Farscape and Spirituality

[nymeria_dw]

My entry for Challenge 018 at farscape_land

It would be easy to believe that Farscape has little or no interest in exploring spiritual matters: the frequent focus on scatological images or language, and the abundance of body fluids of any kind, seem to leave no room for higher considerations.

But that's hardly true.

If we follow the story-arc without being distracted by these intentional red herrings, we can perceive the acute analysis of the characters' psyche, and understand that this analysis is conducted with the help of the heart-racing narrative, not in spite of it.  Much of the events of Farscape follow a character's reactions to his/her choices and on their consequences that don't only affect the outside world, but often influence a character's inner evolution, as well.  

Together with this deeper exploration of the human (and alien) psyche, there is a rich canvas of beliefs and manifestations which gives us a deeper look into alien civilizations  and gives us the opportunity to take a different approach to our own: there is no better way to examine today's issues than to project them in a different environment or time – science fiction discovered this truth long ago…


The most spiritual creature on Farscape is without doubt Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan, the Delvian priestess that best represents the meaning of alienness: her exotic appearance and her mystical powers alone would be enough to make her stand out, yet her deep spirituality and the wisdom gained in hundreds of cycles stress her diversity even more and show us that she is a study in contradictions.



Although she looks stately and peaceful on the outside, we must always keep in mind that she reached this state through a long and painful journey rooted in murder: Zhaan killed the Delvian leader, and her lover, when he sold his people's ideals in exchange for power, and she spent the long cycles of her incarceration pursuing the Seek, a Delvian mystic path that leads to balance, discipline and enlightenment.  Yet this is not enough, because such hard-won equilibrium can be shattered by the impending madness that lurks at the periphery of the Seek and represents the "dark side" of the Delvian soul, a terrible counterpoint to the apparently peaceful exterior.
What happens on the New Moon of Delvia sheds a sinister light on this species and the danger of too deep an approach to the mysteries of mind and soul: the homicidal impulses that take hold of an individual, when the Seek goes on without proper guidance, might be a metaphor for the dangers of exploring some depths that are better left undisturbed, or untapped.  
There is another side to Zhaan's mysticism that is just as fascinating: Unity. It's a form of mental fusion that encompasses all the incorporeal levels of two beings, allowing an exchange of thoughts and sensations – and of vital energy, as is revealed when Zhaan brings Aeryn back to life.  Like other aspects of Delvian spirituality, Unity can be both a blessing and a curse, because its healing properties can be turned the other way – as Zhaan did with her former lover – therefore underlining once again her ambivalence.
As for any reference to transcendent divinities, in times of stress Zhaan often mentions some unspecified "Goddess": from what we can gather, this entity possesses some New Age characteristics, being like an all-encompassing Mother Nature watching benevolently over all living things, whose presence can be perceived on every existential level.  It's to her realm that Zhaan is certain to be bound to, when she gives her life for her fellow Moyans, and she does so firmly convinced to have redeemed herself of any past sins that might have tainted her soul.


Zhaan is linked, in more ways than one, to another highly spiritual character, Stark.



A Banik slave, therefore leading a tormented life, Stark is also a Stykera: an individual possessed of the ability to help souls in their journey toward the ever-after. And that's not all: at some point we learn that the corporeal form he shows to the world is just a shell, because Stark's true essence is composed of pure energy, shining through from the right half of his face, usually covered by a mask.
The hardships of a slave's life, combined with the Banik's peculiar abilities, have left a permanent mark on Stark's psyche: since our first look at him we see an anguished soul, a person well beyond the limits of sanity – and not just because of the long cycles of torture at Scorpius' hands.  The prolonged contact with all those dying souls, and with the distilled residue  – for good and bad – of their lives' experiences, has left a terrible stain on Stark's personality and undermined his psychological stability.
There is a revealing sentence – a window on his inner world – in which Stark uncovers the terrible suffering brought on by his abilities, and the profound loneliness they bring about: while he contemplates Zhaan's inevitable demise, he understands he's not only losing the woman he loves, but also the most important tie to reality and to anything resembling normality. Maybe the last.  It's a touching, deeply emotional moment, and one that gives us the measure of his inner conflicts:
I have a darkness which frightens lovers away. Whenever I assist the dying, I cannot help but absorb a tiny spillet of their existence. Over the cycles, the endless parade of death... I've accumulated a vast reservoir of evil. I cannot bear to lose the one thing that mitigates this twisted core of my existence.
The dreadful details of this kind of life more than account for the streak of darkness that now and again surfaces in Stark's behavior: the Stykera, true to his state of slavery, has a long history of being used – by his Scarran masters, in their death rituals; by Scorpius, who means to torture important information out of him; by his own allies on Moya, when they need  his mind as a repository for Yondalao's knowledge. With these premises, he's somehow entitled to lash out in anger or give in to the occasional attack of meanness, and yet he still surprises us with his gentle side, the one that always brings comfort to those who are suffering – like John after the Chair's torture, or the dying Gilina.  What makes these moments more intriguing is the hint of otherworldly power he always exhibits, by removing his mask and bathing people in the golden light emanating from his face.  Not unlike Zhaan's gift of spiritual energy, Stark's light has a calming, pain-removing effect and seems to transport the subject away from present misery: often the Stykera says that he's sharing with these people a personal memory that he guards with his own life. Probably the only safe place where his soul can find peace.


Both Stark and Zhaan appear to live on the border between the real and the intangible, as if they were able to walk in both worlds: one does wonder if their inner torment, and the constant search for balance is the price they pay for the privilege of seeing things that are precluded to everyone else.
There is no conflict however, at least no apparent one, in another character who does exhibit a deep spirituality but is also possessed of other less appealing qualities that somehow make her far less ethereal. Utu Noranti Pralatong is quite a far cry from the Delvian Pa'u and the Banik Stykera, yet she seems to display both Zhaan's wisdom and Stark's streak of madness, all rolled into the mystery she represents.



Despite her frequent mention of the "Divine Eternal", a form of deity that somehow resembles Zhaan's Goddess, Noranti's powers come from the mind – and its manipulation. She appears able to delve into people's minds and souls, seeing their secrets and using them, if necessary, to further her mysterious goals, and she often does that with the help of her inexhaustible supply of herbs and powders with which she doses her subjects.
The incoherent ramblings, the bouts of narcolepsy, the hints of a greater picture only she is privy to, all contribute to place Noranti in the same league as a prophetess of classical memory, like the oracle of Delphi, as if she were in contact with a level of existence that is precluded to others. From this point of view, the behavior that the Moyans attribute to old age or simple craziness might very well be the manifestation of Noranti's access to this different level of consciousness, the one that allows her the kind of knowledge that appears uniquely hers.  The third eye in the center of her forehead is certainly the proof she sees beyond the limits imposed on common mortals.
Yet, despite the strangeness, the mystery and the annoying manipulation of everyone around her, there is a moment when the Traskan bares the inner workings of her mind for all to see, and in that moment of "human" weakness and self-doubt she shows a glimmer of the real Noranti, and it's a sad and poignant sight. After the successful raid on Katratzi, where Aeryn's rescue has been effected with the help of a deadly virus unleashed by the old woman, she laments with Rygel the terrible loss of life occurred at her own hand:
I did kill others. By my actions - I have taken innocent lives.
In that unguarded moment we are afforded a glimpse into the deepest workings of her soul, finding care, love and a profound need for forgiveness. And it's enough.


Remaining in the field of old, wise women, the person that first comes to mind is Nilaam: she's the only evidence of Luxan spirituality and what little we see – especially considering D'Argo's reaction to her presence – hints at authority, wisdom and great powers that border on the mystical. 



Oricans are greatly respected in Luxan society, even revered, their requests are like orders to be obeyed without question. D'Argo seems ready to offer his life for her, never doubting her right to ask for it.  Yet such power does not seem to go hand in hand with wisdom, or compassion: when Nilaam perceives she's near death, she asks D'Argo to assist her in the last rites, but the ceremony does not go as planned and the Orican accidentally draws Moya's life energies, thus regaining her youth and strength. Once it's understood that the Leviathan is going to die if the situation is not reversed, it takes quite a while before the priestess accepts her fate and gives back what she's taken. A very different attitude from what we see in Zhaan or even Noranti, and a reminder that in the Uncharteds there is room for different declinations of spirituality.


Mind powers come to the fore once again when we meet the Eidolons: seen just briefly in Season Four, they are more clearly defined in the final mini-series.  Their gift for promoting peace between conflicting parties comes from the power to influence other minds toward a more reasonable approach.  In their case, it's a talent exerted through physical means thanks to a special organ only they possess, but the Eidolons' attitude toward their mission takes on a mystical connotation that speaks of a deeper commitment than the "simple" role of a peacekeeping force.



In PEACEKEEPER WARS we see the initiation of a young Eidolon into this sacred duty, and the whole ceremony, complete with stately chants and a ritual immersion in water, reminds us of the ordaining of a priest, and is capable to create awe even in the most cynical members of Moya's crew.
That even Aeryn Sun, former warrior, is ready to put her trust into the hands of the Eidolons, speaks volumes for the power of conviction that they can engender in those who are ready to listen.
 

And at last we come to Katoya: like the Eastern martial arts instructors he's modeled on, he professes the credo of "mind over matter", instructing his pupils in the control of their bodies through sheer force of will.  There is no transcendent message in what he teaches, but the simple composure that marks his attitude shows that indeed we still have a long road to travel to really know ourselves and our potential.  



At some point, Katoya reminds Scorpius that if he'd continued his lessons he would have had no more need for the coolant suit he depends on: an intriguing concept and a further reminder that the barriers between body and spirit might be thinner than we think.

And not just in the Uncharteds…