12.23.19. Christmas in the Cosmos: The Power of Myth

This week on The Micah Hanks Program, 'tis the season, and we lead off with NASA news, a last-minute shopping list for the adventurous among us, and the history behind Christmas traditions involving evergreens that date back as far as ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. We also check in on odd tales of synchronicities and plant consciousness from this year's annual "Holiday Fandango", shared with our friends from the Grimerica Show and the Cruisin' with Steak podcast.
Then in the second hour, we acknowledge a holiday tradition that has been more than four decades in the making: the famous Star Wars film franchise, which has long driven holiday sales with its films, books, toys and other media. With the appearance in theaters this year of The Rise of Skywalker, the much-anticipated conclusion to the film series, we turn our attention toward the mythological themes present in the Star Wars story. Key to this was George Lucas's influence by mythologist Joseph Campbell, whose books like The Hero With a Thousand Faces and The Power of Myth helped inspire themes in the Star Wars films that borrow from world traditions, religious beliefs, and other themes that often transcend cultural barriers. We will explore this in-depth, and other themes on this edition of The Micah Hanks Program.
Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode:
NASA maps inner Milky Way, sees cosmic 'candy cane'
NASA Hails Historic Landing by Boeing's Starliner Capsule, But Next Steps Still Murky
'Rise of Skywalker' Opens With $175.5 Million
The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
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