Dr. Robert Ford | the mastermind
In this first part of exploring Westworld through a cosmic lens, I’ll be focusing predominantly on mula nakshatra since the actor playing the co-creator of this fantasy world, Westworld, has multiple placements in mula and I have made a connection with the themes of mula nakshatra.
Dr. Robert Ford is played by actor Anthony Hopkins a mula moon, mercury, and venus native. Also notable Hopkins has: purva ashadha sun, uttara ashadha lagna, and rohini ketu (south node).
Dr. Ford is the co-creator of Westworld, an amusement park, that features androids called ‘Hosts’, which are human-appearing robots developed to give life-like interactions in the fantasy worlds. The primary fantasy world is inspired by the american wild west.
Dr. Ford isn’t your stereotypical evil villain, he is the quiet calculated, mastermind orchestrating the downfall of humanity behind the guise of being the ‘old wise man’. Mula falls within the rashi of sagittarius, ruled by jupiter. Mula natives have exceptional intellect and like Dr. Ford may be fond of philosophy, research, and literature.
Arnold Weber/Bernard Lowe
Bernard Lowe is the android host created in the likeness of deceased Westworld co-creator, Arnold Weber. After Arnold’s death Bernard was created to serve as a colleague for Dr. Ford who deeply missed his partner Arnold. Bernard/Arnold is played by actor Jeffrey Wright who has purva ashadha mars, uttara ashadha venus, and rohini rahu (north node).
mula nakshatra
The Vedic zodiac is comprised of 27 lunar mansions, which breaks down to 2.5 lunar mansions (nakshatras) per zodiac sign (rashi). The nakshatras of sagittarius are: mula, purva ashadha, and uttara ashadha. Sagittarius begins the transpersonal cosmic stage. The destructive nature of mula catalyzes one to awaken, become liberated from delusion and the false ego so that one may follow their destiny. The subsequent nakshatras of sagittarius: purva ashadha + uttara ashadha are considered ‘war’ nakshatras.
Mula is the nakshatra where one endures suffering and turmoil that is meant to push the native towards liberation from illusion. The shakti (power) of mula nakshatra is barhana shakti the power of separation, liberation, destruction. Mula natives can assume positions of power within groups relating to their personal views and that feed their ego. Criminality for the sake of personal pleasure is also a theme that is associated with mula.
the power struggle
Arnold, the co-creator of the android hosts, desired to program the hosts in a way that would allow them to develop consciousness over time—to awaken and follow their own destiny. Whereas, Dr. Ford favored humans having control over hosts in Westworld. Ford envisioned that guests’ interactions with the hosts in Westworld would make humans better and change humanity.
“I believed that stories helped us to ennoble ourselves.” – Dr. Ford
Dr. Ford envisioned the narratives of Westworld would create growth and evolution amongst the guests and consequentially within humanity. “The Mula mind tends toward overestimation of human capabilities, and the results are often catastrophic.”1 Within the park there are several fantasy worlds, in each world there are different narratives or storylines that guests (humans) may participate in. Instead of sticking to the narratives, the guests acted out the worst traits of humanity. Within the park, guests act out their innate desires for violence and power that they cannot act upon in the real world due to societal perception and morality.
“This is the new world. And in this new world you can be whoever the fuck you want.” – Maeve (a host android)
Westworld acts to liberate guests from the false ego they use day-to-day within society and allows them to unveil their most primal self. Similar to what natives experience with mula nakshatra. But at the stage of mula, one still has to navigate duality. Do you use your power for good or evil? Do you stick to the narrative of your destiny or act upon impulse and free will?
The guests (humans) have very little empathy for the hosts (androids) and have no hesitation to harm them. Some of the dark manifestations of mula nakshatra include sexual deviance and murder.
Westworld was originally envisioned as a paradise but instead became a prison of humanity’s evil deeds:
“A prison of our own sins… because you don’t want to change. Or cannot change because you’re only human after all.” – Dr. Robert Ford
Rohini nakshatra has the shakti (power) of creation. There are many movies and tv series depicting characters played by rohini actors who create their own world or paradise, as well as, creating robots, sentient companions, or ai beings. Arnold the co-creator of Westworld created Dolores the first successful android host after the death of his son. Grief stricken he wanted to create immortal life in the form of a host.
“One who makes the appropriate offering to Parajapati, to moola, gains the root of progeny. Here moola is ruled by Parajapati, The Creator, who also rules Rohini [nakshatra]. This gives mula a more creative energy. In the negative sense in the Vedas, moola ruled by Nirriti (Kali) takes away the root of one’s progeny or causes the loss of one’s first child.” – David Frawley
Arnold Weber, creator of the first successful ai host in Westworld, is played by rohini rahu native Jeffrey Wright. Dr. Robert Ford is played by rohini ketu native Anthony Hopkins. The host Dolores, biblical Eve of Westworld, is the ai host that all other hosts in the park are modeled after. She lives within the confines of the walled garden, Westworld, with her Adam figure the host Teddy.
The Westworld park was intend to be a paradise but instead became an enclosed royal hunting ground where wealthy humans pay admission to hunt the ai hosts with guns that are designed not to kill humans.
“A prison of our own sins... because you don’t want to change. Or cannot change because you’re only human after all.”- Dr. Ford
“Pairidaeza is formed from pairi (around) and diz (to make a wall) so the core of the word paradise is the fact that it is a walled place, an enclosure of land.
The Greeks used it to describe an enclosed royal hunting ground in Persia and the name attached itself to the idea of the Garden of Eden in English around 1200.” (2)
beginning of the end
Following destruction and uprooting of the past, the ground is cleared for new growth. Westworld (hbo series) takes place 30 years after the Westworld amusement park originally opened (Westworld film (1973) portrays the original park opening).
The deity of mula nakshatra, Maha Kali, is the mother of time and death, rebirth, destruction and liberation. She liberates one from obstacles that obstruct their path to follow destiny, causes destruction for the purpose of dissolving the false ego and destroying illusions.
Dr. Ford plays a role similar to Kali for the ai hosts. He creates an update that allows Dolores to fully gain consciousness and all the other hosts to begin developing their own personality, he programs the host Maeve to follow a plan to escape the park. He awakens and disillusions the hosts, and creates a path for Dolores and Maeve to follow their own destiny beyond the amusement park–-the amusement park representing existing in a realm of illusion or maya for the ai hosts.
Once the mula native has gone through the process of false ego death and spiritual awakening, Kali liberates one from past karma. Time, death, karma are the domain of Maha Kali and are also associated with saturn which takes approx. 30 years to return to where it was 30 years prior. This is called, saturn return, which can contribute to destruction for the benefit of maturity and setting the foundation for the next stage of life. The destruction that ensues within Westworld in season one serves to create a new beginning for the hosts and Westworld– and the real world outside of the amusement park.
the initiation
After decades of the park operating, Dr. Ford begins to agree with what Arnold originally envisioned (for the hosts to be able to develop consciousness over time). Dr. Ford devises a plan to help the hosts gain consciousness.
Dr. Ford updates the hosts with a software update called ‘reveries’. While the host Clementine is being processed Bernard points out that she has developed her own gesture (above). The ai hosts live in narrative loops, at night their memories from what happened in the park that day are erased and any damage to their body is repaired. However, now after every narrative loop remain fragments of memories from past experiences. The ai hosts have developed something similar to a subconscious.
“Returning to Earth, one has only the barest background memory, never fully conscious, of this previous incarnational experience. The lingering subconscious memories do however cause polarizing catalysis for anyone with [planets] in Mūla nakshatra.”1
What the hosts experience daily, metaphorically can represent what we as humans experience during reincarnation. When we reincarnate we lack detailed memory of our past lives but subconsciously we retain personality traits, memories, desires for specific experiences.
the awakening
“Pain and time will make the hosts more alive” – Dr. Ford
Dr. Ford believes that suffering is essential to gaining consciousness. Within the nakshatra mula, natives experience some from of loss or suffering that is meant to redirect them in life and catalyze their awakening and separation from things such as belief systems that prevent them from self-realization and seeing beyond illusion.
Dr. Ford: “Do you want to know why I really gave you the backstory of your son [dying], Bernard? This was Arnold’s key to awakening, his pain was the loss of his son.”
The hosts are programmed with cornerstones in their backstory. Bernard asks Dr. Ford why he would give some of the hosts such painful memories because he is constantly haunted by the grief of losing his son and Maeve haunted by the death of her daughter to the point that the host Maeve commits suicide at one point. After the death of Maeve’s daughter she experiences a nervous breakdown. She begs Dr. Ford, her creator, for mercy. In an unnerving manner that resembles a human’s plea to God for mercy. Bernard is taken aback by witnessing a host display empathy—a human trait.
Dr. Ford could have chosen not to pass Arnold’s real-life trauma onto the ai version of him, Bernard, but the pain was necessary for the ai host to eventually gain full consciousness.
Ford: “Remembering will cause you trauma.”
Bernard: “After all, a little trauma can be illuminating.”
The thing that leads the hosts to awakening is their daily suffering—much like the daily suffering and traumatizing life events us humans experience. Dr. Ford explains that when park co-creator Arnold died just before the park opening it causes Dr. Ford suffering. When he suffered loss he awakened himself and was able to see the potential Arnold saw in the hosts.
the war begins
Feeling disappointed by humanity’s lack of evolution (by his standards) Dr. Ford sets into action his plan to destroy the human species (purva ashadha) by initiating the war between humans and ai hosts.
“But then I realized someone was paying attention. Someone who could change. So, I began to compose a new story for them. It begins with the birth of a new people. And the choices they will have to make… and the people they will decide to become.” – Dr. Ford
Dr. Ford views humans as the primitive species because we have failed to evolve any further. But are the hosts truly more evolved than humans because they are just as ruthless and evil as humans? They are a reflection of what they experienced in Westworld. They were not shown love and compassion in Westworld the hosts consciousness evolved by fighting for survival and seeking dominance.
Surely in some capacity humans have evolved beyond basic survival and desire for dominance. We do have the ability to love unconditionally. The only ai host within Westworld who has displayed unconditional love is Maeve who sacrificially remains in the park searching for her daughter even though she understands it isn’t her literal child, to her the love she feels for her daughter is still real.
Dr. Ford: “But of course, we’ve managed to slip evolution’s leash now, haven’t we? We can cure any disease, keep even the weakest of us alive, and… you know, one fine day, perhaps, we shall even resurrect the dead. Do you know what that means? That we’re done. That this is as good as we’re going to get. Hosts must learn that humans are their enemy. You needed time. Time to understand your enemy. To become stronger than them.”
Dr. Ford: “It begins in a time of war, with a villain named Wyatt and a killing, this time by choice.”
The consciousness of Dolores is merged with the consciousness of another host, Wyatt, a violent malfunctioning male host. Symbolically this represents the merging of the anima and animus within the subconscious, a crucial step towards self-realization and individuation. Dr. Ford overrides Dolores’ programming giving her the capability to kill humans, this update is given to all the ai hosts. Dr. Ford and the other park executives attending a gala are ambushed by hosts and the war against humans begins.
“Arnold and I made you in our image and cursed you to make the same human mistakes, and here we all are.” – Dr. Ford
fatal mistake
In vol. 2: Creating New Worlds I emphasized the importance of abolition work in the process of imagining and creating new worlds, it is important to acknowledge and deconstruct what is faulty about the foundation and infrastructure you are attempting to create upon and within. Otherwise you simply recreate more of the same ‘mistakes’. Be it internalized racism, self-serving goals, misogyny, etc. These things aren’t mistakes but intentional systems of oppression or subconscious patterns that need to be uprooted. Mula has the destructive force to do just that but destruction is such a powerful force that it often becomes misused in the hands of humans.
I think philosophically the show still leaves us questioning if ai is capable of one thing that seems to separate ai sentience from human sentience—unconditional love. In order to further our evolution as humans we must learn how to deconstruct the systems of oppression that we live within so that we are capable of experiencing true evolution. The missing part of our evolution, as humans, is that we haven’t collectively evolved to appreciate how to express, embody, and experience pure unconditional love for self and others. This is the final step of deconstructing the prison of sin that we have created so that we can instead create a reflection of paradise on Earth.
On a personal level we as humans question why do we suffer from loneliness, grief, stress, rejection, trauma things God could show mercy and protect us from? As harsh as it sounds, “The pain that the world is not what you want it to be” drives us towards awakening and spiritual evolution––this is the lesson of mula nakshatra.
Along our Earth journey, some of us have internalized experiences of suffering as abandonment or punishment from our Creator. Which isn’t the case. The Creator is merciful and loving. In times of hardship don’t be afraid of prayer, just telling God what you feel you need to get off of your chest, or asking for help.
thank you for reading
S O U R C E S
1. https://barbarapijan.com/bpa/Nakshatra_radical/19mula.htm
2. https://wordfoolery.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/paradise-is-a-walled-garden/
keni sekhem 