The Esoteric Interpretation of “Pan’s Labyrinth”

Pan’s Labyrinth” is a profound movie telling the story of a young girl’s quest to escape the cruelties of Spanish Fascism. The movie also contains a great amount of occult and archetypal symbols telling another story: one of esoteric illumination through test of character and ritual initiation. We will look at the occult and archetypal symbolism found throughout the movie and their relation with Ofelia’s quest.

Pan’s Labyrinth (Spanish title: El laberinto del fauno) is a Spanish language fantasy film written and directed by Guillermo del Torro, director of The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy and Blade II. The movie’s compelling storyline, rich mythological background and strange fantasy world caused many movie critics to consider it as the best movie of 2006.

Like many fairy tales, Pan’s Labyrinth is an allegorical story that can be interpreted in numerous ways and on many simultaneous levels. While researching this movie, I came across psychological, sociological and political interpretations of Pan’s Labyrinth, but almost none relating to the occult symbolism permeating the work and I’ve found almost nothing regarding its underlying esoteric story of initiation. This came a surprise as Del Torro himself described the movie as a “parable” and the numerous references to occult mysteries certainly point this way. We will therefore look at the mystical and archetypal symbolism found in the movie and see how they fit into this rich story of esoteric initiation.

One of the reasons why the movie deeply moves its viewers is probably the presence of archetypal myths and symbols that deeply resonate in the collective and personal unconscious:

Read Full Article