feminine & masculine

and how these forces shape society (part 1)

The concepts of masculinity and femininity are very misunderstood.

A lot of people associate masculinity with being male and femininity with being female.

In reality, the two are separate.

At their core, these are concepts of energy and to an extent… psychology.

That is not to say biology and neuroscience hasn’t informed it. We can’t ignore that there are real, chemical differences between the development of the male and female brains.

However, the abstract “concepts” of masculinity and femininity actually go much deeper. They provide a sort of connection between the mind and the universe.

the definitions…

I’ve found three arguably clear “definitions” of masculinity and femininity across history, psychology, and philosophy:

• Western society: CG Jung, and his acolytes, have written extensively on masculine vs. feminine psychology in western society. In his work, the concepts of masculinity and femininity are closely associated with male and female genders.

• Vedic traditions: Hindu tradition and history has really strong associations between the various deities (Gods and Goddesses) and the masculine and feminine traits

• Daoist/Asian traditions. Yin and Yang, while not exactly associated with gender, is a well appreciated concept in ancient Asian tradition.

I’m sure there are others but these are the ones that I’ve found as the most obvious and well known.

One thing that most of these definitions align on is that masculine energy is not “only” associated with being male and feminine energy is not “only” associated with being female. My goal here is to explore what these theories are and where they come from. In my next post, I’ll start exploring the implications.

Now let’s begin…

western society

CG Jung’s theories on masculinity and femininity are the most developed.

The books “He” and “She” by Robert A. Johnson, a Jungian philosopher, go into depth on the journey of maturity for the male and female. ¹² To be clear, these journeys are not actual physical journeys but rather representative of the psychological journey.

Jung believed that societal archetypes of the masculine and feminine were shaped from medieval times and early Roman myths. His concept of the masculine is represented by male characters i.e. the “Knight in Shining Armor” and the “Fisher King." On the other hand, his concept of the feminine is shaped by the early Roman myths of Pysche, Eros, and Aphrodite.

masculine journey

The masculine journey begins with a young boy estranged from his father who undergoes a quest. The quest includes saving damsels, slaying dragons, and conquering knights. Through this quest, the boy build masculine traits including rationality, assertiveness, and action. He further encounters many women on his journey, which helps him build his “anima,” or the inferior feminine within the masculine. These traits include empathy, intuition, and the capacity for connection.

At the end of it, he meets the “Fisher King,” which represents a core wound or challenge that all boys must conquer in order to become men.

“Most western men are Fisher Kings. Every boy has naively blundered into something that is too big for him. He proceeds halfway through his masculine development and then drops it as being too hot. Often a certain bitterness arises, because, like the Fisher King, he can neither live with the new consciousness he has touched nor can he entirely drop it.” – Robert Johnson

In order to heal the Fisher King, the boy must ask the right question: who does the Grail serve? Remember, this is a metaphor for the psychological journey into manhood. The “Grail” is ultimately a metaphor for “self-actualization.”

feminine journey

The feminine journey begins with the myth of Psyche. Psyche represents platonic beauty and receives a lot of attention. This angers Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Psyche is the Roman word for “soul” and represents the core feminine. Aphrodite represents the part of the mind that is outwardly feminine. At it’s highest, it is love and beauty. At its lowest, it is jealousy and insecurity. She does everything in her power to get rid of Psyche. However, her plans fail.

She sends her son - Eros - to defeat her but Eros falls in love with her. Through this, Psyche discovers the feminine trait of love. However, Eros leaves her and Psyche, like the “Fisher King” receives a core wound. Aphrodite then sets her four “impossible tasks.” Each of these tasks require developing her “animus” or the inferior masculine within the feminine. These include traits such as order, courage, and action. Her final task is understanding death after which she achieves self-actualization.

finding the whole

Both the masculine and feminine journeys represent a development of self and wholeness. There are many similarities to both journeys. However, there are also clear differences. The masculine traits are obviously different than the feminine traits. Moreover, the concept of anima and animus define two distinct entities implying that the feminine concept of masculinity is very different from masculinity itself. And vice versa, the masculine concept of femininity is very different from femininity itself. Lastly, the journeys itself vary in their core from their complexity to purpose.

eastern society

Early Eastern philosophies seem to have less developed views on gender psychology. However, these ancient views have much to say about masculinity and femininity as concepts as it relates to universe, existence, and all the facets of life in between.

Vedic traditions

The Vedas were written in the late bronze and early iron ages, several centuries before the medieval times. The Vedas are the foundations of Hinduism but also have shaped other religions in South Asia. In Vedic history, we see the male and female as “forces.” The female force or goddess is Shakti whereas the male force or god is Parusha.

Hindu goddesses represent strength and wisdom. Durga defeats evil forces and is considered a protector. Saraswati encourages learning and creation. On the other hand, male gods represent creation and preservation. Brahma is the male god of creation. He is the original source of being. Shiva is the god of calmness and meditation. In many ways, the Vedic traditions of the masculine are a little less “forceful” than western traditions of masculinity.³

Whereas in the Vedas, the masculine is calm and focused, in western society, the masculine is considered more active and “adventurous.” Moreover, the feminine has much more strength in Vedic beliefs than western beliefs. In fact, Hindu religion is one of the few religions where female goddesses are so fiercely worshiped. Overall, there seems to be more equality between the masculine and feminine energies.

yin and yang

Similarly, the concept of yin and yang is another framework that comes up repeatedly in Asian cultures. The concept of yin and yang originated in ancient Chinese philosophy in the 3rd and 4th centuries BCE. Over the years, it has become an important part across all aspects including culture, medicine, design, and relationships.

Core to yin and yang is the dualistic nature of the universe. Yin is considered feminine energy. It is passive, receptive, and represents the dark. Yang is considered masculine energy. It is active, pointed, and represents light. Yin is contractive while yang is expansive. Yin and yang are not static but moving energies. Often, yin will flow into yang and yang will flow into yin.

The duality is sometimes represented by sunlight moving over a valley. Yin is the darkness while yang is the light and as the sun crosses the sky, the two gradually switch places. It is also represented famously by the black and white symbol where there is a black dot on the white side and white dot on a the black side.⁴

the differences & similarities

There are a couple things all these philosophies (or psychologies) have in common. First, that there seem to be separate concepts of feminine and masculine. Second, these concepts are not static concepts. You *develop* masculinity in Jungian philosophy. In ancient Chinese philosophy, yin flows into yang. Lastly, there is some concept of balance. For CG Jung, every feminine needs the masculine animus and vice versa. Yin needs yang. The universe requires both creation and destruction in the Vedas.

Alternately, there are some differences as well. The level of balance between the masculine and feminine is not always the same. Moreover, the underlying characteristics of what it means to be masculine and feminine is also different. For example, in the Vedas, masculine forces are calm whereas in Western and Asian philosophies, masculinity is active.

what it means?

The obvious question is - how did these concepts actually translate to differences in gender in various societies? In many ways, it’s likely not clear or linear. However, I believe it has influenced societal expectations much more than we typically think. Importantly, how can reframing gender roles within the concepts of masculinity and femininity and across various frameworks change or shape how we think about them?At a time where the concepts of women’s independence and the consequent “crisis of masculinity” has been grabbing headlines, I think these are important topics to explore.

Keep an eye out for my next post doing just that! :) And let me know if there’s other concepts that you think I’ve missed or are worth exploring.

1. https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Masculine-Psychology-Robert-Johnson/dp/0060963964

2. https://www.amazon.com/She-Understanding-Psychology-Robert-Johnson/dp/0060963972

3. https://www.ramana-maharshi.org/the-divine-feminine-and-masculine-in-hindu-mythology/

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang