♂ Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - The Divine Masculine

[Jeannie1]

Megan,

(upload://yrHkiYCbM0Fuz5cFw9C52LSZfqA.jpeg)

thanks for helping with the Tony Robins test pretty quick and I learned about myself so thanks namaste
Jeannie

[BryWisteria]

It’s time for a friendly reminder:

This challenge will soon close

If you would like to participate and haven’t done so already, please post about your challenge experience(s) by the deadline:

→ Tuesday, May 2 at 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time)

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A standing round of applause to the entries so far! I know there are many here in the coven who work primarily with the Divine Feminine, so I empathize that switching things up to explore the Divine Masculine is a challenge- but everyone has done so wonderfully so far! Your entries are truly inspirational to read

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to explore the theme in their own way, whether it’s a key part of your practice or something new! Great work!

If you haven’t already shared an entry but would like to join in, this is your friendly reminder that you still have a bit of time left to do so!

Blessed Be!

[Shadeweaver]

Challenge Entry-The Divine Masculine

This was actually very difficult for me and found myself conflicted about almost everything about it. These days “masculinity” is almost demonized.

The Divine Masculine is portrayed in most history as a war like, controlling, immature energy. A driving unbridled.energy, given free reign for far to long. Separating male and female and lately removing both from “family” Separation and competition creates strife and alienation. The inability to work together and realization that the true power lies within the female bringing about fear and need of control of the female energy instead of the co-operation and responsible power in support of her.

The need for the Divine Masculine is great, as it is the balancing force (not the overwhelming power) to the Divine Feminine. Not a controlling power, but a supportive energy.Offering His knowledge and protection so the Goddess may travel without fear and do so in safety. To act responsively and help provide for all. To move aside and share leadership with Love and respect for each other. The way the Sun, our Great Father, shares His energy with the Great Mother to create Life for us all.

Sometimes great power is needed to clear the way for the new. Can this not happen without the destruction of the old? Create a better way and let others move/evolve to that way after proof of its working. That would be progress without war and strife. The Divine Masculine needs to evolve in this direction, but who am I to dictate to the Divine? I’m just a Baby Witch thinking I know more than and talked to some snake that had me eat from the tree of knowledge…

May all of you have a wonderful and blessed May Day/Beltane

Love and Light

[MeganB]

@Heav3n

was it on the last one you got feminine?

Yes, yes it was!

@lisa67

Author Margaret Murray wrote a controversial piece in the 1930’s called, “the God of Witches”

Ohh, I’ve never heard this I’m gonna have to go look for that!

@Amethyst

Invocation to the Horned Lord.

A beautiful piece of writing @Amethyst, as always

@CelestiaMoon

I tend to shift into a compulsive “fix it” mindset

Oh, you and me both! I’m a compulsive “fixer” even for others. It’s a problem

@Jeannie1

learned about myself so thanks namaste

You’re very welcome, Jeannie!

[Susurrus]

Challenge Entry

I’ll admit at first I thought I knew what I was going to do & then I was reading the different entries & approaches, so my wheels started turning & then I got lost in all the things & rabbit holes. Some that clicked, others did not. I honestly have only ever worked with Goddesses regularly & more honored Gods within my belief systems pantheon. At first I had an Ah Ha! idea but then that kind of worked but didn’t.

I did do the 3 quizzes listed by @MeganB… & was a bit surprised when 1 said my energy was feminine & the other 2 said masculine. But those didn’t feel right or click with me either. So on a quest I went!

What I found that I could I guess make it understandable in my head easier… because I am very prone to overthinking then confusing myself & rabbit holes adding to that was in easy for me to understand terms Divine Masculine would be comparable to the “The Father” type of energy or “The Emperor” in tarot, while Divine Feminine would be comparable to “The Mother” or The Empress" in tarot. Okay, so that made sense with their associations in the Major Arcana for me.

I also like the Loner Wolf site, mostly for things to do with being an Empath & working with those types of things to manage it a bit better, so I did a search on Divine Masculine. This is what I found that seemed to explain it a little easier for me…

Divine Masculine energy is something we all possess, no matter what gender (or lack thereof) we are. Also, known as yang, shiva, or solar energy, the Divine Masculine is ruled by the elements of the sun (fire ) and sky (air ).

As the sacred counterpart of the Divine Feminine, the Divine Masculine is an active force that is responsible for order, structure, passion, willpower, and courage.

Why Has the Divine Masculine Been Ignored?

… The unfortunate reality is that up until this point in history, we have mostly been presented with the shadow side of the masculine.

… If you’ve experienced some kind of life-changing crisis, an awakening, or a thirst for more depth and meaning, you can thank your inner Divine Masculine! We have seen how bloodthirsty, arrogant, domineering, and destructive masculine energy can be. Therefore, most of us have lost our interest, and dare I say respect, in this fundamental aspect of existence.

The Divine Masculine is an active force, one that is given to seeking truth, freedom, and self-sovereignty. Unlike the Divine Feminine which is a more passive and receptive force, the Divine Masculine energy has a will to power – it loves action, and it will do everything it can to find spiritual guidance and its true life path!

To feel empowered on our spiritual journeys, we need to hone, harness, and celebrate our inner Divine Masculine, because it is he who is the fire within us that burns for Self-realization, Oneness, and Liberation.
→ What is Divine Masculine Energy & 9 Ways to Awaken: Loner Wolf

I paraphrased most of it, but those were the parts that sort of stuck out to me. Not necessarily that I am having some kind of a spiritual awakening, but ways to balance out the energies within myself. I can definitely identify with the Feminine. As I thought about Gods in the pantheon (Celtic : Tuatha de Danaan) that I do work with, in some contexts, the Goddess Danu is revered as the Mother Goddess & the Dagda as the Father… which completely makes sense considering the relationship He has with the 2 Goddesses that I work with on a regular basis as well as with Danu.

As for 9 ways to awaken this energy within yourself ideas from the article are to:

• Examine your wounds surrounding the Masculine
• Take self-responsibility
• Contact your inner Father
• Deconstruct your conditioning
• Find a masculine teacher/guide/figure that you admire
• Connect with your inner warrior: (Your inner Warrior isn’t interested in dominating, killing others, or “fighting for peace.” Your inner Warrior supports and protects you. He takes no bs. He will defend your rights peacefully but assertively. He will cut through the lies and see with clarity. He values truth, courage, & inner strength.)
• Be assertive & stick up for yourself
• Stand in a confident way
• Stop being passive, start being active
• (Bonus) Work with nature
  → click here for more on the 9 ways to work with Divine Masculine energy within yourself. Same as the link above also.

Basically, the Divine Masculine & the Divine Feminine are with all of humankind. When they are balanced they work with each other to balance out yourself. I honestly can’t say that all of the situations apply to me, but the attributes aren’t something that normally necessarily works completely with my 2 Goddesses, although 1 is I would say a combination of working with the 2 within yourself more than the other & the other also has some attributes of the energy also by these metrics but far stronger Feminine.

If nothing else, I have something to think about along with I guess research or learn about how I approach it going forward. What will work for me where I am on my path & understanding, beliefs, & practices with Irish Celtic Paganism?

[Cosmic_Curiosity]

@Susurrus I loved reading your entry. I have to say that i have found this challenge to be such an interesting one. It has really clicked with me, although I can’t quite say why it has. Perhaps because i regularly work with 2 male deities. Many of us have been removed from our comfort zone and its been inspiring to see how everyone has approached it.

@Susurrus

The unfortunate reality is that up until this point in history, we have mostly been presented with the shadow side of the masculine.

… We have seen how bloodthirsty, arrogant, domineering, and destructive masculine energy can be. Therefore, most of us have lost our interest, and dare I say respect, in this fundamental aspect of existence.

I completely agree with this. I think it has been viewed almost as a negative/something to be avoided and as a result has perhaps been almost repressed due to long time periods of social conditioning, where aspects such as agression and dominance have been highlighted as key (and not overly desirable) aspects of the divine masculine. Interestingly I decided to do a little research with family. I sent them a quiz i made up and asked them to complete it. The vast majority of responses showed feminine energy as the dominant one among male and female family members. Perhaps it is when people are faced with these qualities, even when written down, they want to avoid them and not consider them as part of who they really are. It is almost as though there are traits that people do not want to admit to having as it is not what society has come to expect from them. It is fascinating and poses the question, how do you overcome it?

In fact, divine masculine energy is a necessary part of all of us. It is HOW we channel these energies and use them to our advantage; lead dont dominate, be assertive not aggressive, support not control. It reminds me of the strength tarot card. Its almost like taking masculine traits and giving them a sprinkle of feminine energy to take the sting out. Thats why the balance between the two is so important.

Blessed be

Alan

[CelestiaMoon]

@Cosmic_Curiosity

Perhaps it is when people arw faced with these qualities, even when written down, they want to avoid them and not consider them as part of who they really are. It is fascinating.

It is really fascinating, and something that also came to me while I was doing the quizzes… how much bias do we have there and if there would be a way to work around it with the way the questions are presented. I could easily tell (in each of the quizzes) which answers contribute to which outcome, and it’s like I could feel my shadow stirring. It’s hard to say how honest exactly I was with my answers.

@Susurrus

If you’ve experienced some kind of life-changing crisis, an awakening, or a thirst for more depth and meaning, you can thank your inner Divine Masculine!

@Susurrus

The Divine Masculine is an active force, one that is given to seeking truth, freedom, and self-sovereignty. Unlike the Divine Feminine which is a more passive and receptive force, the Divine Masculine energy has a will to power – it loves action, and it will do everything it can to find spiritual guidance and its true life path!

There was something deep inside me that lit up and resonated when I read these parts… I’m definitely a seeker at heart! And when I do set my sights on something, I can be a force of nature…

[Amethyst]

@MeganB

A beautiful piece of writing @Amethyst, as always

Thanks, love! I’m glad you liked it!

[Ancient_Queen]

@Heav3n I got the same as you did.

What your leading Energy? I got feminine on this one.
The Masculine and Feminine Energy Quiz I got feminine.
What is your leading energy? I got masculine.

[Artemisia]

Challenge Entry: The Divine Masculine + Beltane

Today I combined my Beltane celebration with my challenge entry this week. I started off working with the materials I’d gathered on my run on Saturday

and spent a bit of time watching a Youtube video on how to weave a sturdy clover crown. Turns out 60 clovers were not enough but I didn’t feel like going out to get more and risk getting distracted so I added ribbon to the ends to make it work! I wanted something more substantial than the little chains I made as a kid to keep this one.

I’m pretty happy with it and might make another one next week for the heck of it.

Then I shifted creative gears and decided to make a couple of Green Man’s (Men?) sculptures for my altar.

I picked Green Man for this challenge because I’d always been curious to learn more about him and he seems a good fit for my practice. From my research, I learned that The Green Man represents the vitality, growth, and abundance of the natural world. He is often associated with the springtime and the rebirth of the earth after the winter season. The Green Man is a symbol of the interconnectedness of all life and the importance of honoring and respecting the natural world.

My first piece is a bit less creative because I already had a mold for a Green Man that I’d purchased 15 years ago (who knew!?). I used white clay to mold it then painted and glazed it.

Then I decided to push my creative luck and make another one using a mold of a face from a sun wall hanging, used collected ivy leaves from my Saturday run, and cut them out of the clay. I usually hit a point with more complicated projects where I get tired, careless, and frustrated so I slowed down, took my time, and focused.

I think he’s a perfect addition to my altar. I’m so pleased with how he turned out. I decided to keep things simple and just cut some fresh roses from my garden as an offering to him.

Really enjoyed my creative day and this challenge! As always I appreciate being pushed out of my comfort zone to learn and try new things to expand my practice!

[Artemisia]

Just noticed these quizzes. I suppose it’s not a real surprise to me that my leading energy in all three quizzes is Masculine. I could tell as I was answering the questions what my results would be and honestly, it makes sense. The older I get, the more I acknowledge who I am and what my strengths and weaknesses are so I can learn to adapt and manage challenges as they arise in life.

Thank you for sharing them! Always love taking quizzes.

[BryWisteria]

This challenge is now CLOSED

Great job to everyone who jumped in to explore the Divine Masculine this week! Whether it was a topic you hold dear in your practice, something completely new, or a particularly challenging theme to explore- thank you so much for taking the time to work through it with the coven this week. It’s been really inspirational reading everyone’s entries!

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A Props and Presents post will soon appear with shout-outs and prize details for everyone who submitted an entry. Please keep an eye on the main page of the forums.

Note : To avoid confusion, this discussion will be locked until the Props and Presents post appears. At that time, this thread will reopen for discussion for a few more days- comments are welcome during this time, but please note that no additional prizes will be given.

Thanks again for joining in the challenge!

Blessed be!

[BryWisteria]

The Props and Presents Post for this challenge is now live in the forum and badges have been sent to all entrants!

→ Props and Presents for the Divine Masculine Challenge

Thank you once again to all those who joined the challenge! I hope you enjoy your new badge

This thread has been reopened for discussion- feel free to comment on the theme, ask questions or reply to entries! However, please remember that no additional badges will be given out now that the challenge has officially closed. Thank you!

[Phoenix_Fire]

I know the challenge is over but i found this and thought id share as extra as it is about Cernunnos one of my male deities in clan and talks of masculinity which was what this challenge was about.

I just thought it was cool and wanted to share

[Nixi]

That is awesome and it really speaks to me. Thanks for sharing

[Heav3n]

@MeganB I had a feeling, LOL.

[BryWisteria]

@Phoenix_Fire

thought id share as extra as it is about Cernunnos

It’s an awesome addition that fits the challenge theme perfectly! Additional resources, information, and thoughts are welcome for as long as the discussion remains unlocked. I’m sure that, in the future, those revisiting the old challenges will continue to learn from and enjoy everything that has been shared thanks to the coven!

Thank you very much for sharing it!