"The Force will be with you. Always."
- Obi-Wan

. . . but will it be with me . . . even after the movie's over?

The Star Wars Experience

Dazzling spaceships hurtling through asteroid fields, evil villains with cool psychic powers, exploding planets, huge monsters that eat you when you drop through the floor, exotic landscapes, intense blaster and lightsaber fights . . .

You're sitting in the theater, immersed in the Star Wars experience: action-packed, riveting drama, bursting with life, full of heroism, meaning, color, danger, good and evil, locked hand-in-hand . . .

Unlike life.

The movie ends. You leave the movie theater on a high. Ride back home to a dull, silent house. Turn on the TV. A commercial. Some company's trying to sell you shampoo. Some lady is in a shower, washing her hair, trying to look like she's having the most ecstatic moment of her life.

The news. New studies might show that some pesticides may increase likelihood of heart disease. Weather report. It might rain tomorrow. Some crisis happening somewhere.

Back to the real world.

The magic starts to fade.

Han Solo, hurtling through space at light speed with trusty sidekick Chewie, flying into the asteroid field . . . slowly slipping into a vague, hazy, distant memory.

So, does the magic have to vanish? The Force is not with you.

. . . Or is it?

The Star Wars Empire

They're only the most successful movies of all time. Millions of people, billions of dollars . . . all about a few simple tales.

So why was Star Wars so successful? Why did it strike such a nerve, and resonate on such a deep level with people? Why does it still, today, even with reruns and imitations, continue to touch us so deeply?

Standard answers - a good plot line, cool characters, great special effects, catchy title, Princess Leia in her Jabba outfit . . . yeah, but still, there's more to it than that. But what?

The Story Behind the Story

To understand something, find it's origin. The origin of Star Wars was pretty interesting.

Way back in the late 20th century, George Lucas read The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, and dreamed a tale of galactic war are firmly rooted in the myths and legends of ages past.

Party Topic:
If Yoda were alive today
and living in the swamps of Florida,

would you go study with him?
Discuss.

Lucas said he wanted to do more than just make a few cool movies: was trying to find a way to reach young people and inspire them to think about spiritual issues.

Eternally present.
It flows through all things, inside and outside,
and returns to the origin of all things."
- The Force . . .
or the Tao Te Ching?

With the hustle-bustle world of technology where long and dull sermons fall on deaf ears, it seems, well, that what kids know about life consists of video games, MTV, soft drinks and skateboards.

Maybe stories move us not just because of entertainment, or escapism, but because they're real, relevant, even crucial experiences to everyday, practical life . . . And then you hear rumors of strange things . . . "archetypes" . . . "individuation" . . . missing pieces of yourself . . . taking the hero's journey, yourself . . . .

There is something more out there. You may have heard rumors of it. You may have come across someone who knew something of it. You may even have sensed it yourself. It's there . . but you have to find it.

"There was a need for one who could show
that a heroic life was still possible in the modern world . . . "
- Walter Kauffman, on Nietzsche

To Be Continued . . .

. . . and if you want to dig deeper . . .

If The Force is strong in you . . .
and you want to continue your training . . .
check out The Tao of Star Wars