An old archetypal story tells of a knight and a damsel. The knight (who is full of thoughts) holds a shield over his heart because he does not want to feel, whilst the damsel (who is full of emotion) chooses not to think. The knight rescues the damsel from slavery, carries her off on a white horse, the two are married and live happily ever after.
It used to be that the Masculine Principle thought but did not feel, while the Feminine Principle felt but did not think. Nowadays, however, we no longer have to accept that the damsel needs to be rescued. She can think her way out of her horrible situation just as the knight can face his own emotions.
Nevertheless, the archetypal principles remain the same. The end game is happiness and the purpose of the tale is to reveal that this will only be achieved by the marriage of the two Principles. It is spiritually vital too. The Vedas – ancient Indian scripts – state that it is only when these two Principles are united that the central channel (which contains the chakras) will be activated as the conduit to divine energy.
One of our life’s purposes is to learn how to unite these Principles inside us but in order to do so it helps to have some understanding of what they mean (Masculine Principle) so that we can feel our way into them (Feminine Principle). It is a complex issue but the basic premise is that the Masculine Principle is concerned with action, analysis, intellect, rationality and objectivity whilst the Feminine Principle is concerned with receiving, intuition, feeling, mysticism and subjectivity.
Fortunately, we are living in a time in which we have an opportunity to explore these Principles both inside and outside us. Men are able to choose the more female roles like caring while women are able to become business owners. Indeed, many of us do both. We are learning to give and receive, be active and passive, to think and feel. No longer does our physical gender need to define us. We are free to marry the two within and become whole.
But this still takes courage. Because the marriage of the head and the heart happens in the middle – the throat – courage is automatically activated. The throat is the seat of the ‘C’s: confidence, courage, creativity and communication. By equalising the Masculine and Feminine Principles within us, we automatically become braver, more confident, more creative and better at communication.
So embrace the gender challenge. Look within yourself and see where you are in the Principles game. Embrace both the Masculine and Feminine and watch your happiness grow. There’s a bonus, too. As the internal marriage takes place, there will be a reflection in the external world and, at last, gender inequality will also become a thing of the past.
Enjoy the journey.
Love Laurelle x
