So, a while back I wrote a blog entry here that spoke to various planets in the Star Wars galaxy and what I thought their characteristics represented to me or or how they reflected the sign of the times in the GFFA. I wrote that I would try and write another entry with more planets and thoughts ... and here it is.

In keeping with the spirit of my previous blog, I'll explain what each planet means to me, or how I think it relates to a place or sign of the times in our own little world ... as I think many of the SW planets reflect real places here on Earth.

Yavin 4 is a small moon orbiting the gas giant Yavin and is, of course, the home of the Rebel base in ANH. I find it interesting that it is a small inhabitable moon that houses such a collective will against a brutal tyranny. To me it represents the notion that the smallest of ideas that may be hovering around the largest and most brutal forces can still hold the power to make a difference. It represents the hope that humanity holds ... the hope for victory over wrong-doings and the hope for peace in an age of turmoil. Yavin 4 is a small place, and well-hidden ... but very powerful in its own right.

Alderaan. Of course we don't really see any of this planet other than its demise at the hands of the Empire, but the legacy and spirit of Alderaan is well-documented in the GFFA. It was a planet of peaceful beings who believed in democracy and goodwill. But it met its end by a ruthless and corrupt dictatorship that showed no mercy for its people or history. It represents the idea that something so good and whole can be lost in an instant in one swift stroke. Whether by natural causes or at the hands of others, history has documented such tragedies here in our own world. It reminds me to always hold true to my values and morals, for that is what I would want to be remembered for.

Kamino is an interesting world to me. Pretty much all water, and always stormy, it still represents life. The political and social storm that is raging on in the galaxy can be alluded to in Kamino's endless planetary storms. But amidst the ongoing weather, life is being created on this planet that would add to the turmoil. But to me, the idea that no matter how stormy the political scene gets, life is still being created ... life will go on. We always seem to be in some kind of political or social storm in many parts of our globe ... but nothing can take away the beautiful act of a new life coming into the world.

Endor represents a new beginning. Much like Yavin 4, it's a green moon which shows that spirit and determination can overcome the greatest of odds. It's a place where there were no secrets ... the Rebels knew about the shield generator and the Emperor was counting on them to try to infiltrate it. He wanted them in one place where he could go on the attack and end the Rebellion once and for all. But what he didn't count on was the small details ... the Ewoks who would rise against him to help the Rebels in their quest for victory and peace. In his bias and arrogance he didn't see that he shouldn't have overlooked even the smallest of creatures. And the result of that is a new beginning for the galaxy and an end to the dark times.

And Mustafar. Given all appearances, this planet obviously represents the biblical hell, what with its fiery fountains and lava rivers. It's pretty much the only place that no one would want to end up at. Which is interesting that that is where Darth Vader is forged. Anakin is truly transformed into the Dark Lord of the Sith on this intense, red-hot planet ... light years away from the inspired and bright-eyed podracer on Tatooine. It represents the notion that if we let the fire and uncertainty and hatred burn within us it will consume our very beings and transform our thoughts and our selves into something we weren't really intending to be. Mustafar represents the ending, if one so chooses, of innocence and free will.

I've always found the places and planets in Star Wars to be very interesting and very much related to places in our own world, or related to a sign of the times. And to me, this just brings Star Wars even closer to home, right now, in this galaxy.