For real-life Jedi, 'Star Wars' fandom is a spiritual practice
NEW YORK — Star Wars fans are a passionate bunch, but one group takes it to a different level. For them, the storyline provides a framework for something akin to a religious sect.
Alan Wilson, who claims the rank of Jedi master, says he was eight or nine when Star Wars: A New Hope was released in theaters. Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi made a serious impression on him. In the early 2000s, he began practicing as a real Jedi.
When George Lucas created Star Wars in 1977, he created a plethora of worlds with it. Arguably, the most notable of these creations was the Jedi, a group that wields lightsabers and has the ability to use the Force.
The Force is an energy which flows around and through all things; wielding the Force gives Jedi an ability similar to telekinesis.
Star Wars is one of the most popular franchises in existence, and the Jedi have become powerful enough to transcend fiction.
The Jedi have no centralized structure. They are split into several different “orders” around the world. Wilson is one of three masters in an order based in St. Louis. There are orders in places like Utah, Texas, Florida, Michigan, London, Milan and New Zealand.
Within each order is a leadership structure not unlike the leadership structure found in a modern-day church. The Jedi padawans are a step above the rest of the congregation, like alter boys, who have decided they want to train and become more involved in the religion. Jedi knights, like deacons, are the church’s helpers, who largely participate in the community. Jedi masters, like priests or preachers, are the figureheads and leaders of the order, responsible for training members.
The training to advance through these ranks varies based on the order—though the main difference is whether the training takes place online or offline.
The Temple of the Jedi Order, based in Texas, has an intensive online program. They ask every member to create an online journal through their website, where they’ll post answers to introspective questions about the Jedi teachings. A leader checks over the works and allows for advancement of rank—they say it takes a little over a year to become a Jedi knight.
Wilson’s order, Arkinnea, does most of its training in person with training and meditation sessions. They meditate in the Force and practice light martial arts, such as yoga and lightsaber sparring. Arkinnea has 125 members, 38 of whom are currently in training.
Additionally, Wilson says that he and others try to meditate individually once in the morning and once at night. Additionally, Jedis own ceremonial robes for special occasions and often wear a mixture of khaki and black as an unofficial uniform.
The code these Jedi follow can also vary based on the order, but is similar for the most part: it contains three tenets, the creed, 21 maxims, and 16 teachings.
These teachings are ultimately built around a belief in the Force. It guides all things and motivates them to be peaceful and helpful in their communities.
Additionally, Wilson says that Jediism can be combined with any other faiths. There’s the easy possibility for Christian Jedi, Muslim Jedi or any other combination available. They follow their code, meditate and aim to be good people; the amount of spirituality is entirely up to the individual.
Jillian Cheney is a student journalist at The King’s College in New York City. This piece was originally published Dec. 19, 2019 and updated May 4, 2020.