Hey people!! It's good to be back. . . I've missed you all dearly

My topic for today is Destiny. I don't remember exactly how Han put it but basically he didn't think there was some "all powerful" force (ha) in charge of his future. And even the Sith have a limited belief in the power of Destiny. In Darth Bane's case he seems to be confused. First he believes that destiny caused all these things to happen to him (I'm being vague in detail to avoid spoilers) including his gaining power. But in the very next thought he's all like "I control the Force. The Force does not lead me like some domesticated mammal." Not verbatum, but that's basically his mindset. The Jedi (as we all know) believe wholeheartedly in destiny via the Force. At least that's how they present it. . . And everyone else who's not Force Sensitive just seems to ignore the whole blasted idea and just move on with their own lives, making the most of it that they possibly can. I have no answers. Just speculation. . .

In the case of the Sith - is that their destiny? The Force must always be balanced in terms of good/evil, light/dark, so it caused certain being to harness the Dark Side? Possibly. That's part of what Darth Bane thinks. Like every Sith before (and after) him, he thinks that the galaxy is out of tune because of the Jedi, and so he embraces the Dark Side with his entire being. No holds barred. And when he manifests his fearsome Dark Side powers (although he listens when his Danger Sense is alerted) he does not "flow" with the Force. He makes his own flow. Colors outside the lines so to speak And with every move he makes to impact the galaxy he is forcing things along. Attempting to take control, and not be subject to any power greater than he, in any sense of the word. Yet. . . . if the Force is seeking to balance itself and the life that sustains it (and vice versa) in a perpetual loop, then perhaps Bane is not as free as he thinks. Palpatine also comes to mind, but where he is involved, we encounter severe will power. Becoming Emperor, eliminating all opposing armies, and wiping out the Jed could be viewed as the Force balancing itself. Maybe. It's debateable (???). But his reign of terror and oppression afterwards? I don't think so. He pushed the non-sensitives, and the light siders, down to a point where the Force was unbalanced and sustained that position for a while. Until the Force had properly reared up a champion to trigger "The Chosen One" to balance the Force by eliminating Palpatine. Everything in the galaxy was tied to Palpatine. Get rid of him and the Force snaps back to "normal" balance (give or take the everyday fluctuations of the galactic citizens).

From the Jedi point of view, destiny controlled everything. You had no identity outside of the Force. That's why they pushed so hard to eliminate personal feelings and whatnot. If you feel then you have an opinion. If you have an opinion, then that is potentially contrary to your destiny in the Force. Obviously they were wrong. . . But how wrong? And where was the fault? Was it in their unwavering faith in destiny? That faith did help them out of tight spots occasionaly, and saved many a people. . . Or was the fault in their application? Perhaps destiny in the Force is tied to one's personal identity. The identity that they suppressed in an effort to let the Force "flow" through them. Think about it. I was watching episode III the other day and Mace clearly says "I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi." And he did. . . what? Nothing!! That was his personal identity and suspicious nature peeping through, and must be tempered with the will of the Force and his destiny within it before becoming valuable intel. Wack? I think so. . . If I sensed a plot to destroy me and my Order I would immediately use everything at my desposal to prevent it. And I'm a freakin' Jedi Master too? Please. . .

And what about the Non-Force sensitives? Those who could be affected by it (Force push, mind trick, etc), contributed to it (all living things), but could not harness it? Clearly the Force has a purpose for them too. The whole rebellion was FULL of non-sensitives!! So was that their only purpose? What if the galaxy had remained more or less balanced and the rebellion was not needed? Would they have some other destiny? Or would they just lead normal lives? How far does destiny via the Force go? And how much power does it have?

Anakin didn't much believe in it, although he did fulfill the prophecy in the end. What does that amount to though? If Obi-Wan didn't relieve him of his limbs, and then train Luke and have Yoda train Luke, and Palpatine didn't revive Anakin/Vader after the fight, then nothing in the OT would have ever taken place!! Was it Kenobi's destiny in the Force to beat Anakin so badly? Here's a left turn question. Did the Force blind Anakin to his own power, inciting him to jump so that Kenobi could in fact take off his remaining limbs?

Oh and how much does this whole Force destiny thing apply to the picture? Hmmmmmmm. . .

I don't want any spoilers (at all) but for those of you who are keeping pace in the Legacy series - Does destiny in the Force have a hand here? Just think about it. Or email it to me. I really don't wanna spoil anything for those who haven't read it yet. . .

This is my blog, and I've got more questions than answers It's great to be back and in the mix though!!