2011 - Chokmah - Cowboys and Aliens

I woke up in the desert, like I had been dropped out of the sky.

Jake Lonergan, Cowboys and Aliens

Before we can begin the next analysis I just want to say that taking inspiration from the Qabalah in this way is not a new thing; two of my favourite writers, Fernando Pessoa and Borges both took inspiration from the Hermetic Qabalah. When it comes to writing or production design for my theatre shows I do exactly the same thing I am describing in these posts.  Many other Hollywood film makers have used the Qabalah in the past and there is nothing automatically sinister about Christopher Nolan choosing to use the Qabalah to provide an artistic structure for his films.  What is interesting about this theory, if it is correct, is the way in which this particular ''on-the-nose'' painting by numbers colour approach seems to have rapidly and systematically spread through all major studios over the last decade  - does Nolan have a role in orchestrating it and why would anyone want to orchestrate it in the first place? 

While I am not discounting the more conspiratorial rationales for why an occult global ritual is taking place in film, fashion, etc, I do think that if I was one of the group of major producers making all this work actually happen then a simple colour-semiotic system could be really attractive just on organisational grounds.  Think about it - to make the most money out of product placement and the influence that a film generates then you would want all these major/supporting industries and agencies to be singing from the same hymn sheet, wouldn't you?

Anyway in 2011, the ''Year of Chokmah'', Grey was the dominant colour choice in rolling out this Unifying Colour System.  There are a number of films that are definitely worth investigating from perusing the trailers - The Tree of Life (obviously), J. Edgar, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Source Code, In Time - but I wanted to give myself a little bit of a challenge so I decided to do ''Cowboys and Aliens''.  We'll work with the same system as last time, you can peruse the list, then images from the film and then I'll summarise with a short essay.

• TITLE - Chokmah, Wisdom - God found wisdom and gave her to Israel (Jacob)
• COLOUR - Grey
• WORLD - Atziluth (Fire)
• MAGICAL IMAGE - A bearded male figure
• OTHER TITLES - The Supernal Father, Primordial Force, Reshit (Beginning)
• GOD NAME - Jehovah
• ARCHANGEL - Raziel, Secrets of God, Herald of God
• ANGELS - Ophanim (Wheels)
• MUNDANE CHAKRA - Mazloth (Zodiac i.e. the Stars)
• SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE - The face to face vision of God
• VIRTUE -  Devotion
• SYMBOLS - Phallus, Inner Robe of Glory, Standing stone, Tower

JAKE LONERGAN (JACOB)

JAKE WITH SECRET PRIMORDIAL FORCE

GREY FATHER WEARING GREY

''ADOPTED SON'' OF GREY FATHER IN GREY

JACOB WITH GREY FATHER

JACOB, '"ELLA'', GREY FATHER, GREY LETTERING, FIRST CONTACT OR ''BEGINNING'' 

''IT IS BETTER TO HAVE WISDOM THAN GOLD'' - PROV, 16:16

ELLA - ''SHEKINAH"

INNER ROBE OF GLORY

INNER ROBE OF GLORY

LADDER-LIKE ALIEN CRAFT

TOWER

Jake Lonergan (Jacob) is a man of secrets (Raziel).  Having been abducted by aliens (Jacob's Ladder), Jake returns to the town just before they attack (Herald of God).  Encountering the Dolarhyde son first, Jacob finally confronts the patriach - Woodrow (Grey father in grey) - and Ella (Shekinah - presence of Wisdom on Earth).  After the aliens/demons begin to assault the town and abduct people in their uniquely designed craft (Ladders) the unknown device on his wrist activates and generates a powerful laser beam (Force) which destroys the alien ship.  A posse is quickly formed and they set out in pursuit of the aliens.  During the journey Ella is killed and then placed on a fire by Native Americans, this causes a miraculous resurrection out of the flames (inner robe of glory).  We also discover some of Jacob's secret (Raziel) background i.e. that he was once the leader of a group of bandits, but his experiences have led him to shun his evil ways.  The final sequence of the film involves an assault on the alien base (tower) where they mine or rather liquefy and extract the gold (it is better to have wisdom than gold).  The base is revealed to be a space ship which then launches into the sky before Ella destroys it from within (grey phallus).  The film is thoroughly laced with references to penises, whether it be dialogue directly linking penises to pistols, or just having people whipping it out in the desert or jail.

Surely you don't expect the lord to do everything for you, do you?  You got to earn his presence.  Then you got to recognise it.  Then you got to act on it.

Meacham, Cowboys and Aliens