The Warrior Archetype and the Reemergence of the Goddess July 26, 2009
Posted by bodhidude in : Divine Feminine, Psychology, Spirituality, articles, divine masculine , trackback
For the past few thousand years we have lived in a patriarchal paradigm where the masculine has been over emphasized at the expense of the feminine. This has produced not only the oppression of women, constant war and violence but also inner conflict for both men and women as each struggles to be whole human beings in a world where an imbalanced ideal is cherished. The result of the over emphasis on the masculine has resulted in it taking a negative form as the feminine is devalued and even systematically repressed. This negative masculine form is cut off from its feminine side and so is out of balance and taken to an extreme in a futile attempt to compensate for the lack of grounding in the feminine. This is symbolized by two archetypal patterns in particular, that of the Negative Father and the Warrior. The Negative Father is the authoritarian head of the household who rules the family and is often the source of abuse, sexual misconduct and control. This pattern is also seen in the authoritarian governments that have become the norm where the government represents the ultimate controlling punitive father figure for its citizens. This isn’t to say all fathers fall into this pattern but it is symbolic of a key aspect of patriarchal power. As a counselor I see many clients who have a figure in their lives in the role of the Negative Father and much of their work in counseling involves working through trauma associated with that as well as reclaiming their power from that figure and this includes men and women.
Another key pattern in the patriarchal paradigm is the Warrior archetype. This pattern in its negative form represents the aggressive acting out of the masculine through war and domination. The Warrior is not an inherently negative symbol but when it is not grounded in a healthy feminine center it becomes overly aggressive and indiscriminately violent. The Negative Warrior is an attempt at unity and wholeness but because it attempts this through external conquest it can never accomplish the desired wholeness and security. What is missing internally is projected externally and then aggressively pursued so you get unending and escalating violence and war as the frustrated Warrior can never achieve peace and completeness.
The pattern of the Negative Warrior is especially important in the United States as it has become a sacred symbol in my opinion. The US has entered a phase where it is actively engaging in unending war and the attempt to dominate other parts of the world through its unique status as the primary superpower. In America today the symbol of the Warrior is held so sacred that one cannot criticize war or those engaged in it without being labeled unpatriotic or at worst a traitor. Respectful open debate, something that is essential in a democracy, is often not tolerated without it degenerating into attacks. In my view this is due to an extremely insecure attachment to the Warrior ideal with an underlying denial of the disconnection from the Divine Feminine. America is certainly not the only country where this is playing out but it seems to be taking an especially polarized and intense form here. We can see this in our continued wars fighting an obscure and all encompassing enemy which is sometimes referred to as terror itself, the war on terror rather than terrorism. That would constitute a war on an emotional state which is quite revealing in the sense that it is indeed terror that we project out externally and attempt to eradicate rather than facing within where real healing is possible. Terror could be said to be the result of human beings living an incomplete existence, disconnected from key parts of themselves and their world (the natural world), the world becomes a terrifying place where what is unknown is feared and fought against rather than seen to be the mystery that it could be.
It is my view that today we find ourselves at the end of this dysfunctional world view which is partially why we see it expressed in such extreme forms. The patriarchal systems are breaking down and as they do we see more desperate and intense reactions by forces trying to preserve them. This is inevitable as well as futile because the dissolution process is irreversible as the very power of the system becomes the force of its destruction. As difficult as this may be for many of us it represents a very real potential for lasting change and evolution of consciousness and I see this most represented by a reemergence of the Divine Feminine and the Goddess archetype. Essentially the energies which have been most repressed are reasserting themselves as a natural process of balancing. One of the most powerful manifestations of the Goddess is in the reaction of the Earth to the devastation that has been brought upon it by the patriarchal societies that relate to Mother Earth as a commodity to be possessed and used. Mother Earth is now responding with ever more forceful feedback in the forms of climate change, storms, earthquakes and other natural phenomena.
At the same time we are seeing the Goddess reassert herself in other more benign forms such as women stepping into more roles of leadership and authority as well as the powerful and increasing influence of Goddess based and nature based spirituality. The increasing popularity of Neo-pagan spiritual paths is an example of this. Many of these groups involve women in positions of religious power and authority as well as an emphasis on the Divine Feminine and mother nature. However this most often is not done at the expense of the masculine where for example in Wicca the Goddess and the God are honored together as two poles of the divine (in most Wiccan traditions). The rapidly growing interest in Shamanism is another example of this as people begin to reconnect with native cultures and more tribal alternative lifestyles. We also see a growing interest in plant medicine and more of a mainstreaming of alternative healing methods.
On an internal level, I’m seeing more and more men waking up to their deeper emotions and realizing that it is ok and even healthy to express emotions other than anger. I’m speaking here of men specifically being a man myself and experiencing this as well as the fact that many female writers have more effectively expressed what the reemergence of the Goddess means for women. In embracing the Divine Feminine within and beginning to see it as a powerful source of inspiration, healing and wholeness men can transform their expression of the masculine into its positive form which is assertive rather than aggressive and in service of the whole rather than destructive. The reintegration of the feminine side means that men can become whole human beings and also transform their relationship with women no longer projecting their feminine side onto women and then trying to possess and control them to reclaim it. Men can see women as their divine partners and as manifestations of the Goddess which brings great respect and a love that is unconditional. We have a powerful opportunity to come back into balance as a planet, to reintegrate the cut off parts of ourselves and to heal ourselves and the planet as we step into a new dimension of consciousness. Resisting this time of change is what will bring us suffering and destruction but we each have a choice as to how we proceed into the new paradigm. Hopefully we will see this choice and choose well.
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[...] archetype and the way it is played out in a destructive way in our society today (See “The Warrior Archetype and the Reemergence of the Goddess“). Lately I’ve become more aware of the importance of this powerful archetype both for [...]
It is odd that the presence of the negative feminine seems utterly missing from this discussion, Do you think a warlike society happens without female complicity? Have you ever seen women egging their men on in bar fights? Or egging their men on to make more money, climb the corporate ladder over the bodies of others?
We are all responsible for this mess, and the presence of the negative feminine, it’s complicity, implicit and explicit must not be overlooked – otherwise the negative feminine traits of victimization and inability to take responsibility will win out just as the negative masculine traits of destruction and bloodshed.
Nothing is black and white, and both negative archetypes are highly destructive, and both positive ones are highly creative.
It’s time to look at the WHOLE PICTURE – and that means women owning their part in this, and their negative feminine aspects.
I came across your blog and beautiful art today. I was so inspired by the beautiful picture of the woman in the clouds holding the moon.
I thought you might enjoy what this picture inspired in me. If you enjoy my writing, please Google my name (Kathy Paysen) to discover my two writing blogs. I really enjoyed this site. Thanks!
~Evening’s Keyhole of Bliss~
Airbrushed clouds roll across the night with the mist of heaven’s moonlight. A bride of earth, in her milky long gown, holds the evening’s keyhole so full and round. Earth to sun and sun to earth; her long train moves like rivers of her planet’s birth. Fair maiden of a Mother’s dreams illuminates love with the moon’s beams. Glowing complexion of wind and fire touches the thoughts of all inspired.
All things born of moon and sun are created to arrive and come from. In peaceful lullabies of old and new, the moon’s face changes to begin and renew. Radiant light of heaven’s earth, you know the story of each being’s worth. In every direction, of every day, you are just one glance away. Sealed with the blessings of Creation’s kiss; the moon beams as earth enters God’s bliss.
©Kathy Paysen 2010
There is wounded feminine energy and wounded masculine energy. We all have both aspects, that is our whole. When the two aspects are imbalanced and at odds with each other it creates internal and external conflict. We all have the responsibility to look with in and allow the wounding to heal and let the past go. Then we can begin anew. We can begin to speak and act from a place of balanced and healthy masculine/feminine within. The inner and the outer are the same. I know this as my truth as I have walked this path back to my whole self. Starting from the place of a wounded female, one who had experienced abuse, disempowerment, degrading of the feminine, distorted sexual energy and more. This all became a catalyst for reclaiming my power as a woman and anchoring the divine feminine energy in myself. Funny thing is, I wasn’t done! I couldn’t rest there and ignore half of myself, or ignore that I was still carrying the imprint of the wounded male. I started a journey of healing that wounded masculine within, releasing the need to have a catalyst for empowerment. It is much easier and quicker due to an anchored and healed feminine aspect. I release all blame, anger, and wounding that has occured in this imbalanced state. I am learning to simply love this aspect into it’s whole state. The last step is then allowing the feminine and the masculine to intertwine and support each other. Strength in softness and softness in strength. When that can happen within, it can happen in the outer world.