On the way to San Francisco last week from New Zealand I watched Beowulf the Movie, by Rober Zemeckis and staring Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie. It so struck me that I watched it again on the way home! It seemed to me that the story describes the way human beings experience the power of their own intention. In a later blog post I will share you the same model of the universe but in the language of science – perhaps more useful but not as exciting. For now, let’s dive into the world of myth and see what it says.

It says that the Source of all that you desire is already within you. When you are connected to that Source it is the most beautiful, ecstatic, erotic, and blissful experience you can ever possibly have. Not only that, but that Source will grant you anything that you desire, with this simple caveat, it will manifest your EVERY desire, including what you believe about yourself.

In the movie the Source is represented by the ‘water demon’ Gendel’s Mother (Angelina Jolie). No man can resist her beauty. Both Hrothgar and Beowulf experience union with her. In return they are granted their desires – kingship, power, wealth. And she bears each of them children in their own image. Hrothgar is father to Grendal, the monster that lays waste to his mead hall. Beowulf fathers a dragon who attacks his kingdom. In both cases, the Source is true to its word – it manifests all that their heart desires. It’s Hrothgar’s and Beowulf’s image of themselves that limits the good that comes to them. Inside they believe themselves as monsters. Consequently the Source bears them monsters.

The caveat is unavoidable. The nature of the Source is all giving – the raw energy or power to manifest. Scientists speak of the Zero Point Field, with enough energy in a square metre to boil the oceans of the world. The Source makes no distinction as to which of our desires are manifest. Whatever we believe or desire becomes reality because both are simply statements of our intent. Hrothgar and Beowulf, once they have contacted the Source, have no choice in the matter – all their intentions manifest.

A clue to this is given at the end. Hrothgar is not able to stand living with his own self-image and kills himself. Beowulf on the other hand is able to face himself more honestly - he asks his wife to remember him not so much as a hero or a king but as a man who was fallible and who made mistakes. It is only after this act of self-awareness and, in part, self-forgiveness, that Beowulf is able to overcome the dragon (his own inner beliefs made manifest) and save his wife, mistress and kingdom.

From a historical perspective it is also interesting how Beowulf stands at the end of the age of heros and at the beginning of the age of Christianity, with the figure of Christ as ‘Love’. Love and forgiveness appear to be the way in which we are able to re-connect to the Source, when the self-judgement of the belief systems we carry – conscious or unconscious – separate ourselves from all that we truly desire. Maybe the last 2000 years have been for the human race the opportunity to increase our capacity to love and forgive oursleves so that we carry fewer demons of self-belief in our intention field.

Speaking as a male I think Angelina Jolie did a fantastic job of representing the erotic nature of the Source – it is all that we could possibly desire!! Women may experience the Source as male, like Eros in the myth of Psyche and Eros. In whatever form we experience it, it is simply all-giving nature of the universe. It’s full beauty, abundance and splendour is accessible to the extent to which we clear our intention field so that are intentions are for the highest good of ourselves and all concerned. When we fail due to the stresses of limited self-belief then forgiveness and unconditional love are the route back to the Source and our every desire.

Well done screen writers, Neil Gaimon and Roger Avary. For me you got back to the mythic truth behind the story.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 6:51 pm and is filed under Human Intention, human evolution, beowulf, Angelina Jolie. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.