When all the people of Munchkinland hail Oz as the great wizard, he admits to Glinda that he really isn't the wizard. But she already knows that. She tells him that he is weak, selfish, egotistical and a fibber, but he's the wizard that came to her so he'll have to do. She tells him that he needs to inspire her people so that they'll believe they can triumph in these desperate times. When a man connects to his "good' anima, he gets to see himself. But he also learns to accept himself. We all have to accept who and what we are before we can really make any changes in our lives. Glinda names Oz as both liar and wizard, for he is both.
Unfortunately, Glinda's people are not soldiers and they are not allowed to kill. The soul/anima works through love and creativity, not through fighting and death. They are just regular people who will fight the wicked witches for their freedom. They represent the energy men have to gather and focus toward the task of becoming conscious. There are tinkers who are inventors, farmers and townspeople and munchkins. Not a formidable army.
And then Theodora breaks through the magical barrier and confronts Oz with what he's done by his carelessness of her feelings--he's turned her to the "dark side'. When we start to become aware of who we are and what we've done, the dark feelings come and attack us. This is when a man needs to develop compassion for himself and for his past deeds. Men are just as twisted by patriarchal rules and goals as women are. But they hide it better.
And this is the moment when a man wants to run away instead of confronting these uncomfortable feelings. Happily, little China Girl asks him what kind of wizard he'd like to be. She tells him the old Wizard King would grant wishes if they were good and noble. She tells him she'd ask for her family back. Oz has to admit he isn't that kind of wizard. He tells her there are no wizards where he comes from, but then tells her about Thomas Edison, a great inventor (though they should have used Tesla!) who creates magic with just a few simple things. She tells him that he is a wizard like Edison, and her belief gives him the idea of how they can defeat the witchy sisters without killing anyone.
This is the image of the new hero: the great innovator and inventor who can find ways to overcome violence and defeat it with ingenuity and love.
He uses his head and inspires Glinda's people to create illusions which trick the evil sisters and their minions. When Oz and Glinda's army attacks the Emerald City, her magic tricks the evil monkeys into attacking their scarecrow army in the poppy fields and puts the beasts to sleep. Using your head does that! The monkey mind and brute force can be put to rest when we use our minds.
When Glinda is captured, the China Girl saves her magic wand from Evanora. The magic wand symbolizes the ability to focus creativity and power. The China Girl sneaks it to Glinda in the Emerald City where the evil sisters hold her captive. It is Oscar's innocent and determined feminine energy that works with his soul to defeat the evil sisters, the negative mother complex which makes him feel he isn't good enough for love.
At the moment of the witches seeming triumph, Oz plays on everyone's belief that he's a trickster and a coward and makes the sisters think they've destroyed him. He plays dead, which is often an appropriate action to take when overwhelmed with the last blast of the negative mother complex. But then Oscar uses his illusions to terrify them into thinking he's more powerful dead than alive. When a man wants to connect with his soul, his anima, he has to break free of the forces that keep him loveless and insecure. He has to step into his greatness through his goodness! When he accepts and even uses his shadow side, he can defeat the negative feelings he has and banish them.
Oz, the great and powerful, delivers a victory to the people of Oz and brings them their freedom. This is the new hero's gift to himself and his people. Men cannot be truly free until they release themselves from the power of the negative feminine and chose to be good rather than powerful.
As in the old Wizard of Oz, Oscar gives each of his helpers a gift. He gives the tinker a "thingamabob' which fixes anything, because makers can always come up with solutions. He gives the grumpy herald of Oz a smiley face, because happiness is more important than dignity. And he gives Finley something he never gave anyone else--his friendship. As for China Girl, he gives her a new family. And he gives Glinda--but you'll have to go see the movie for that!
I hope men go see this movie. They need to open up to their imaginations, because that's where all the real action always takes place.
From the Bard's Grove,
Cathy
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