I grew up on the original Star Wars movies and have fond memories of watching them as a family when they would come on tv. I have also had a Star Wars marathon with my children, and really enjoyed watching them again many years later as an adult.
So to celebrate International Star Wars day I thought I would prescribe some remedies for our favourite characters – as they appear in the original trilogy (now movies 4, 5 and 6). It’s impossible to accurately prescribe based on this kind of archetype, and my suggestions may well differ to what others see. But it’s a little bit of fun, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed thinking about it!
We really have to start with Luke Skywalker. Initially naive and idealistic, the murder of his aunt and uncle makes him commit to learning about the force, begin to trust himself and his abilities, and join the rebels. Luke’s journey is marked by trauma, from the death of his aunt and uncle, to finding that Darth Vader is his father. It is choice that marks Luke has a Jedi, by both surrendering to Darth Vader, but then later refusing to kill him. I compared two related remedies for Luke Skywalker – Arnica montana and Bellis perennis. We can think of both remedies for trauma and resilience, and for persevering even when they are hurt, denying that there is any vulnerability. Ultimately though I decided Bellis perennis fits better – this is the daisy that you can step on but comes up smiling again the next day. The wounds are felt deeply, but instead of guarding against future pain, like in Arnica, Bellis perennis is known for clearing blockages to enable a deeper healing.
Princess Leia is our rebel fighter, who stands firm against the empire even at personal risk, leads teams against the Death Star and for evacuation from the ice planet Hoth, and later infiltrates Jabba the hut’s palace on a rescue mission. She has a strong sense of justice and an intolerance of the Empire’s totalitarian autocracy. Princess Leia could only be Causticum, a remedy for people who passionately believe in a cause, need fairness in everything in life, and find injustice unendurable.
Han Solo is our self-centred smuggler, willing to help out when he gets paid for his help, but then rethinks and comes back to join the rebel cause. I decided that Han Solo would best fit within Sulphur. It has a wide picture but can be quite egocentric and individualistic, and not at all interested in authority or the thoughts of others. However they also can be influenced towards a particular course of action and they do value personal connections, which we see with Han Solo’s development to becoming a respected leader for the resistance.
Chewbacca the Wookie is best known as Han Solo’s side kick, always present and supportive with deep loyalty to Han Solo. He’s also an important reason the resistance makes an alliance with the Ewoks and ultimately wins the battle against the Empire in the Return of the Jedi. I would give Chewbacca Natrum muriaticum, a remedy with a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility. While we never know exactly what Chewbacca says, he is always there and is a strong and constant presence. Natrum muriaticum is also a remedy for grief, which could relate to his pre-New Hope history as a prisoner, when the wookies as a race were enslaved by their enemies.
We first meet Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke goes to Dagobah for training in the force. He is best known for his enigmatic wisdom and strange way of speaking! But considering the history of the Jedi and the rise of the Empire, I could only think of remedies from the Gold series of the periodic table for Yoda – those that are related to leadership, power and wisdom, with a broad overview of the whole universe. Matching that with stage 8, which requires perseverance, endurance, calculating and planning, and there is a heavy pressure from the weight of responsibility. Osmium metallicum, the remedy for Yoda is.
And finally let’s think of Darth Vader. The feared enforcer of the Empire, who hunts rebels, captures Leia, kills Obi-Wan Kenobi, and then becomes obsessed with finding Luke when he recognises that he is Luke’s father. There is some redemption in the Return of the Jedi, when he refuses to kill Luke, witnesses Luke refusing to turn to the dark side and then kills the Emperor to save Luke, and dying as Anakin Skywalker instead of the reviled Darth Vader. I needed to find a remedy that had no mercy or remorse for the violent acts that he undertook in the first two movies. Androctonus, the scorpion remedy was my choice – described as ‘unfeeling cruelty’, with a lack of remorse, and anger with a desire to kill. They are generally considered hard hearted, and scorpions themselves inspire fear in others. It is also noted that Androctonus may become a leader, exactly as seen in the movie by Darth Vader.
I feel like I may need a Star Wars marathon to reminisce, and maybe to watch all three trilogies so I can write more next year. I didn’t write about C3P0, R2D2, or Obi-Wan Kenobi, and there are some vivid characters to include from the first trilogy such as Queen Amidala, and Jar Jar Binks.
Who is your favourite character? Who should I include next year? Let me know what you think of my remedy choices – maybe you have an alternative for one of the characters!