When we think of spirit as having elements of both masculine and feminine, mythology gives us the image of Divine Consorts, with God and Goddess in Sacred Union. When we engage with the Divine feminine and masculine in our spiritual devotions, the practice can evolve an expression of divine balance, joy, and freedom in our relationships with self and others. We want to evolve a balanced view of these energies within ourselves and use these understandings to bring our creations into form. In doing so, we must consider the feminine and masculine aspects of the Divine.
Defining the Divine Feminine and Masculine
Gendered perceptions of the Divine can be limiting, as both women and men carry the receptive and active, yin and yang principles within themselves. The classic metaphor of the sun and moon working in union with one another demonstrates the ebb and flow of these principles. The active principle of the sun provides light for day and outer activity. The receptive principle of the moon allows the darkening of nighttime to turn inward and rest. Each individual holds these energetic signatures of sun and moon.
Each of us also carries the energetic signatures of Divine feminine energy and Divine masculine energy. Through the feminine, it is possible to honor the Divine aspect of nurturing and birthing new life. The Divine masculine is honored as the one who nurtures, grows, and then plants the seed itself. Essentially, the Divine feminine and masculine expressions give women and men a way to more deeply know themselves in connection to the wholeness of all life, sometimes called “unity consciousness.”
To embrace the masculine and feminine active and receptive principles within ourselves is to honor the divine within.
The Divine Masculine and Feminine in Balance
As we develop active and receptive principles within ourselves, we can allow them to function in co-creative harmony. The deep work of Genia Pauli Haddon tells us that yin and yang, feminine and masculine energies, combine in four different ways to bring new creation fully to the outer world; there are masculine yin and feminine yin, masculine yang and feminine yang. Their roles and functions include:
- The masculine yin energy – contains and nurtures the seeds of a new creation
- The masculine yang energy – brings the ability to expand, penetrate, and plant the new creation seed
- The feminine yin energy – represents the place where the seed is nurtured to its fully developed state
- The feminine yang energy – embodies the birthing energy that brings forth new creation into the outer world
This consciousness (this co-creation with Source) serves our inner world as well as our outer relationships. The ability to work in harmony with the aspects of ourselves helps us find inner balance, as well as offer a balanced perspective to our partnerships in the world.