The Divine Feminine

Have you been to one of our shows? If so, you probably know that when i am moved to create, I am starting with concepts rooted in a spiritual practice. My art not only fulfills a creative passion, but it has utility value in that it serves as a vehicle to integrate topics I am studying and also provides an opportunity to share information. What excites me is when people see the work and are impacted by it, they start asking questions.

This happened at our last show in such a beautiful way. If you were there, you will remember Amelia, our production manager speaking to you about the intention of our event as well as sharing the process of the work. We wanted to give some insight into the “how” we do things. She shared that the container for the evening was “The Divine Feminine.” We didn't explain much more than this, but I realized about a week later when I ran into someone who was at the show that perhaps it would be helpful to talk more openly about the divine feminine. Especially now that we are right in the middle of a two year project creating work around the theme of “The Divine Feminine” and how that relates to each artist collaborating in in our event (*shameless plug* Which by the way is happening September 26-28 2024 at the Ground Floor Theater!!!). For many in spiritual circles, this is not a foreign concept. Still there are those who are devoted to a spiritual tradition who haven't heard these words. 

This person told me that after the show, he went home kind of curious. He said to me, “I realize I don’t have much practice interpreting dance.”  To which I replied: “ That’s ok. For me, there are no right or wrong interpretations. What I am interested in is how did you feel when you were watching the work? What did it make you think of?” We continued the conversation and he said “Honestly, I was stuck on this Divine Feminine thing. I had never heard that before, so I got on google and looked it up.”

He then reflected back at me what he learned. To his surprise it was a concept that helped him look at the programs he had around labels like “Female” Feminine” “Woman.” 

He even went on to say “I realize I have the feminine in me!” 

Wait.

I think that deserves repeating.

HE said: “... I have the Feminine in ME” 

At that moment, I got chills….I felt the potential this work has. I've always imagined that the work was potent because I have seen its effect on me and the artists I work with. But for a cisgendered, white, conservative, Christian man to go do research and discover on his own accord what the divine feminine means to him…well lets just say I was floored. Is it possible that through conversation and sharing information we can expand  the paradigm about gender roles? Or how we respect and interact with nature? What about how we nurture our children, ourselves, our community? Or how we value creativity both in life and in art?

I felt inspired. 

I will say it openly. Totally out of the closet…I am a devotee of the Divine Feminine in the tradition of Goddess worship found in ancient India. We know these goddesses here in the west as Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati…Moving across cultures, we meet Quan Yin, Green Tara, Harati. We know Isis, Inana, Pele, Mother Mary… Her face is literally everywhere. Look at your Starbucks cup. Yemaya. 

What is the divine feminine anyway? Time for Word Play!

Divine: 

of, relating to, or proceeding directly from God or a god

supremely good 

to discover by intuition or insight

to perceive intuitively.

Feminine:

considered to be characteristic of women 

of, relating to, or being a woman or girl

Knowing what I know, I would say Marrion Webster is severely limited. In order to do this topic justice, I need to talk a little about what is known as the Macro and Micro Cosmic. Which in an overly simplified nut shell refers to those aspects found in the cosmos ( macro) that are also found in atoms (micro). In other words, that which is infinite exists in the finite. That which is found outside exists on the inside…Therefore, aspects of the human mind can also be seen in the “cosmic Mind” Now, admittedly, I am not a qualified spiritual teacher, so I wont go any farther. Feel free to investigate further on your own with this qualified teacher.

What then is the common thread? 

We can apply this macro/micro to the feminine then and see aspects of nature found within ourselves. First Let me backup so we understand what is considered “feminine.”  Besides the obvious body parts, there are clear qualities like creativity, intuition, emotional intelligence, reflection and introspection. Beauty, value, and connectivity. Communication, understanding, empathy and gentle loving kindness are all virtues that can be credited to the feminine. I hope I haven't offended any of the men reading this. I am well aware that men carry all these attributes as well. So already, we see that the distinction between masculine and feminine is in some ways a disservice, a limitation. Why? Society has put men and women in a particular boxes where they can only display qualities related to that particular role. If we know that what exists on the macrocosmic level also exists at the microcosmic level, these social limitations can be deceptive.

In my opinion the clue comes from the word “Divine." I am also not a qualified religious authority, so I will not try to impose any meaning of the word divine on your own critical thinking. What I will point out though is that when we contemplate the word Divine, there are clear attributes that arise, and we can definitely infer that what we describe as Divine goes BEYOND human capacity. 

The common thread for me is this word BEYOND. What is existing on the macrocosmic level, according to our rudimentary comprehension, is Divine. It goes beyond our ability to grasp, for example the vast expanse of the universal space. Even the very idea that elements found in space, nature, consciousness itself, can be found in the human being to me, feels very divine. 

In this spirit, the Divine Feminine can be said to be Beyond Gender. Why then specify “feminine?” Look around, we live on a planet governed by duality. Dark/light, male/female, good/bad, pleasure/pain, on/of.  We need an opposite to be able to quantify meaning. But if something goes beyond the mundane (finite), can it be said to exist everywhere (infinite)?  Can the Divine Feminine  be seen in a tree, an animal, a human idea, the moon…birth, death, change…what if the Divine Feminine IS change?  A cycle is change. Ideas change. Beings are born and die. Time is governed by the cycles the Earth makes around the sun. It's measurable (finite) but it's constant (infinite). From the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, we get the famous quote: Change is the only constant.

By that logic, She is everywhere…and She takes care of everything until transformation occurs. She is also transformation. She is He. He is Her. They are two sides of the same coin. It's not about gender. And it is definitely not exclusive to any one culture. In fact, no thing has a claim on it. If we look towards iconography for clarity, we always see pairs. The masculine sits with the feminine in harmony. They co-create and essentially exist as one.  If I may be so bold, cultivating a relationship with the Divine Feminine is our birthright.

For me, the Divine Feminine is not simply a goddess although I definitely see it as that as well.  The Divine Feminine is an energy, or an archetype that has nothing to do with gender and therefore is accessible and sits equally within each and every one of us. Do we choose to be centered in the energy of the feminine?  Do we choose to cultivate the attributes of the feminine within us? Or do we limit our expression and that of others? 

I wish to go beyond these limitations and labels so that when I engage with another or with an activity, I can do it in a balanced way. Which means the feminine and masculine within me work together in harmony and are supportive of the other. For that, I need an example to learn from. So I look to the macrocosmic elements observable here on planet Earth. For example, stories and myths told from ancient times passed down through the ages. Observing the movement of the celestial bodies and the effects that has on the  cycles in my own body, the stream of thoughts and emotions. Most importantly, the great qualities demonstrated by great souls who have walked among us, like compassion, tolerance, unconditional loving kindness and forgiveness…

For me, the Divine Feminine is my teacher. My mother. My refuge. The force that gives life to my art work. The altar to which I offer every action. Where do you see the Divine Feminine moving and breathing in your world? Can you find her within yourself?

If you are interested in exploring any of these concepts within yourself in a community with like minded humans,  you are invited to come to our Community Dance Nights where we will use these themes as a diving off point for monthly investigations empowered by the lunar cycles. Visit our website for more information on how to sign up for these monthly movement circles!