Power in patriarchy
Usually when we think about power, hindrances of patriarchy are released into our subconsciousness. Power from this perspective means power over people, Earth, women, resources, body. Being in power means taking advantage for own benefit without considering anything or anyone else. It takes us to dark areas of greediness, possession, control and manipulation. The core shadow of patriarchy.
I would like to invite us here to have a new understanding of patriarchy, not as a system of oppression women by men that creates even more resentment and hurt on both sides but a system of domination and control raised on fear. We all have the pieces of broken glass in our hearts. Probably we all could trace down examples in our lives when we do not trust, lose faith in people’s basic goodness, scared of the unknown of tomorrow, disconnect from wisdom of our bodies and sexuality. Yes, it is a part of human journey. Though the question arises what we do with this. What is our approach and actions we take or not take? Patriarchal answer to it, is to get rigid and follow the contraction. It is based of disconnection from love space that can be also called space of freedom, respecting other people’s sovereignty, taking care, kindness and pervading softness. Power over dynamic in patriarchy results in rape, abuse, victimhood, totalitarian system of control disguised in consumerism and democracy – control over feminine wisdom (that men can have an access to as well), pleasure, intuition, all what is irrational, spontaneous and joyful in its essence.
I believe that it is a good time to claim mature power back. We arrived to a point as humanity that can be a point of no return when we exploit and pollute Earth and its creatures so much that we are on the edge of self-destruction. We are detached from our bodies so much that we are willing to follow technology and body subjectification. We do not feel the full spectrum of experiences any more, thus we do not know what is possible for body, in sex, in life. We lost connection with the sacred tissue of life inside and outside to much of a degree. If we though still feel it, we can be overwhelmed by the scale of it. If we think about oneself as a separate individual, that we can fell inadequate and incapable of bringing any change.
It is possible to say stop, reflect and learn how to take adequate action from luminous space of love, care and freedom. We are courageous and conscious enough to start claiming back mature, masculine, penetrative power that is in connection with love space. When I use a word “masculine” it has nothing to do with gender and genitals. Women and men have this capacity to seed and initiate, open new spaces, create by conceiving. I refer to masculine in us also as a clarity of vision, insight, capacity to know when to take action and when to be present in silence, clear and direct communication, straight forward honesty, stating healthy boundaries, power of saying no and yes, penetrating world with new concepts and ideas.
Mature penetrative power of taking action is connected with love. And love has nothing to do with romantic feeling of “you and me forever together”. Even this marriage concept although it is misunderstood, it has potential to open us up. Love is a powerful and soft space of feeling and understanding interconnectedness. You and me in essence are one. Me and cutting down trees are one. Me and my enemy are one. Hurting anyone else, I do the biggest hurt to myself. When I disconnect from love space, closing eyes to possibilities of connection out of hurt and pain, I tap into feeling of not being loved.
To change our reality, first we need to change our perception and uplift our level of consciousness. Nowadays we are called to see and feel the damage and a possibility to manifest new reality. We need to allow heart to roar like a lion, to stand up for what we believe in, to bring the change, to be the change. We have capacity of being a healing biotope for our surrounding. Power can pervade from our hearts and be an agent of transformation. To make it happen, fire element dormant in our sexual bodies needs to be released and wisely directed. Other words riding a Dragon in a right direction.
Demystifing Dragons – Claiming back wisdom
We have many harmful stories in our collective psyche about Dragons. Usually they represent bad, destructive power that needs to be destroyed by a good knight in an armour. From Tantric perspective Dragon represent power of non-duality, embracing good and bad, life and death, masculine and feminine. It is also a power of fearless protection and powerful action. This power guards treasures. When we are ready it will be released like in a mythological story of first Avalon (before Lemuria) when wisdom flames of sacred union between feminine and masculine are guarded by Dragons and given back to humanity in a right time.
Let’s notice that Dragon symbols occur in many cultures though times and play important archetypal role, also in spiritual realms. Only (?) in Christian mythology Dragons are to be eradicated from Earth as evil. We should not be surprised though knowing what the same philosophy says about sexuality, body and women. Here, I am inviting us to look at Dragons as friendly power to be reclaimed wisely for the benefit of all. Let’s rise in love with Dragons as they are themselves the power of love and compassion.
Here I would love to share with you one of my favourite poems by dear spiritual friend, Bruce Lyon, poet and mystic.
The Dragon Song
Bruce Lyon ( from 13 Shadow Shapes -published 1995 )
What is a mature power in action?
This is what we all need to discover individually and collectively. How I see it, the base for it is a union of masculine and feminine within. It means, I feel what surrounds me and it hurts or evoke different emotions. Though instead of either mute myself not to feel it or taking a reactive action, I allow it to sink in. I need to have resources and capacity to change reality. I need knowledge and estimate possibilities. Though mostly I allow the silence and spaciousness into my reactiveness. Than power of wisdom can arise that I only need to follow, saying yes to it. Taking myself out of a way is of outmost importance – my fears, desires, will, likes, dislikes. Learn how to tap into flow of life, being a drop coming back to the ocean and allowing ocean to act through this drop – maybe being the final drop in the full chalice.
Midwifing Dragons back on Gaya,
Estera Saraswati
Frankfurt, 19 April 2018
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