A perfect example of the Mars archetype on film can be found in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon directed by Ang Lee. It’s an action adventure movie set in a mythical version of ancient China based on a novel in the wu xia tradition about virtuous warriors with supernatural abilities. The spectacular fights play like dances… Continue reading The Effortless Action of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Mars represents your will and survival instincts and how you direct your life force to achieve goals. It shows how you assert yourself and express your desires, initiating action to get what you want. Depending on placement and aspects, there’s no messing about with Mars – he’s direct and courageous, urging you to go forth… Continue reading Planet Myths: The Story Behind Mars
Inception is a perfect example of the Neptune archetype on film, not just because of its themes, but also due to its reality dissolving effect on the viewer. It’s a heist movie about dreams – ambitious and visually stunning, especially on the big screen, although not particularly dreamlike. For that you need David Lynch, not… Continue reading Inception and the Dream of Awakening
Neptune represents your need for transcendence and the desire to escape limitations through surrender to a timeless vision or ideal. It’s associated with the creative expression of imagination, dreams and fantasy, as well as religious devotion and mystical union that dissolves the boundaries of the self. Neptune takes about 165 years to orbit the entire… Continue reading Planet Myths: The Story Behind Neptune
I’ve been meaning to write something about this movie for ages so exploring the mythology of Uranus gave me the perfect excuse. The Matrix is a science fiction cyberpunk dystopia that was written and directed by the Wachowskis way back in 1999. Despite being over 20 years old, it may be more relevant now than… Continue reading The Matrix and the Simulation of Truth
Uranus represents your need for freedom and change and the desire for independence from tradition and the status quo. It’s associated with sudden awakenings and insights that revolutionise your perspective and turn your life upside down, pushing you towards individuation and liberation. Uranus is the next planet out from Saturn and its orbit takes 84… Continue reading Planet Myths: The Story Behind Uranus
A perfect example of the Pluto archetype can be found in Guillermo del Toro’s gothic horror masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s a melancholic, imaginative tale with an ambiguous ending – like all good fairytales before they were sanitised for children. The film references loads of other fantasy films and fairytales, including Little Red Riding Hood, Alice… Continue reading Pan’s Labyrinth and the Power of Imagination
Pluto represents how you relate to the cycles of life and death and the process of transformation. It’s associated with the primordial instincts and the elemental forces of nature and power. Whether you’re ready or not, Pluto confronts you with the necessity for regeneration and the evolution of your soul. Pluto is a dwarf planet… Continue reading Planet Myths: The Story Behind Pluto
An excellent example of the Saturn archetype can be found in the six-part BBC series The Living and the Dead. It’s a supernatural thriller structured around a love story set during the Victorian era in rural Somerset. The haunting music is based on old folk songs which adds to the eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. There… Continue reading The Living and the Dead – “You will reap what you sow”
Saturn represents your need for structure, limitation and security. As the reality principle, it stands for the workings of karma and necessity. It keeps you grounded in the material world through your relationship to time and the facts of existence, suffering, old age and death. In the past, Saturn was known as the Greater Malefic… Continue reading Planet Myths: The Story Behind Saturn
The Intouchables is a perfect example of the Chiron archetype on film. It’s based on a true story about the friendship that develops between two men who under normal circumstances, never would have met. The film is heart-felt, inspiring and funny, and touches on many themes, including disability, immigration, family and loss, the healing power… Continue reading The Intouchables and the healing power of friendship
Inside Story by Dara Marks is a book that can help you to write stories with real emotional depth and impact. It’s aimed at screenwriters but the advice can be applied to any story of any length. The transformational arc refers to how your characters change over the course of a story. But it’s not… Continue reading Review: Inside Story – The Power of the Transformational Arc
