rē•thinking Duality: We All Possess Both The Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine

During June, we celebrate Pride — a time in which to celebrate, recognize, and validate the LGBTQIA community. This brings the conversation around gender to mind, which currently seeks to rē-define gender roles in terms of a fluid spectrum. Although convention portrays male/female as a dualistic dynamic, speaking experientially, every person’s gender identity exists on a unique continuum.

This notion of transcending the limits of duality in gender is not new. Spiritual traditions have long asserted that all possess divine feminine and divine masculine energies. These universal archetypes correspond to the female energy’s qualities of creativity, receptivity, and flow, as opposed to the male energy’s influence of form, structure, and action. The presence, interplay, and balance of both are crucial in rē-awakening to our realities as spiritual beings.

Though different from gender identity, teachings around divine feminine and masculine energies reveal a long ethereal lineage that recognizes how seemingly contradictory forces can co-exist within. Their balance and integration yield spiritual gifts from balance to transcendence beyond dualism on the journey towards unity consciousness or enlightenment. Keep reading to rē•spin the way you think about ‘masculine and ‘feminine’ forever.

“The divine feminine and divine masculine are the sacred polarities that exist in creation, [sometimes] described as the heart and the brain, the earth and the spirit, the yin and the yang,” says Andrea Donnelly, celestial mentor and quantum sound and energy healer. “When they are in harmony, they bring balance to our internal and external realities… If they are out of balance, things do not move with grace and ease. This sacred balance is a key part of every spiritual tradition and every awakening journey that exists.”

She continues that in order to achieve their balance, “we must acknowledge and move through our trauma and pain, which [otherwise causes] these energies to get stuck and fall out of alignment.” As she puts it, would you rather work through the difficult emotion or carry it around forever? “If we can get in touch and move through our experiences, no matter how hard they are, then we move back into divine flow,” she says.

The over-abundance of the divine masculine is experienced as rigid, unyielding, violent, or rageful tendencies in a personality. When the divine feminine is over-emphasized, the result plays out as a smothering, micro-managing need to control outcomes. But inner-work can resolve the emotional baggage causing an imbalance in our energy fields, minds, and bodies. Facing and rē-processing the emotional baggage we hold onto holds the key, and there are many ways to facilitate this process — whether through breathwork and energy work, in therapy with a licensed professional, through shadow work, and more.

“Just like a pendulum, [your balance of divine masculine and feminine energies] have to swing far to balance,” explains spiritual medium Erika Gabriel. “The divine masculine works with the divine feminine to rebalance our world.” As the catalyst for creation and awakening, working to balance these energies is soul-level work for spiritual seekers. 

If you are experiencing an over-abundance of the divine masculine qualities (i.e., rigidity, anger, dominance), Gabriel suggests that you try to do the following in order to remind yourself to be creative, focusing less on “getting things done.”

• Ask yourself where you can be more receptive to listening in conversations rather than imposing your opinions and views. Ask questions like, “How do you feel about that?” to the other person.
• Connect with nature — including walking barefoot (i.e., “earthing”) or swimming in natural water.
• Take part in anything creative, crafty, or artsy, even if it is outside of your comfort zone.
• Write in a journal and tune-into your intuition, which is an expression of the divine feminine.
• Meditate.

If you are experiencing an imbalance favoring the divine feminine, this might mean you need to set boundaries, assert yourself, and focus on forward movement. Gabriel recommends that you try the following practices to do so:

• Write a focused list of intentions and desired manifestations, and see to their achievement over time.
• When speaking with others, commit to speaking your authentic truth. Be honest and truthful about your feelings, and stand up for yourself.
• Practice daily affirmations such as: Speaking up is my right; I deserve to be here; I focus on my path and move forward in my life; I choose to honor myself.

As Gabriel points out, these universal energies are not just experienced personally but also societally. She believes that the divine masculine has long been overemphasized in our culture — over-valuing aspects like productivity, rationality, and dominance, and often at the expense of honoring the more creative, softer, and intuitive domains of life. But she asserts that it is our task to reclaim the balance within in order to create a more harmonious society. “Since we are all ‘loaded and coded’ at birth with the divine feminine and the divine masculine, the ability to tap into both of these qualities within us is a birthright,” Gabriel says. As Donnelly points out, this work to balance your own polarities is deeply healing in ways that will reverberate throughout your life and wellness. 

“We are all intuitive, strong, receptive, forceful, gentle, and incredible beings [with] elements of masculine and feminine with us. Remember: We are spiritual beings having a human experience here in the “earth classroom,” Gabriel concludes. “We came to earth armed with the incredible tools of both the divine masculine and feminine. When you balance both of these inner forces, you have embraced your humanity …  and can become a powerful force.”