ROGUE REVISITS THE POWER OF LABYRINTH

Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination.Take a look and you’ll see into your imagination. – Leslie Bricusse

When I was about five years old in 1989 I was drawn to a fantasy film entitled Labyrinth by the late Muppets creator Jim Henson. It was released in 1986 with George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, as executive producer. Ever since I saw this movie, it blew me right off the bat ’til this very moment.

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Helena Bonham Carter and Sarah Jessica Parker auditioned for the role of Sarah Williams but Jennifer Connelly was ultimately chosen. Jim Henson was impressed by her acting saying that she “could act that kind of dawn-twilight time between childhood and womanhood” 

I remember I was so overwhelmed seeing Jennifer Connelly on the screen for the first time. She was so beautiful and stunning it felt like seeing an extremely rare cryptid creature. Plus, her mystique, her innocence, her charm added to the whole mood of the motion picture. She played the lead role Sarah Williams, a 16 year old girl who journeys through the Labyrinth in the Goblin Kingdom to find her baby brother.Then the late David Bowie plays the enigmatic Jareth, the Goblin King who was responsible for kidnapping Sarah’s baby brother. The film simply revolves around Sarah’s (Jennifer Connelly) adventure in an ethereal maze to save her baby brother from Jareth, the Goblin King (David Bowie).

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Henson wanted a charismatic rockstar to play the role of Jareth the Goblin King. Sting, Prince, Mick Jagger and Michael Kackson were considered for the role.

But as simple as the plot may sound, this movie immerses the viewers to otherworldly dimensions that one’s imagination spikes up to a ten fold. It gives the audience a picture of a world different from ours. A world that exists somewhere. A reality that is separate from the one’s we are living now. A frequency that could cross within the spaces of our own. It may sound absurd or even ludicrous to say that these tangents of perceptibility even exist but in the vast and infinite capabilities of our perception we cannot deny that these mystical realities are non-existent. In the film, Sarah was heard saying  “I wish the goblins would come and take you away! Right now!”. Addressed to her baby brother who was apparently annoying her with baby cries, the goblins heard her invocation and took the baby away. This scene exemplifies our capability to be heard by spirits and entities if there is a strong intention. In an article in WeeklyWorldNews.com, Damien Mulkrin a renowned sorcerer explained a four step ritual that can harness dark powers and bring about chaos to a person’s enemy. In his bone-chilling book called When Bad Things Happen to Bad People, Mulkrin stated that: “In fact, my 4-point plan is simple enough for a child to follow. I guarantee you won’t find an easier or more effective way to deal with people who give you a hard time.”

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In  ancient times sorcerers relied on elaborate rituals to punish their enemies, but in this day and age, with people having so many demands on their time, these rituals are obsolete – Damien Mulkrin

Considering that human beings are also divine beings we should be responsible to what we say and do. Our words and actions, may it be big or little, can create a ripple that will resonate through time. It may bring us closer to enlightenment or lead us to destruction. Like Sarah, her quest started by simply saying “I wish the goblins would come and take you away! Right now!”. An effortless action with an enormous and complicated conclusion. She was ignorant and self-righteous but ultimately succeeded by being humble and relying not with her ego but to seek help from her meek goblin friends. She eventually learned about life, her life, and the lives of others in the process.

One of my favorite scenes from this movie was the masquerade ball. Apparently since 1997, an annual two-day masquerade ball called the “The Labyrinth of Jareth” where people come dressed in costumes inspired by the film has been held in Hollywood. Though the fabled scene has been interpreted many ways. Some believe that Jareth tried flirting with Sarah to win her heart by luring her into blissful illusion. 

Another theory says that the crystal ball is a symbolism of Sarah’s desires and fascinations. She wanted fame, prestige, attention, acceptance, glossy shindigs among all things. But as Sarah slowly sees beyond the glitz and glamour she saw things for what they really are -exhausting and superficial.

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Most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire and attachment to things that we misapprehend as enduring entities – Dalai Lama

And when Sarah finally awoke from the false impression of materialism she confidently confronted Jareth, this time she was empowered. She said: “Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great…”

It is thru our hardships in life that we become powerful. If we persevere and eventually become strong-willed, we will be able to face all the trials in life and smile about it. It is easy to fall from the spell of whimsicality and live like zombies but we have to understand that we have a choice. Like Sarah, we are also held captive by our world’s consuming and limiting environment. We can become prey for somebody else’s truth. We can become passive by the judgement of others. We are facing a life in a modern technology driven labyrinth. Where the only way to survive is by being sucked into this materialistic society. Slaves to non-living objects. We have to realize that we have the power. We have the choice to awaken and tell ourselves that we are our own universe and we have the power to create our own world. By acknowledging that our will is as strong and our kingdom is as great, we will be able to live with what our heart truly desire and reach a level of happiness beyond all worldly riches can give.

Jareth, cornered and being dominated by Sarah’s newly discovered knowledge, answered back: I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave. We all have parasites, imps, demons inside of us. Feeding from our energy, pulling us down, conditioning us not to ask for more, hindering us from attaining true peace, love and happiness. They want to control us. They use us as puppets in order to attain their greedy and malicious endeavors. Only when we recognize that we succumb to these parasites that we will be able to liberate ourselves from it. By identifying the needs of these parasites and veer away from their subtle whispering shall we find ourselves free from it. But most of the time, this is brought by our false-ego. A side of you that is really not you.

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“Religion is when people try to act good because they’re afraid to go to hell. A relationship with Jesus Christ is for people like me who have already been to hell” -Brian Head Welch

An inspiring story about inner demon struggle was from the guitarist of heavy metal band Korn, Brian Head Welch. He once left the band due to his personal issues concerning drugs. He was always intoxicated that one day he suddenly felt the need for a big change. He desensitized himself by leaving the band, staying sober and stayed together with her only daughter. He found himself by seeking spirituality and now he has become a new man. By focusing on himself and his family he knew that he didn’t need adhere from his personal demons and these parasites are only getting the best of him. He acknowledged the problem, sought help and now he is an even better guitarist in Korn. Most of all, he conquered his parasites and became a better man.Labyrinth is truly a fantasy movie classic. It takes us deep in the world of goblins. It takes us deep inside the world of Jim Henson and essentially, it takes us deep within ourselves. This movie paves a way for us to perceive one of the infinite realities that we can tap into. Especially now that our reality is blurred and almost trivial, the only power that we posses and the only tool to save our being is our imagination. And as Sarah concludes the story, she ultimately said to Jareth: You have no power over me!So grow wings fly and make the most out of it! Enjoy the song!

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