by Mickey Megistus,
When I think back on all the times I watched Masters of the Universe as a nine-year-old—and the several times I watched it as an adult for nostalgia’s sake—it’s a small wonder that my favorite character was never He-Man, but was always Skeletor, by far. He really stole the show in my eyes. At that time, he captivated me like no other villain.
Frank Langella brought a rawness and conviction to that character I had never seen before. Not to mention all the soft disclosure and esoteric/occult themes the film flaunted as well. Suffice it to say, I had my first major epiphany regarding the mysteries of good and evil by coming to a very practical conclusion that I’m certain any other nine-year-old boy could attest: Skeletor was a damn great villain.
Now, what do I actually mean by “great” you ask? Well, I mean greatness as in terms of what a villain actually is, and how a villain is properly used in the context of a good story, or myth.
Sure, Joseph Campbell talks about the hero with a thousand faces from mythologies around the world, but we seldom think on the villain with a thousand faces. Yes I admit, the hero plays a very important role; you could even say that the hero has the most important role, but without a challenging obstacle to overcome—without adversity or an intimidating adversary to test the hero’s mettle by threatening all that he or she holds dear—it leaves for a rather insipid and anti-climactic tale.
Buy Book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)
Why is it that we are inspired more so from a tale of adventure, danger, conflict, climax and intensity than one of comfort, monotony and unchanging peace?
I’m paraphrasing a bit here, but there’s an old adage that states all things of value are not easily won, and there’s something to be said for that, even in spiritual terms. For all great myths, all great stories, are telling a spiritual tale, and I would even be so bold as to say that the myths spurred forth from humanity’s collective unconscious are illustrating inescapable, universal truths, whether we choose to acknowledge those truths or not.
As Alan Watts often discussed, one of the greatest truths out there is the perceptible and underlying unity that permeates the dualistic notions we see in the world. This is also referred to as the unity of opposites, or, in Hermetic philosophy as the principle of polarity.
Just as you cannot have hot without cold, noise without quiet, high without low, sharp without dull, and large without small, nor can you have light without dark or good without evil. One always begets the other. When it comes to the understanding of concepts or ideas, even in the metaphysical sense, you can only experience and know what things truly are (and how to transmute and transcend them) through contrast.
Buy Book The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Allan Watts
Villains are the ultimate contrast to the hero, and in many ways, a villain can teach us more about who we are (and who we are not) than the hero ever could on his own. If we look at things with Jungian psychology in mind, the archetype of the villain could very well be seen as the personification of one’s shadow. The unconscious flaws, moral flexibility, repressed feelings and misplaced ideals are highlighted quite generously for all to see when it comes to the villain, and yet these attributes can remain quite hidden in the hero until the villain “tests his mettle.”
To take this a step further, I’m going to talk about the Law of One material, namely, the two paths (the negative “service to self” path and the positive “service to others” path) and how they relate to one of the most epic villains of my childhood.
For any person not familiar with the Law of One, I will simply say that it was channeled information received back in the 1980s by an entity known as “Ra,” which was allegedly the same entity that worked with the ancient Egyptians and also the Atlanteans before that. Even without discussing the legitimacy of Ra’s backstory, I can say that this channeled information is the most philosophically and metaphysically dense material I have ever read. In my opinion, it is head and shoulders above any other channeled information and esoteric/occult books I have studied in the past.
To be concise, Ra mentions that the significant difference between those of the negative polarity and those of the positive polarity (from a spiritual/moral perspective) is how they make “efficient use of experiential catalyst.” In other words, it’s how they choose to utilize experiences (with people, places, events, etc.) to further polarize themselves in either the negative or positive direction. Those of the positive polarity are working primarily with the qualities of love and acceptance, meaning the willful acceptance of self and other-selves. A being or entity of the positive polarity recognizes (at some level) the core truth that all selves are part of the “universal self,” which is tantamount to the oneness and unity of the Infinite Creator (all that is).
Those seeking the negative polarity work with this concept of the universal self as well, yet in a much more distorted, limiting capacity. It’s limited in the sense that they only dimly acknowledge the totality of self within themselves and not within others, thus perceiving only a half-truth. Furthermore, this concept isn’t expressed through acceptance, but rather through the forceful control and manipulation of others so they may express their affinity towards power and self-aggrandizement.
Since they ultimately seek and maintain a path of separation instead of unity, they willfully reject and deny other-selves as part of the universal self, constantly striving to make oneself superior to others, using the same manner of forceful control on their thoughts and emotions to advance their desire for complete and total domination over the self and over others. The positive uses love and acceptance; the negative uses control and power; this is the critical difference.
Ra goes on to mention that it is also far more difficult for the negatively polarized individual to graduate or ascend to higher dimensional realities or “densities” as they are often called in the Law of One. This concept of ascension is also known by Ra as “harvest”—when a certain being or entity is harvestable, they may graduate to a higher density. Because the negatively polarized individual is essentially working with a half-truth to raise their vibrational frequency, their commitment to control and power must verge on the absolute, meaning they must be at least 95% service to self in order to be harvestable. This is a lot of work, and is substantially higher than the positively polarized individual who effectively shares the workload with other-selves, raising their vibrational frequency together, which affords them much less effort to become harvestable, and so they only need to be at least 51% service to others in order to graduate. It’s no surprise Ra states that roughly 90% of all beings/entities in the universe take the positive path, while only 10% take the negative.
When Ra discusses how the bad guys (aka Orion Group) operate on the higher negative densities—specifically the 5th density black magicians that call the shots and direct those on the lower negative densities—I couldn’t help but envision the quintessential image of Skeletor lording over his inferiors in his lust for power. And after reading much on the Orion Group and the negative path, I felt it long overdue to re-watch Masters of the Universe and see just how closely Skeletor resembled those 5th density villains; I was not disappointed.
Regardless if the individual is where we are now, at 3rd density—or even if they reside on the 4th or 5th density—those of the extreme “service to self” variety are almost always purveyors of psychopathy, which Skeletor very accurately embodies when we consider the opening scene in Masters of the Universe.
The film begins with Castle Grayskull falling under Skeletor’s control. Our archetypal villain makes his ostentatious debut marching confidently up the steps to the castle’s throne room with rows of his obedient, black-armored troops shown standing on either side. He quickly demands a report of progress from his minion, Evil-Lyn. She explains the castle is secure yet reveals there is a resistance still being led by He-Man, assuring that they will have him before the day is out.
“I want him kneeling at my feet,” Skeletor grimly commands.
This one line immediately conveys a clear picture that what Skeletor craves the most is the subjugation of his rivals. To exert superiority over those who challenge power is very akin to how the Orion Group hierarchy functions. In the higher negative densities, every being/entity knows their place in the power structure. This is further elucidated when Evil-Lyn utters her brief comment, “After all this time, Grayskull is ours…”
“No!” Skeletor vehemently shouts. He sits on the throne, clutching his staff as he smiles with a macabre glare. “Mine,” he corrects.
Skeletor, like the ruling 5th density black magicians at the apex of the Orion Group, are not about “sharing” power. It’s about complete control and domination above all else.
The scene goes on to reveal that the Sorceress of Castle Greyskull is now Skeletor’s prisoner, to which he takes giddy delight in declaring to her. He gloats, asserting that he has won and bested the light while she remains imprisoned within an energy field that allows him to steal her life-force and commandeer the powers of Grayskull for himself. This is very telling, illustrating Skeletor’s predatory and parasitic nature. Those of the negative path elevate one’s personal power by enslaving and feeding upon the power of others. This creates an immediate (and easier) short-term gain for those of the superior predatory class, however, there is a very low net gain in power of the total hierarchy when compared to the positively oriented densities.
The positive path is symbiotic instead of parasitic.
The positive path utilizes multiplicity of expression and mutual benefit for all parties invested because cooperative networking (rather than competition and personal advancement) creates a net gain in overall power much greater and well-balanced than anything the negative predator/prey hierarchy can muster. This is exemplified in Masters of the Universe when He-Man and his small group of friends manage to outsmart and temporarily fend off the overwhelming numbers that Skeletor has at his disposal.
As Joseph Campbell, and even Ra would note, we see toward the latter half of the film that Skeletor acts as the perfect catalyst for the hero by presenting an opportunity in the story for He-Man to express his selfless nature and love for other-selves when he consents to surrender and imprisonment in order to spare the lives of his friends. Though this can be seen as a failure for the hero from a lower perspective, from the higher perspective He-Man has made efficient use of experiential catalyst to increase his polarization in the positive direction.
The story (and the villain) ultimately reaches a crescendo at the final scene when Skeletor awaits moonrise for the “great eye” to open so the powers of Grayskull can be bestowed upon him. He goes into a fantastic megalomanic monologue, decreeing that he has become master of the universe. As the moon finds its zenith, he is imbued with the energies of the cosmos. Skeletor describes how he perceives this realization and what it means to our hero. It’s a brilliant scene, one of the most memorable I have ever witnessed as a nine-year-old, and for the initiated, it gives us a very accurate glimpse into how these 5th density black magicians view themselves and the universe they are bent upon conquering.
Watch these other links below and see for yourself how well Skeletor mirrors the negative path. It’s pretty uncanny.
And there’s plenty of other fantasy/adventure films in the ’80s and ’90s that divulge rather blatant esoteric/occult truths.
The irony for Skeletor (just as it is for the negative path) is that in the end, He-Man is still able to free himself with the aid of his friends and reclaim the Sword of Grayskull.
The hero then proceeds to overpower the villain (even with Skeletor in his godlike state).
This gives testament to the underlying truth that the negative polarity—for all its absolute devotion towards power—is still only functioning as a half-truth.
It remains immersed in the illusion of separation and is but a pale shadow when compared to the positive path that embraces the complete truth of oneness with the Infinite Creator.
The negative polarity will always exist as a consequence of our free will and the veil between our conscious and unconscious awareness, but from a metaphysical standpoint, evil is not nearly as pervasive as most people fear it to be.
The archetypal villain and the negative polarity are merely aberrations of the path towards unity. And while not essentially necessary, they exist nonetheless as powerful tools for teaching and learning.
After all, it is through illusion that we learn truth (and the desire to seek it).
One always begets the other.
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About The Author
Self-proclaimed pantheist, anarchist and occultist, Mickey Megistus is an eclectic researcher with a passion for truth and the liberation of humanity. He is an avid proponent of using knowledge, compassion and wisdom to raise our collective consciousness through a blend of alternative science, eastern and western mysticism, and metaphysical practices.
This article (Law of One and the Negative Path: Skeletor, The Archetypal Villain — Cosmic Evolution Through Catalyst) originally appeared on StillnessintheStorm.com and is free and open source. You have permission to share or republish this article in full so long as attribution to the author and stillnessinthestorm.com
Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?
Consciousness is one of the most mysterious phenomena of all time. Scientists, philosophers, and mystics have been searching for the answer to the question, What is Consciousness? for most of human history. In modern times, the spiritual origins of consciousness are being replaced with a materialistic view, that awareness emerges as an additive property of electrical impulses in living things. Despite the fact this theory is assumed to be true, any self-respecting psychologist will tell you we have no idea what consciousness really is. The preceding article discusses consciousness, some of its properties, and possible origins. This is helpful to contemplate because, in the act of trying to understand the mysteries of consciousness, you develop critical thinking skills and stimulate your philosophic muscles, both which are immensely important for almost everything we do in life. Additionally, you’ll develop abstract thinking skills, the ability to explore intangible realities that govern material realms. With the power of an active mind capable of navigating the realities of consciousness, great leaps in personal attainment can be made along with preparing you for the Great Work of making this world a better place.
– Justin
Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.
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Brilliant recap. Thanks!
You’re welcome!