Happy Women’s History Month – a month that was created as a response to the hypermasculinity and misogyny that exists within western society.
Now notice, I said western. Eastern societies are given a blueprint to the dynamics of the energies that make up our universe. They highlight masculine and feminine energies in a way where the people living in those societies have better access to both energies, as they’re aware of their existence.
Take Yin and Yang, a Chinese philosophy that takes two halves to create wholeness.
Or Tantra, a philosophy from India that believes the universe is created by and made up of masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) energies that infuse all things. Tantra teaches its followers that both masculine and feminine energies exist within each of us in varying amounts.
Learning how to engage both energies fully is what ends up making a person psychologically, emotionally, and physically well.
Living in America gives us a handicap in accessing our embedded masculine and feminine energies. Here, we only acknowledge masculine energy, and define it as “power”. To be powerful we must “think like a man”. In turn, the feminine counterpart is downplayed and overshadowed, and in the end, suffers.
Whenever a society elevates one form of consciousness and downplays the other, there’s disharmony and imbalance.
And as a result, Womens History Month and feminist movements are created to bring back power to the female presenting individual.
Masculine and feminine energy are energies that exist within us all despite our gender or sexuality, but you may recognize it as masculine vs. feminine. To live harmoniously, we must remove ‘vs’ and replace it with ‘and’, as these truths are indeed in oppoption, but they attract each other like magnets. Together, they are one.
Both of these energies are our sources of power.
But what exactly are the two? Let’s start with the basics:
|
Masculine Energy |
Feminine Energy |
| Deep focus | Seeing the bigger picture |
| Intellect | Intuition |
| Suppressing emotions | Validating Emotions |
| Aggression | Compassion |
| Destruction | Creativity |
| Analysis | Thinking in terms of possibility |
| Expressed through physical realm | Expressed through subtle realm |
| Doing | Being |
We have two sides of our brain. The right (where feminine energy lies) and the left (where masculine energy lies)
Feminine Energy
Feminine energy is a manifestation of our right hemispheric brain functions. Prehistoric humans are characterized as either hunters (masculine) or gatherers (feminine). Feminine energy comes from the gathering and nurturing tasks performed by our ancestors. Our right brain evolved to suit these tasks. Feminine energy allows you to
- Add softness, vulnerability, and compassion in your being
- Be there emotionally for yourself and others
- Be more intuitive
- Be open to collaboration with others
- Be receptive to deep feeling
Feminine energy is falling in love, creating art, spatial awareness, and the ability to multitask.
You use too much Feminine energy when you
- Sacrifice your truth
- Try to please other people at the expense of your own happiness
- Allow people to take advantage of you
- Abuse goddess energy: Goddess energy is the art of seeing power in the feminine energy you carry naturally. It’s a level of awareness linked to the divine feminine spirit. The problem with this way of thinking is that it devalues the beauty of masculine energy.
Masculine energy
Masculine energy is a manifestation of our left hemispheric brain functions. Again, prehistoric humans are characterized as either hunters (masculine) or gatherers (feminine). Masculine energy comes from the hunting and providing tasks performed by our ancestors. Our left brain evolved to suit these tasks. Masculine energy allows you to
- Focus
- Be assertive
- Be rational in thinking
- Be competitive
- Feed your ego
Masculine energy is creating boundaries, thinking logically, and individualism.
You use too much Masculine energy when you
- Micromanage others
- Are over controlling
- Are racist (individualistic thought, no regard for feelings and emotions of other race)
- Are misogynist (no regard for feelings and emotions of opposing gender)
Poverty and Global Warming are bigger, more widespread problems of too much masculine energy.
The Beauty of Balance
Using both of these energies is where real power lies.
As with all dichotomies in life, balancing both within you is necessary. To start, find the masculine or feminine qualities that resonate with your essence and experiences, despite society’s expectations. Then, consider the opposite of these qualities, and see how you can weave it into your life. Imbalance occurs when you focus on, or value, one type of this sacred energy over the other. Some examples of using both masculine and feminine principles are:
- Taking creativity and transforming it into radical innovation.
- Taking your emotions and turning it into an emotional force, that drives you and connects you to others.
- Pairing your intuition with intellect to create a superpower.
- Transforming your ability to experience deep feeling to deep radical feeling, where you can transform your life and someone else’s life dramatically.
Channel your feminine energy by meditating, practicing Kundalini yoga, and relaxing.
Channel your masculine energy by being assertive, creating boundaries, and taking responsibility for yourself and your actions.
2020 alludes to perfect vision and a clear path. For Women’s History Month 2020, let’s redefine the act of feminism, by clearly acknowledging both the masculine and feminine energy we carry within us. Not doing too much or too little, real power is finding that sweet spot between doing and being.
Embrace your full power. Bring the entirety of your being to the table by showing up as the best version of yourself and balancing the different energies within you.
