Masculine and Feminine Power

After venturing on to the battlement of eagles and bears, bulldogs and roosters (see post Eagle and the Bear 14 Sept) and weapons of mass destruction – illustrative of aggressive ‘masculine power’, it’s time to return to a place where I feel more at home, the engagement with 'feminine or soul power’.

Just in case I want to dwell in that world too long, a world where we are bent on “controlling” outcomes, a dream alerts me to the fact that I have gone off track. I dreamt I had become a carer for Mrs Thatcher who had apparently awakened from the dead; I am sorely irritated by this! Apart from anything else, it tells me that it’s time to move away from a situation where I am engaging with and hanging out in a place that is about controlling outcomes. I have left that world far behind and to resurrect that part of me is not in my best interest.

‘Masculine’ and ‘Feminine’ power in the sense that I am using it here is less descriptive of gender~based behaviour and more concerned with a particular attitude, a way of thinking that is utilized by both men and women.

Masculine (spirit) qualities and attitudes are described as active, hard, outgoing, penetrating, logical, aggressive and dominant; while the feminine (soul) nature is defined as receptive, soft, inward, encompassing, intuitive, empathetic and relational.

These masculine~feminine or spirit~soul qualities are equally represented in men and women but will be more or less developed, in distortion or in balance, depending on culture, early life experience, and other environmental and psychological factors. Jung described this feminine and masculine polarity as anima and animus, respectively.
           
Both men and women can tap into these innate anima (soul) and animus (spirit) responses at will, and can choose whether they wish to be aggressive and dominating or receptive and relational. The ‘animus woman’ (Mrs T was one) is said to have an abundance of active masculine qualities; while the anima influenced ‘new man’ is regarded as having more receptive and relational qualities. When they work together harmoniously, we are neither passive nor aggressive, but express a balanced assertiveness.

The dream calls to mind a long held wish to go hang out with my friend Lench, who lives in the Arizona desert. He is a wise Sage, Guide, Teacher and traditional healer from the North American Yaqui Nation. We have been in conversation recently, and he reminds me that “we are moving from the 'place of words' (over~thinking) to the 'place of no words' ... where things can only be experienced…”

The 'place of words' is the place of knowledge and wisdom, of rationality, logic and reasoning. It is governed by the masculine principle and the mind.  It relates to midnight and midwinter.  All conflict tends to originate in the ‘place of words' – harsh, aggressive, abusive, threatening, cutting, belittling, having the last word. Our various war zones and the abuses of rampant consumerism tells us that humanity is currently fixating on this place.

Would be good to go walk with Lench in the desert where one can, according to him, "talk, but very respectfully, to scorpions"; that requires the utilization of feminine power.

see www.windspiritteaching.com.

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