Before I get started, I just want to say that this is a very important topic with such depths of information that this post will only be an introduction or starting off point. I’ll be expanding upon this in future posts.
The concept of masculine and feminine energy is extremely important in today’s world and often goes undiscussed. Now I’m not talking about gender or even gender roles. I am talking about an energy or an essence that each of us contains.
Outward Reflection in Society:
The masculine has been the dominant energy our society values and focuses on for many years. This has been apparent in the astrology of recent years, with heavy influences of earth energy that focuses on growth, force, and hierarchy. However, this is going to be changing soon as the energy shifts in the Aquarian Age.
During this time, we will witness a rebalancing of masculine and feminine energy within society and each one of us. You can already see the outward expression of this with popular media. More acting roles are focused on women leads, more feminist movements appear to gain traction, and fewer and fewer women are falling into outdated roles.
Origin:
If we look into any historical tradition, we will see a blending of opposing energies in order to create the whole.
Look at the yin and yang symbol, for instance. Yin is the feminine energy and yang is the masculine.
Now observe the two most basic series of yoga poses. One is the Sun salutation, which focuses on building heat and masculine energy. The other is the Moon salutation which focuses on grounding into the earth and creating feminine energy.
We can even look at astrology. Each planet is given a masculine and feminine label. We can see in our own charts which one is more dominant within each of us (more on this in another post). For example, the Sun is traditionally more masculine and the Moon is feminine.
What do these energies represent and why is it important to balance them?
Since our society values masculine energy, we can easily become imbalanced. You can see this in the workplace, where we are always hustling and striving to do more to succeed. This energy has its place and is actually very important. The Sun’s fire is our vitality and keeps life moving. However, when not enough time is spent receiving, reflecting, integrating, mirroring and connecting, we lose touch with our feminine side and the intense power that it embodies.
If you’re always working on doing more, you will miss the many lessons along the way that come from rest and reflection.
The feminine energy is also an important container. It is an open vessel, ready to be filled by source or others. This allows for deeper connection to our purpose. If we empty ourselves of knowing and controlling, we leave room for the wisdom of what we don’t know to rise up within us. This is our intuition and it only comes out to play when there is space for it to move and grow.
If too much time is spent in masculine-mode, we can easily become burned out. Imagine a constant Sun without the cooling of the Moon. At first, it would seem great to have more hours to our day. But eventually, the Sun would burn our skin and we would tire of its intensity. If we live life only from our masculine energy, we will have difficulty in receiving and insist on doing everything ourselves. We will think that the only way to get what we want is to go out and fight for it. We will work so hard that we won’t know when to stop. Is any of this sounding familiar? I would argue, that it reflects our current burnout culture.
The opposite of this is the feminine energy of attracting. Imagine trying to capture a stray dog. If you only run after it, it will elude you. But if you stop and set out a treat in your hand, maybe then it will come to you. This energy is open, receptive and adaptive, ready for change and growth. It’s the side of ourselves that allows us to follow our gut even when things don’t make logical sense. Consider how you operate your life. Would it be primarily from masculine or feminine energy or both?
Integration is key
I don’t want to discourage the use of masculine energy; it is essential to our life. For example, it is responsible for planning our future. It ensures our safety by working, saving money, and creating structure and rules so that things can flow peacefully.
If you examine your schedule for the day, this structure in place is inherently masculine.
However, when you take moments of silence, dropping into the present moment and enjoying the 5 senses, this is your feminine energy coming out to play. If we integrate the two sides of ourselves, we can create a structure that allows space for us to be still and present throughout the day.
It’s important to blend the two. Since society overly relies on masculine energy, we have to be more conscious to integrate time for feminine energy throughout our day. This could mean meditating, walking in nature, connecting with others, listening to your intuition, journaling without a purpose, cooking and savoring your meal, connecting with loved ones, listening, receiving, being adaptable and malleable, and so on.
Consider your usual day and list out your normal activities. Next to it, write down whether you consider it to be from your masculine or feminine side. If you don’t see a balanced list, be creative in adding new ways to drop into your intuitive and quiet self. You’ll be amazed how much happier and connected you will feel when you do this.
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