Masculine and Feminine Energies in Self and Society
I have spent a lot of time reflecting on “the masculine” and “the feminine”—and several YouTubers have given me valuable insights on the subject, among them, Lisa Glamour (French, based in Dubai) and Urania – My Femme Daily (from the Netherlands). Overall, I imagine the masculine as more logical and rational, active, linear, initiative-oriented, competitive, driven by achievement and pursuit. Feminine seems calmer, more intuitive, fluid, relaxed, collaborative, receptive, inward-oriented—not lazy or passive but placing the phenomenon of being over the compulsion of doing. Not intellectually inferior but more inclined towards mystique and mystery than engaged in the stress of hair-splitting argumentativeness.
Also, the masculine and the feminine can be both “empowered” or “wounded”—something I discovered via another YouTuber, Helena Hart. Empowered masculine is a confident provider who will be able to put the needs of others before one’s own, empowered feminine a confident nurturer who will not allow oneself to be taken advantage of. Wounded masculine becomes a bully who can only rise by putting others down; wounded feminine, a damsel in distress who is in constant need of salvation by an outside agency.
Additionally, I have found a number of engaging videos on the two energies by the Indian mystic and yogi Sadhguru (born 1957). He emphasises that the masculine and feminine are not, in their pure and ultimate form, genders but “dimensions” that operate at both macro and micro levels, governing the entire cosmos, the society, and also the self. He associates the masculine with economic ambition, the drive to “go somewhere and live well”—other side of the mountain, another country, continent, planet, galaxy or universe. In contrast, the feminine is related to art, aesthetics, creativity, a certain contentment with the current status, a willingness to “settle down here and live well with whatever little comfort is available”.
Sadhguru says that too much masculine propelling has created disruptions in our world, which is why the feminine principle must be summoned and empowered. Propulsion is required but must be tamed, checked and regulated with things that are beautiful and tranquil. A healthy system is one in which the balance between the two is maintained.
Eastern thought (with its dualities of Shiv/Shakti and Yin/Yang and the harmony therein) has long proposed this fact through mythology and spirituality. I am keen on exploring how the masculine and the feminine may come together and interact in our individual selves and current societies.
Speaking of individual selves—male and female—I believe the greater percentage in one’s energy composition must go to the energy corresponding to the individual’s biological sex/gender (that is, speaking here from the usual heterosexual perspective; the complexities of queer identities will require another discussion). Women must be largely feminine and men largely masculine—this is healthy for them both biologically and mentally. Beyond that, each must assume some degree of the opposite energy for their own benefit. That is, largely feminine women must have some masculine ambition and competitiveness to realise their potential and get ahead in life. And largely masculine men must have some feminine calmness and orientation towards the beautiful to become less aggressive and more understanding of others.
Within the society as a whole, a proper balance between the two energies may play out through a variety of pursuits (some being more masculine, others being more feminine) and also through a proper intermingling of the two energies within particular pursuits.
Speaking of variety in pursuits—I imagine a robust corporate world; labour, discipline, meritocracy, rightful remuneration. But this goal is attempted in moderation. Untroubled by the “growth for the sake of growth” ideology, professionals can fulfil their occupational obligations in a way that much time remains for rest, recreation, exploration, learning, the cultivation of meaningful relationships. After-work weekday hours and weekends are not spent in the completion of some report urgently due but perhaps in having philosophical conversations with friends in a pub, or in a creative class with kids in an orphanage or in quiet meditative moments in a garden.
People do not have to live under the pressure of accumulating more and more money simply to buy things they do not need to show off to those who do not care about them. Society is governed by a maturity that has led to its members being disinterested in the consumption of goods and services that may not be essential for one’s well-being, and instead, being interested in the partaking of experiences that connect us better to our own humanity.
Within specific pursuits, I see the masculine and the feminine interpenetrating each other so that the benefits of both can be reaped across the variety of activities people are involved in. For instance, largely masculine corporate workplaces may be infused with the feminine in a gentle manner—turned more beautiful with artistic décor that makes employees more invigorated and positive. Conversely, pursuits of a largely feminine nature may have a masculine commercial structure impressed upon them—and be in genuine demand in the economy. As in, people may be as willing to pay a scholar (appropriately, of course)—who will take them around heritage sites and share historical tales that will give them a deeper view of the present—as they would be to pay an asset manager who will help secure their future financially.
How can such a society that I am imagining be created? I believe not from the forced command of a distant authority, but from the bottom-up, through eager and continuous efforts of ordinary people.
Written by Tulika Bahadur
