Masculine and Feminine: Beyond Genders
To associate feminine energy solely with femininity is a strong reflection of our gender-biased, limiting perspective. As our consciousness moves toward balance and our perceptions evolve into a more universal outlook, attributing certain traits and abilities to genders can be a major misconception that prevents us from keeping pace with modern life and ourselves.
We all now theoretically understand that we hold both masculine and feminine energies within us. Instead of narrowly defining these sides of ourselves as “woman” and “men,” I’d like to guide us toward the comfort and necessity of viewing ourselves and our humanity from a broader and more neutral perspective.
As Homo sapiens, we have been cognitively developed for only a small fraction of our history. Before that, for countless years, we behaved entirely in archaic, primitive, and in some ways “animalistic” ways, as anthropologists have long suggested. Even today, the oldest and most deeply ingrained parts of our existence, and in some ways the easiest to manipulate, are tied to our animalistic side: the uncontrollable drive for power, the instinct to reproduce, our sexual impulses, the reflexes that help us survive and fight, our endless hunting, addictions, and the insatiable need to win, win, and win.
Yet humans are no longer just these instinct-driven creatures. The complexity of human beings lies in our multi-layered nature. We are eclectic beings. On top of our root chakra, our primal instincts, we’ve added emotional/social relationships and our fast-moving cognition, which lately has been troubling us. Most philosophies speak of these three centers: the physical body (instincts), the emotional body (limbic system), and the mental body (cognition).
In our primitive state, our primary goal was to ensure the survival of our species, so it made sense to be fixated on our gender and to define ourselves based on our gender identities. However, understanding the feminine as “woman” and the masculine as “man” now, without passing through the crown chakra that connects us to the accelerating universe, is a sign that we are choosing to focus solely on our animal nature.
As a human being, I now understand that I am a combination of my animalistic side, my emotional side, and my cognitive side. Every moment I define myself solely through my gender or sexuality, I am stuck in my primal state. In consciousness, there is no gender. Consciousness is everything and everywhere. It is inclusive and doesn’t dwell in the primitive or emotional realms; it constantly seeks to connect to the universe, to knowledge, and to grasp the whole and evolve. (That is, if you use it.)
I’m not saying that we don’t have genders, of course. We humans are still governed by our most primitive instincts, which is why we become obese, become addicted to sex, and get lost in an endless cycle of consumption. What we need to understand is that what makes me *me* goes far beyond my primal instincts, my gender, or my impulses. It’s a more encompassing reality.
At this point, I believe that declaring feminine energy as sacred and associating it solely with women is a misleading and outdated way of thinking. Now is the time to rid ourselves of “othering” and create a more inclusive language.
Still, to deeply understand yin and yang, I must clarify that when I refer to feminine energy, I’m not speaking of our “female” side. I’m referring to our ability to *be*, to connect with the whole, to live and express the wholeness of our mind, emotions, and animalistic nature.
Masculine energy, in general, helps us differentiate, categorize, organize, systematize, and act. Feminine energy knows that these distinctions are parts of a greater whole and supports our actions by embracing them.
In summary, we need every part of our humanity to live fully. To define our humanity solely through consciousness, emotions, or primal instincts is to miss out on the other riches we possess. Now, even when choosing a partner, friend, or career, we make the right choices only when we act in alignment with the correlation of these three centers.
Rather than seeing the masculine and feminine as opposing poles, it’s time to understand them as reflections and complements of the One, as a state of consciousness beyond gender, as a recognition that dualities are merely an illusion, and that all existence is already one.
As we continue on our journey, let’s remember that we’ve had to create definitions to understand one another, but let’s not get trapped in these definitions. May we learn to embrace all of our aspects.