We can debate precisely what the divine feminine is indefinitely. Each school of thought and, indeed, each individual has their own take on it. However, by looking at some general ideas around the divine feminine, we can choose how to incorporate it into our own lives and celebrate our very own divine femininity.
And let’s get excited because learning to tap into and indeed celebrate the divine feminine can lead to breakthroughs in all areas of your life!
What’s in this article?
What the Divine Feminine Is and Is Not
Many people think of the divine feminine as related to gender, but the divine feminine is a form of energy. It can also be described as a set of attributes. These attributes are often associated with women, as, traditionally, women are thought to have more of them.
That said, both men and women have feminine and masculine energy. While individuals may have more of one or the other, both are needed to create a balanced life. If there’s too great an unbalance between the two, it tends to cause havoc.
Likewise, there needs to be a balance between the feminine and masculine energies in partnerships between people. For a business to be successful, for example, you need both.
Think of the divine feminine and masculine as two equal forces—such as yin and yang—needed to create balance.
Attributes of the Divine Feminine
The divine feminine is said to have specific attributes. These are:
Nurturing (incl. caring and encouraging)
Intuitive
Growth/fertility
Receiving and receptive
Creative
Collaborative
Compassionate
Wise
Forgiving
Heart-centered/emotional (as opposed to just strategical/logical)
As mentioned previously, each man and woman have both feminine and masculine energy within. To be able to tap into different aspects of these energies at various times can be extremely useful. For example, at a business meeting, you might need to be both assertive (masculine) and collaborative (feminine).
The Divine Feminine v.s. Dysfunctional Female Energy
When we speak about the divine feminine, we don’t talk about the shadow self. Meaning we don’t talk of the dysfunctional aspects of any of the attributes of the divine feminine. The divine feminine is the divine side of each attribute. In other words, it’s the functional side.
On the dysfunctional side of things, being heart-centered can mean your emotions overpower you. Being receptive can become negative if you can’t shut out other peoples’ energy.
How to Tap Into the Divine Feminine
To tap into the true power of the divine feminine, we need to be centered. That means that we are calm and present as opposed to swept away by any thoughts or feelings.
Different people use different methods to become calm and present; to center themselves. Meditation, walking, cooking, painting, or simply taking ten slow breaths while looking into the distance can work equally well.
Once grounded, contemplate the various attributes of the divine feminine. Tap into your power to nurture. Tap into your power to collaborate. Tap into your compassion. Tap into your intuition. What you choose to tap into depends on what you feel you need to tap into then and there.
Your yoni is the source of divine feminine energy, and developing your own yoni worship routine is one of the most effective ways to tap into your sacred femininity.
Rebalancing Your Feminine Energy
If you feel that you’re going through a period where you’re relying too much on masculine energy, there are certain practices you can try to shift this.
Firstly, if you stay centered, chances are your intuition will stop you from overusing one energy. However, staying centered at all times is near impossible. We all encounter events that upset us.
Therefore, you might need to set time aside to both recenter yourself and tap into your divine feminine energy.
See above for how to recenter/ground yourself.
You can step into your feminine energy by partaking in exercises that you associate with the different attributes. For example, if you associate being heart-centered with warmth, you might try taking a long hot bath.
Being caring can feel soft and welcoming. Try surrounding yourself with softness—decorate a room with items you think bring softness, or snuggle up on your couch one night wearing soft clothing. You can also light a candle that brings a soft light.
Following a yoni yoga routine is another way to reconnect with your sacred femininity and rebalancing your feminine energy.
The Negativity Aspect and Gender Issue
Female energy has sometimes been confused with the abovementioned shadow side of so-called common female attributes. Such as being heartfelt being confused with being overly emotional—even hysterical.
Likewise, divine femininity has become confused with gender issues.
Women are said to be more nurturing than men, which reflects back to motherhood. In most of the Western world, traditionally, women stayed at home with their children. Biologically there isn’t even a choice—a woman is pregnant for nine months and after birth breastfeeds her baby for some time. While today you can buy formula, there was a time when you couldn’t.
The majority of men, on the other hand, have more muscle mass and testosterone. This makes them strong and driven. If it goes overboard, they may become brutal in their pursuits of something (the shadow self or the dysfunctional side taking over). As a result, the majority of men are natural hunters and prone to be better at hard labor, such as manual farming.
These attributes contributed to creating a society where women stayed at home to look after the children and care for the house, while men hunted and, later, pursued work.
Note that this is not the same as saying that women are the weaker sex or that men are superior to women. Likewise, it doesn’t say that men are emotionally stupid or physically overpowering.
Those are shadow selves of the masculine and feminine energies and have nothing to do with being neither a man, nor a woman. It’s simply about energies being out of whack (unbalanced).
The above merely points out general strengths and weaknesses that led to a particular way of life becoming the norm.
Beyond these common strengths and weaknesses, though, we have individual traits. Some women make great trackers for a hunt. Others are driven by adventure and would love to gallop into the wild chasing their dinner. Some men are naturally caring and would have more patience with a baby than their female partner. And many men and women don’t fit into the traditional gender roles at all.
Even a woman has more masculine energy than she does feminine, she can still tap into her divine feminine energy.
May the Feminine Force Be With You
If you harness the ability to tap into your divine feminine energy, you will become more harmonious and centered. You’ll be able to use the various attributes to your advantage and ensure the shadow side doesn’t take over.
Of course, you can also tap into your masculine energy on a functional level. The divine masculine is as essential as the divine feminine. By learning to balance the two, even if you have a preference for one or the other, you’re able to live more harmoniously.
Bottom Line
The divine feminine shouldn’t be confused with outdated gender roles or the idea that feminine energy is “weaker” than male energy as it certainly isn’t. It’s simply different. Both energies are needed in equal measure but for different purposes. Sometimes you need more masculine energy, sometimes more feminine energy.
By being able to tap into the functional aspects of the different attributes of male and female energy, you will be able to tackle life more harmoniously. You may also be able to increase the polarity in your relationship with your partner.
Irena is a writer and yoga teacher well-versed in all-things yoga such as yoga therapy and yin yoga. She believes in the positive effects of meditation, yoga, and spirituality
