Was "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Released a Year Too Soon?

The Secret LIFE of Walter Mitty

If you saw The Secret Life of Walter Mitty last year when it came out at the cinema you may want to view it again and ask yourself if it wasn't released a year too soon.

And the film gives off its own synchromystic clues that this may be the case as well, with the big clue in the film being the goat/sheep/ram imagery suggesting the time for watching this film and its relevance to current events may be just as The Year of the Horse is ending and The Year of the Goat /Sheep/Ram is beginning, which would be from now until the middle of February. 

The Chinese style architecture at the train station where the film starts off maybe just a wink to this possibility, as well?

64. Wei Chi/Before 

Completion

Not to mention the 64 (I Ching?) on the firetruck in Walter's fantasy as he imagines himself rescuing the dog from a building about to blow on Broadway.

See the street sign? Broadway?"All the world is a stage..."?

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a great film on many levels, not just for Synch-heads like me.
Even fans of the Tarot's 22 major arcana cards might like to play the game of "Where's Wally?" that the makers of the film seem to have played with overt and cryptic imagery throughout the film.

I'll warn you right now, that if you haven't watched the film yet, there are going to be some major SPOILERs to the film's plot, but I will try and keep the progression of the post and spoilers in the order of the film to some extent.
My advice is to watch the film before reading this post.
You can't say that you haven't been warned now, so read on if you wish.

There is also a lot of bow and arrow imagery in the movie and in fact even before the movie begins, we see the TSG Entertainment logo of an archer firing an arrow through a row of axes.

David BOWMAN from 2001: A Space Odyssey

Of course, Dr. David BOWMAN serves as the protagonist of 2001: A Space Odyssey. 
And we have Walter Mitty being compared to Major Tom throughout this movie.

 The center of the Milky Way Galaxy is often depicted by an archer firing an arrow to the center of it, hence the name Bowman in 2001 in all likely hood.

Zero?
The Fools number on
Walter's briefcase?

3...2...1...ZERO.
Blastoff?
Fire and Water?

Moses ... or The Magician card?

Major Tom?
Bowman?
Eggman?
goo goo goo joob?-)

0 The Fool 
The focus of this card is on faith, hope, trust and contentment, high ideals and the possibility of a brighter tomorrow, choice and personal effort.
1 The Magician
The focus of this card is on new beginnings, new opportunities to use talents, love urges, finance and the future.

 Let's not forget that 1s and 0s are the building blocks of  
The Matrix, as well.

Anyway, buckle up as you are in for a long journey if you start reading this post.

The Fool stands on the edge to view the
journey he must take that is before him

Also, Walter is 42 when he starts his journey (the meaning of LIFE, the universe and everything?) 
"Happy 42nd birthday Walter, mum baked you a cake".

And getting back to "The Matrix" when Walter lands in GREENland he is offered the choice from a shamanic looking gentleman between a BLUE, or RED rental car.
Walter chooses the red one.
Surprise, surprise. 

The blue car, or the red car?

This hexagram indicates a time when the transition from disorder to order is not yet completed. The change is indeed prepared for, since all the lines in the upper trigram are in relation to those in the lower. 
However, they are not yet in their places. 
While the preceding hexagram offers an analogy to autumn, which forms the transition from summer to winter, this hexagram presents a parallel to spring, which leads out of winter's stagnation into the fruitful time of summer. 
With this hopeful outlook the Book of Changes come to its close. 

THE JUDGMENT BEFORE COMPLETION
Success. 
But if the little fox, after nearly completing the crossing, gets his tail in the water, there is nothing that would further. 
The conditions are difficult. 
The task is great and full of responsibility. 
It is nothing less than that of leading the world out of confusion back to order. 
But it is a task that promises success, because there is a goal that can unite the forces now tending in different directions. 
At first, however, one must move warily, like an old fox walking over ice. 
The caution of a fox walking over ice is proverbial in China. 
His ears are constantly alert to the cracking of the ice, as he carefully and circumspectly searches out the safest spots. 
A young fox who as yet has not acquired this caution goes ahead boldly, and it may happen that he falls in and gets his tail wet when he is almost across the water. 
Then of course his effort has been all in vain. 
Accordingly, in times "before completion," 
deliberation and caution are the prerequisites of success. 

THE IMAGE 
Fire over water: 
The image of the condition before transition. 
Thus the superior man is careful In the differentiation of things, so that each finds its place. When fire, which by nature flames upward, is above, and water, which flows downward, is below, their effects take opposite directions and remain unrelated. 
If we wish to achieve an effect, we must first investigate the nature of the forces in question and ascertain their proper place. 
If we can bring these forces to bear in the right place, they will have the desired effect and completion will be achieved. 
But in order to handle external forces properly, we must above all arrive at the correct standpoint ourselves, for only from this vantage can we work correctly.

Mitty in the water, almost missing the boat to Iceland.

Air Greenland in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Now, with the current news story of the Air Asia plane crash, I find the similarities between the look of the Air Greenland and Air Asia plane colours quite spooky.

Singapore Airlines to the right?

Not only that, but in the movie when Walter is buying his ticket to Greenland, a Singapore Airlines counter is to his right.
The Air Asia plane was heading to Singapore when it crashed into the ocean.

And also getting back to The Year of the Goat, if you turn the 

Air Asia logo upside down, don't you think the As look a bit like goat heads?

20(15?)
The Year of the Goat?

15 The Devil
The focus of this card is on adverse conditions or negative cycle of events.

Ted Hendricks (The Devil?)

Notice also that the day Mitty makes it onto the boat to Iceland is May 1st, or MAY DAY, because when the crewman gives Walter a piece of his mum's cake, he remarks on the May 2nd date on the cake wrapper saying, 'Hey, that's tomorrow", so it must be May Day on the ship.

Norman Atlantic ferry disaster

So, not only is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty  synchy with the current plane stories, but May Day ship stories, as well like the Norman Atlantic ferry disaster.

Notice the #124 on the Greenland pub where Mitty's real adventure takes off? 
Jake Kotze would like this.
On Planet Jupiter

The symbol for Jupiter unpacks as shapes 4, 2 & 1

Also notice the thumb ring on the helicopter pilot? 
Thumb rings originated with archers as protection from the bow string striking the thumb.
This guy launches "Major Tom" (Mitty) on his journey.

The only place Walter had been to on a plane before Greenland was a stopover in Phoenix from Nashville.
Phoenix? 
Ashes to Ashes? 
Walter is now rising from the ashes like a Phoenix?

The Emperor?

4 The Emperor 
The focus of this card is on construction and formation, or something or someone will change your present situation or present you with opportunities to enter into a new partnership or relationship.

The Empress?

3 The Empress 
The focus of this card is on feelings, emotions, self expression, socializing, or short and long distance trips.

Also looking at that #124 again on the pub where Walter meets the helicopter pilot, it could also stand for "The Chairiot"card, since 1+2+4=7.

7 The Chariot
Your focus is on introspection, re-evaluation, decisions of passion and confusing issues. 
You will be re-examining your affairs and assessing your situation.

It's 15 kilometres to the volcano from here. 
2015:The Year of the Goat?

OK, tarot cards aside for the moment, this is the part of the movie that makes me think this movie was made for this period we are in now, as the year is changing from "The Year of the Horse" to 

"The Year of the Goat/Sheep/Ram".

Wheels of Fortune?

Walter has to ride this bike 15km to the volcano pointed out to him on the map above (once he wins it in a foot race with some horny Chilean sailors who want to go to a strip club).

10 Wheel of Fortune
The focus of this card is on conflicts of interest, unexpected developments, important news that changes or alters your course, also important news and information.

But on his ride he smashes (rams?-) into a sheep sign and tumbles off his bike and lands in front of two sheep.

Year of the Ram/Sheep/Goat?

Now you probably think I'm off the mark on the Year of the Sheep/Ram/Goat thing, but not so fast, as in the next scene you can see two distressed horses (The Year of the Horse is over?) galloping back in the direction Mitty came from as he is forced to ditch his busted bike and run on over a bridge.

Walter trades his Stretch Armstrong (Neil Armstrong?) he has for a skateboard with horns painted on it.
This scene is right after he runs over the bridge pictured above.

 Notice also the kids he trades his Stretch Armstrong doll with are in a hurry to get into the BLUE car and get the hell out of there fast.

The hotel manager who later rescues Mitty is in a GREEN car (The Matrix), maybe because he knows how the matrix functions and maybe is a bit like the Key-master of the matrix movies (LIFE?).

Meanwhile, our Fool (Mitty) races to the cliff edge to view the journey he must take that lay before him.

Mitty then rips up a hangman's noose (necktie), so he can proceed on his journey.

12 The Hanged Man 
The focus of this card is on your life, values and the way you are thinking.

20 Judgement 
The focus of this card is on new personal relationships, new business ventures or partnerships, beneficial help, improved conditions, changes in habit and purpose.

OK, back to current events in the news for a tick.
Here's a shot of a plane with a red A, and a blue A.
I know it's an American Airlines plane, but the plane that hit the water last month was an AA (Asia Airlines) plane as well.
I just had to through in the AA thing as nod to the The Matrix's red pill/blue pill scene.

And for a second, or two, it looks as though it's about to hit the water, just before it lands.

I like this talk in the movie about nuts and plates at the airport terminal back in The States.
"You've got a lot on your plate.
What are you going to do now? 
Go out and get another job ... NUTS, I know..." 
Remind you of anything that recently happened?
" The executive, Heather Cho, found herself at the center of a media storm after she ordered that a plane turn back to the gate and that a flight attendant be removed -- 
all because she was served nuts in a bag instead of on a plate in first class."

Korean Air executive to quit remaining posts after nuts scandal

13 Death.
The focus of this card is on endings and new beginnings in career, partnerships, new opportunities or a new lifestyle.

I also enjoyed the little TSA x-ray gag when Walter is coming back into The States.
Obviously representing "The Death"card of the Tarot, no?

And we don't need to think too hard which card it is that Sean is associated with, do we?

9 The Hermit 
The focus of this card is on seeking and finding, completing and perfecting and problem solving.

Jake Kotze's 

Monster Mash(link)

Another sync which I think Jake Kotze may have more to say about, is that I see Sean Penn (who plays Sean O'Connell in this movie) just got engaged to Charlize Theron. 
ch.A.A.rlize
"The couple have decided to take their relationship to

"the next level" after dating for 11 months. 
The pair allegedly got engaged in Paris in November."
Charlize Theron and Sean Penn are 'Secretly Engaged'

SPOILER ALERT!!  
Anyway, to cut a long story short, the Fool finishes on top of the world ... or at least on the front of the last issue of LIFE, by taking part in LIFE instead of just sitting it out, watching it all go by without being involved in it ... and he still would have been out of a job anyway.

 21 The World
The focus of this card is on world issues or world shaking events, encounters and gatherings, travel, change, risks and new opportunities, but also on restriction wall or blocks.

Notice also the 1959 date on the building in the LIFE front cover shot of Walter above? 
19+59 = 78.
There are 78 tarot cards in most popular decks.
But of course the Time/LIFE building was opened in 1959 also.
Coincidence? 
Time-Life Building
 There are 22 Major arcana cards in a Tarot deck numbered 0-21, plus Time Inc., the publisher of Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, House & Home, and Architectural Forum magazines initially occupied 21 floors of the 48 story building.
Oddly, most of the movie takes place in May and In May 2014, 

Time Inc announced that the company was planning to leave the Time & Life building for the Brookfield Place complex in lower Manhattan.

In the 1968 film version of Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby, Rosemary (Mia Farrow), waiting to meet a friend in front of the Time & Life Building, runs into her neighbor (Ruth Gordon). 
The scenes featuring Farrow and Gordon were filmed on location in the lobby and sidewalk in front of the Time-Life Building.
Rosemary's Baby (the movie) had many infamous real life events surrounding the people and places involved in making that film, but it's funny reading the guy who penned the novel talk about his story -
"Levin's best-known novel is Rosemary's Baby, a horror story of modern day Satanism and other occultisms, set in Manhattan's Upper West Side. 
In 1968, it was made into a film starring Mia Farrow and 
John Cassavetes. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for  
Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance. 
Roman Polanski, who wrote and directed the film, was nominated for  
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. 
Levin said in 2002, “I feel guilty that ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ led to ‘The Exorcist,’ ‘The Omen,’ A whole generation has been exposed, has more belief in Satan. 
I don’t believe in Satan. 
And I feel that the strong fundamentalism we have would not be as strong if there hadn’t been so many of these books [...] Of course, I didn’t send back any of the royalty checks."
Ira Levin
Let's not forget Levin's Broardway play "Deathtrap" either -
" Levin's best-known play is Deathtrap, which holds the record as the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway and brought Levin his second Edgar Award. In 1982, 
it was made into a film starring Christopher Reeve 
and Michael Caine."

The street sign reads BROADWAY
as Mitty races from a "Deathtrap";-)

I sometimes wonder when I read about the lives of people like John Lennon and Christopher Reeves just how much FATE plays a hand in LIFE to use magazine analogies.

The reason the movie's central theme is LIFE magazine is to show us movie goers that LIFE is better when you are living it, than reading about it.
Except when you go down in a plane crash, or get taken by a shark, I guess.
But that's LIFE, as they say.

The great point about the movie though is that LIFE won't come to you, you have to go to it.
Whether you believe in FATE, or LIFE, you still have to play the part you want to play to make it happen and sometimes the cards won't fall the way you want them to for you, either.
Here is an example from my own LIFE experience;

Shirley MacLaine as Walter Mitty's mother.

2 The High Priestess 
Your focus is on waiting, learning, trade, finance and negotiations, 
public activities or public relations
I had the chance to see the High Priestess (Shirley MacLaine) live on stage in Brisbane this year.

I wasn't going to bother about getting a ticket, even though I thought it would be an experience seeing a living legend live on stage in my hometown, talking about life in the twilight of her career.
Part of me couldn't be bothered going, focusing on the price of the ticket, being the night of a workday for me, and having to work the next day, etc.
The other adventurous part of me said, buy the ticket, as you will probably never get this chance again if you don't.
So, I listened to my adventurous side and bought the ticket.
I did my part to make it happen, but as fate would have it, Shirley cancelled the tour a few weeks before because she landed a part for a new movie, which clashed with her Oz tour.
The money on the ticket was refunded by the promoters, but I kept the ticket as a reminder that sometimes LIFE has other plans, no matter how much planning you do on your part.  

 It may have been this movie Shirley got the part in, as it was one of two recently announced on her IMDB page.
And by the look of the poster, it's kind of fitting for this post -
"The Journey Begins 2015":-)

LIFE: You can't have your cake and eat it, too

I must say that I'm not a big fan of product placements in films, unless they really work with the story, not that I'm saying a now defunct magazine is a product placement,

but that guy from e-harmony (above) and his company really got my goat ... pardon the pun.
Maybe it's just because I can't stand the thought of internet dating services, but this blatant product placement of e-harmony's services just didn't match it for me.
Wink, wink;-)
Ben could have played that card a little better in the movie, I think.

5 The Hierophant
The focus of this card is on establishments, organizations, truth and understanding, 

new opportunities and family structures.

LIFE is a journey, not a destination,
so, this is not THE END;-)

 6 The Lovers
Your focus is on sudden and unpredictable changes, love, friendship, unions and meetings, choice, travel, and personnel property.
All in all, I thought it was a great movie and one worth watching right NOW.
And I'm not kidding, either;-)

The Tower?
The TIME/LIFE Building?

 

16 The Tower

The focus of this card is on unexpected events or devastating conditions, financial problems, separations and divorce conficlics and loss of faith in one's world.

"Here comes the sun", is written in chalk on the wall

19 The Sun 

The focus of this card is on society and the public, self-image or keeping up with appearances; achievement, accomplishment, marriage unions or mergers.

22 Major Arcana Cards