Male and female energy at its very essence, is the spark of creation itself, and the purest manifestation of energy outside of Unity; where all things are one. It is the two fundamental, primordial forces clashing, creating and finally combining together to make something new and beautiful. Through all levels of life, whether it’s new life being conceived or the birth of the universe itself, these two primary forces are always critical in the formation of this new emanation.

It is often described in the new age community that at the highest levels of creation, Spirit wanted a way to interact with itself to deepen its understanding and experience. And so, it developed a perspective of separation through the process of division and expansion within itself, and so the duality of male and female, light and dark, the right and left brain, yin and yang were created.

As we were “made in Gods image”, we too are naturally born both as a unified whole – and subdivided into many parts. In particular, we have two brain hemispheres, which each have their own unique perspective of reality; In this dualistic understanding of ours, we only know that there is light because we have seen the darkness, and vice versa. This is the true nature of duality itself.

From this stems the concept of male and female energy; two sides of the same coin and completely perfect opposites at that! There are many different metaphors, deities, behaviors and impressions of what these dualistic energies represent – all describing the different facets of the same gem.

We must stress here that that we are not gender casting people in any way, as there are many men who have greater ‘female energy’ and many women who have greater ‘male energy’.The energy behind maleness and femaleness exists infinitely beyond gender and what it means to be a man or woman. In this when we say “male and female energy” it should be observed as a metaphor, a way of describing underlying energy that influences all of us. We all have both sides within us, even the most masculine and the most feminine person. They both play vital roles in keeping us balanced, and this can manifest differently for everyone.

However, if anyone clings too deeply to either side it often creates internal imbalances. Picture the man who is unable to express his sadness or depression, this will boil inside of them and come out in the only way they feel would be accepted by society, as rage. Or picture the woman who has always been told she will not become strong, this too will fester and become expressed in the way they feel others will listen, as potentially being overwhelmingly emotional. We as a society need to band together, to learn more about both energies and why it is so very important to have both, and to maintain an internal balance with these two.
 
Shakti and Shiva



The deities Shakti and Shiva are major representations of male and female energies within Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist traditions.

Shakti is the feminine energy; the symbol of pure power, ever-shifting movement and change. She is represented as the provider, the great mother that nourishes all of life.

Shiva is the masculine energy. He represents the destroyer, consciousness itself as an unchanging and infinite observer. He is an empty vessel, the void, a seed of creation which Shatki then waters with life.

These roles might seem reversed, in that female energy is usually seen as a void to be entered by the male energy, this description is specific to these two deities. In this, the masculine energy becomes the receiver of life which the feminine gives freely.

There are many ways in understanding these two energetic roles; they are not static representations, but fluid notions which shift and dance with each other. You might consider this similarly in the big bang – the male energy was the explosion of light, and the divine feminine is the space in which that energy moved through, eventually forming into galaxies and such.

In the story of Shiva specifically, he at one point needed to balance the energies within himself and merged with Parvati, Daughter of the Mountain, and became androgynous, being both male and female and was then known as Ardhanarishvara. Many Hindu followers consider this to be the ultimate state of ascension being in full balance between the two forces.
 
Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang is an ancient Chinese philosophy, first being described in recorded history around the beginning of the 4th century, but was likely discussed much earlier. The notion itself is timeless, but this specific way of understanding it came into awareness around this time.

It describes the concept that opposite forces have complementary elements within each other, they are interconnected and interdependent on each other. Yin and Yang symbolize many dualities such as light and dark, fire and water, the moon and the sun, and of course; male and female.

Within the symbol itself, the negative principle, represented by darkness, is the female energy. It is Yin; the moon, passiveness, cold, slow, soft, receiving. It is associated with water, earth and nighttime. It is reflective and observing in nature.

Yang, the positive principle, represented by light, is the male energy. In contrast, it is the sun, it’s active, fast, hot, dry, solid and giving. It is associated with fire, air and the daytime.

When combined together, they create the perfect oneness. It is duality coming together to create a singularity. They are complementary rather than opposing forces, as the concept of yin must exist for the concept of yang to exist, and vice versa. We need shadows to understand light, and in the same way, we need male energy to understand female energy, and vice versa.

In the symbol itself, there is a seed, represented as a circle, of each opposite force within each other. Within dark, there is a small seed of light, and within light, there is small seed of dark. This is the balance of nature, each found within the other, and both parts are equally needed, neither is more important than the other.
 
The Left and Right Brain

The left and right hemisphere of our brains have been classified as one side being more male, and one more female. While this can be up for interpretation, many people agree that the left side is male and right is female. Between these two we find all of our interactions with the world, how we navigate situations and balance between logic and creativity.

Generally, the left brain is logical, it is practical, focused and to the point. It follows the rules; it is like a straight arrow, shooting directly forwards. It is more like a computer program with a set of data. The right brain on the other hand is creative. It is flowing, all over the place, it takes it’s time and does not like to follow rules; it is free and ever shifting to go with the flow.

Everyone has both of these elements within them, yet we often lean more towards one side depending on our conditioning, personality, environment and social settings. They are both equally important to balance, and when we have too much of one kind of energy, we can begin to shut down and reject the opposing energy as being ‘wrong’ as opposed to seeing the benefits of it.
 
Balancing Male & Female Energy in Our Daily Lives

What does it look like to have an excess or lack of these energies? This can translate to our behavior, attitudes, ways of thinking and our general interaction with the world.



Too much female energy can look like passiveness, not speaking up when it’s necessary, being afraid easily, not being grounded emotionally or getting overly offended. It is submissive, and can allow you to get hurt by putting others before yourself when out of balance. Such is the nature of a mother, caring for others without giving back the energy to herself.

Too much male energy can look like aggressiveness, being overly assertive, coming off as harsh, critical or being emotionally closed off. It is dominate in nature, which can lead to others feeling shut down when out of balance. Such is the nature of the male hunter, versus the nature of the female gatherer. The energy of the hunter gets things done, there is no emotional clouding or creative flow, is it entirely focused on the task at hand.

Both of these ways of being are crucial when going about our daily lives. We must be able to speak our truth, embody a male energy and stand for what we believe in. Sometimes it is necessary for us to push for what we need, be assertive and clear in our communications. Male energy is generally very focused; it is quite necessary when getting work done, pushing a project through until completion without distraction.

This is when it’s important to have more male energy in our way of being. It is not healthy to let others drain, use, or take advantage of us. To knowingly allow that to happen is embodying an unbalanced amount of female energy, it is a passive way of being.

On the other hand, female energy is especially important when relating with others and navigating emotional experiences. Creating a soft, gentle energy allows others to open up, feel safe being vulnerable and can help facilitate a level of healing. It is perfect for artistic projects and things which you can just go with the flow without needing a certain deadline.

We can constantly embody a level of both of these energies, either switching back and forth when needed, or practicing being both simultaneously, assertive yet still compassionate. As an example, this could look like supporting a friend, allowing them to vent and release their emotions, but then pointing out ways that they can improve and take the action required to solve the problems themselves.

It is an ever shifting ebb and flow of being nurturing and stern when necessary, both always stemming from a place of love.

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