May 20, 2004
A Question of Balance
By Flash Silvermoon
when women try to regain balance through focus on their own needs, separate at times from the mainstream, carve out special sacred space to empower each other, its a blessing and really has nothing to do w/ hating men...
In many mixed [lesbian and straight] Spiritual Circles, I hear the term "balance" bandied about. Women will object to the Female centered, Goddess Path that excludes the male God as "un-balanced" and they very patronizingly "allow" that we all have "our" paths; however, they will self-righteously say "THEY choose a path of balance!" -- implying that paths that exclude males or male gods are unbalanced and are in fact oppressive and merely the flip side of Patriarchal male domination!!
I vehemently disagree with that conclusion and I do not consider myself a man-hater and do have some male friends that I value greatly. However I do not feel more "balanced " for having them in my life. If someone treats me well whoever they are, I will always try to return the kindness.
What I am trying to comment on is the assumption that an externalized male energy or God is necessary for a balanced world.
The Triple Lunar Goddess has the duality of the "Warrior Archetype" in the New Moon Artemis figure, the extreme Yin Mother aspect in the Yemonja/Isis. Full Moon and a blend of both expressions in the Waning Moon Hecate/Medusa,Crone Archetype. Does this triad not express profound balance beyond the trap of dualism? Doesn't this never-ending circle allow space for diversity/gender and role bending that is fluid rather than static!! And, did we not all begin as FEMALES in the womb!!
Regarding the criticism that this ideology is reverse sexism, a disenfranchised group, i.e. "have not" women, people of color, gays, trannies, etc etc, have a different relationship to power than do straight/white/able-bodied/christian men so for this reason, I believe that the have-nots are never politically empowered to have power over the haves. True bigotry is bigotry no matter what, but when women try to regain balance through focus on their own needs, separate at times from the mainstream, carve out special sacred space to empower each other, its a blessing and really has nothing to do w/ hating men or anything like that and has everything to do with SELF-LOVE. The Patriarchal paradigm truly depends on women being caregivers and then calls us codependent, not even validating what we do right as a class. I by no means think that women should become tight-fisted self-serving, me-first-always types like most men have been raised to be. [I am not talking of the exceptions but the norm in patriarchal culture.] What is good and beautiful about what women bring to the collective table [and in this case also I do not refer to the exceptions of women who have been so corporatized that they mimic the male model] should and must be nurtured so that it can sustain itself against the ravages of the patriarchal power-overs. Sometimes this needs to be done in separate enclaves, sometimes not; only the woman herself knows how when and where she is best served.
Getting beyond dualities is certainly a journey worth taking, yet with the inequity of power so key in these issues creating some middle ground where power can truly be shared amongst equals may take some time and effort to create parity and may seem to some to be "going overboard."
We have and need individual solutions as well as global ones and it's important to recognize each of our positive intentions and efforts toward a better more loving, healing world rather than to trash someone else's path that doesn't happen to jive w/ our own. We all carry a piece of the mystery, the web, and a key and to forge ahead with vision and integrity each doing her part will have amazing results.
Blessings Flash Silvermoon
The Wise Woman's Tarot - http://www.flashsilvermoon.com *