke accompanies them but knows Darth Vader senses him on the mission. After the teddy-bear like but pesky local Ewoks accept the group into their tribe, Luke decides to leave and confront his father.

Luke inspires agitation in his father by referring to him as Anakin Skywalker. When someone is entrenched in ego, reminders of their divinity, of the true essence of who they are can inspire anger and frustration. In Vader’s case, because he has lived with the consequences of his actions and the catastrophic suffering he has caused himself and others in Episode II and Episode III, he snaps back.

“That name no longer has any meaning for me.” – Darth Vader

Luke attempts to reach his father by asking him to come with him. We can see Darth Vader’s conflict rising. It has been years since anyone tried to pull him back. Padme attempts this in Episode III but he was just beginning his journey into suffering. The climax of his ego was too powerful for her pleas to be heard and he attacked her. After wallowing in the suffering he has created for himself, he is more open to the option of returning to his divinity, to his true self as Anakin Skywalker.

Vader ends up rejecting Luke’s offer and hands him over to Storm Trooper escorts. Luke echoes the statement Obi-Wan makes in the Kenobi series, he declares his father is “truly dead.” We see Darth pondering, though we cannot see his face, it is implied that Luke’s words activated the spark of divinity remaining in his ego possessed form.

Back on Endor, Solo and crew are attempting to destroy the shield generator. Luke arrives at the Emperor’s chambers, restrained by shackles. Palpatine removes them with the force and begins to work on the mind of Luke. They verbally joust back and forth before Vader states “it is pointless to resist.” This can be a popular trap our minds can fall into. Once a pattern is established, once an ego has been allowed to dominate for so long, resisting can feel like swimming upstream against an extraordinarily strong current. This is one of many lies the ego tells us. Each day, each moment lies a choice. The ego (dark side’s) biggest weapon is to keep you unconscious and out of awareness regarding your state of mind. As we will see later, just one choice takes Vader off of the path of suffering and onto the path of healing.

The Ultimate Ego: Emperor Palpatine

Emperor Palpatine can be thought of as the original power source of ego. For purposes of story-telling he is without divinity, although I believe we all have this within us. We all have ego. Some more densely concentrated than others. In the George Lucas Star Wars series, Palpatine is a character that represents the complete antithesis to divinity and wisdom. There is no line he will not cross to obtain power, control, and domination. This is all externalized. His entire power is concentrated on his ability to control what is outside of him. This is why he constantly triangulates.

• In Episode I he convinces the Queen to vote no confidence in the current chancellor so that he could occupy the seat
• In Episode II he arranges for Kenobi and Skywalker to protect Padme because he knows Anakin has strong feelings for her that he can exploit
• In Episode III he continues to stroke Anakin’s ego, pushing him towards impulsive actions. Ruthlessly telling Anakin to kill his current apprentice Dooku. Preying on Anakin’s deep-seated fear of losing Padme
• In Episode IV he is absent from the movie but all of his plans and orders are being carried out by Darth Vader. A masterful triangulator will have “flying monkeys” to borrow from Wizard of Oz to carry out their wishes
• In Episode V he tells Darth Vader that Luke must not become a Jedi to which Vader says “he will join us or die, Master.” His grip on Vader was so strong that Vader was willing to kill his own son to preserve his allegiance to the ego
• In Episode VI he pits Luke and Anakin against each other, making them fight. Offers Luke the opportunity to replace his father and then attempts to murder him in front of his father. Encouraging Vader to succumb to the same pain he had before, his actions through ego leading to the death of Padme in Episode III so would it be with his son Luke now

During this fight, Luke wavers and finds himself strongly tempted by the dark side of the force. He stands over his father, a crazed look in his eyes reflecting anger and hatred when he looks at the severed hand of Vader and remembers his own. In this moment he remembers his divinity, his light and refuses to give into the anger and hatred. Displeased, Palpatine utters “if you will not be turned, you will be destroyed.”

Return of Divinity

In a single choice, Darth Vader returns to Anakin Skywalker. That’s how far any of us are from a return to divinity. A single choice. This is not to be confused with an allowance or excuse for everything Anakin did as Darth Vader. He committed terrible acts of violence, destruction, and travesty. His actions impacted an entire galaxy. Destroyed families, thwarted a baseline of peace that existed prior to his descent into madness. In this sense, it can be difficult to accept his return back to his divine self as Anakin Skywalker. We are not meant to excuse his actions taken under the possession of ego. Anakin Skywalker’s character arc shows the consequences of ego in its most extreme form. The destruction someone could potentially cause should they have a powerful platform or influence. It is worth remembering that it is in our collective peaceful interest to support and cultivate the divinity in everyone. Even if they go to extreme lengths in the other direction. Their continued suffering contributes to the collective suffering. Just as their continued occupation of divinity contributes to the collective divinity.

There is much more than saving someone physically in the body. You can save someone emotionally, mentally and spiritually. As does Luke with Anakin. It is Luke’s refusal to drop into the same lower vibrational state as Darth Vader that allows Anakin to re-emerge and take a divine action. Both father and son save each other. Anakin saves Luke physically and Luke saves Anakin’s essence. Luke wants to be with his father in the physical realm but comes to a place of peace with the reality that saving him in those other realms was a great gift.

The Completion of Anakin Skywalker’s Arc

After Luke burns the body of his father back on Endor, Anakin’s character arc is complete. The whole six episode series is about him. To original Star Wars fans this was not evident as the prequels came out decades after the original trilogy. We see scenes of the galaxy celebrating the return to divinity and out of the dense energy of ego. Luke looks over to the forest and sees the ghosts of Yoda, Obi-Wan and Anakin looking back at him.

In a future post I will delve more into the potential energetic reasons why Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda vanished upon death but Anakin remained in body form immediately after his death. As did Qui-Gon Jinn if you recall from his fall to Darth Maul in Episode I.

Ultimately Anakin Skywalker did bring balance to the force. Albeit he went the long way around which Obi-Wan’s glance can be interpreted as signifying. “It’s about time you came around Ani.” One of the major takeaways from Anakin’s journey is that you never have to leave the frequency of love. Traversing the path of fear, anger, and hatred are not necessary. It is necessary to recognize them but not embody them. Anakin’s journey led him back to love but the suffering along the way was a choice.

The next series I will cover are the Harry Potter films. From the Sorcerer’s Stone to the Deathly Hallows. Until then, May the Force be With You…Always.

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