Today, we are talking about the model of the Force and spiritual principles held by the Nightsisters of Dathomir.
Like real world shamanism, they view the force as a web of life, everything in the physical world drawing strength, as well as essential nature, from the Force which the Nightsisters see as the spirit world. Where Jedi attempt to comprehend a generalized collective will of the Force, the Nightsisters see individual agents acting on and through the world around them.
The two primary influences of the Force to the Nightsisters are spirits known as the Winged Goddess and the Fanged God, and they revere both sides of the spirit world / Force more or less equally. It’s a Nightsister observation that the ways of the natural world are largely predatory, and they believe that in order to be strongly attuned to the spirit world / Force they have to be prepared to embody those ways as well as the ways of the green. Plant life as compared to animal life.
The Nightsisters themselves are one in a group of clans though largely dominant on their home world. They see their Force abilities as the gifts of the spirits. They can do all the things a Jedi could, but to them these are possible because of their relationship to the spirits so their rituals and observations are to create and sustain this relationship. They believe that by serving the spirits they strengthen them and their influences on the physical world, which of course strengthens the powers of the Nightsisters.
Unlike the Jedi who believe that the powers of the Force should only be used for the greater good, the Nightsisters view is rather more Darwinian. They see the gifts of the spirits as evidence of their personal strength and wisdom, and that they should use these gifts to sustain themselves and grow their personal strength regardless of what others might do, sort of a survival of the fittest philosophy. If you can’t turn the Force to your advantage, well that’s just too bad for you. They are not beyond cooperating though. They work as a clan, seeking the prosperity of their in-group as well as their individual well being.
How do they differ from Sith? They do not seek personal strength and advancement exclusively. They acknowledge that all living things contribute to the strength of the spirit world. Though they embrace conflict and contention as a strengthening influence, they don’t believe that self empowerment at any cost is valid. Stripping a whole planet of life would be a betrayal of the spirits, weakening and pointless. The Sith tended to see life as so abundant that any given sample was freely disposable, a throw away resource.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~