The Masculine and Feminine Dance
Yule, or Winter Solstice, is a high holy day that predates Christmas by thousands of years. It’s one I’ve recognized and celebrated in addition to (and more often instead of) Christmas since 2000. As I revisit the lore and mythology of Yule this year, I see a bigger picture that is very relevant for our times: an elegant dance of balance between the masculine and feminine principles.
The Wheel of the Year
My own priestess lineage outlines the God and Goddess story, which illustrates the circle of death and rebirth intertwined with the wheel of the year. It also illustrates the ongoing dance between the sacred feminine and the divine masculine. Here’s the story as I learned it as a young priestess initiate:
At the Winter Solstice, the Sun God (the light returning) is born of the Goddess. It’s likely this helped fuel the Christian mythos of the son of God being born at this time. The Sun God grows and is a small boy at the time of Imbolc (February 2nd). He continues to mature through the Spring Equinox, and by Beltane (May 1), he is in his prime. He mates with the Goddess at this time of the rising sap and riotous blossoming in nature, and then reaches his peak of power at the Summer Solstice (strongest light). From there, he begins his decline through the harvest festivals of Lammas (Aug 1, Autumnal Equinox, and Samhain (Halloween) as the Goddess gestates her pregnancy. During the harvest time, symbolic sacrifices might be made to return his energy to fertilize the earth (ie, burning a straw man, or effigy). During his decline, the Goddess rises in her power as ruler of the dark time of the year, the feminine, the womb, and the time of hibernation. And that takes us back to Winter Solstice when the Sun God is born of the Goddess once again.
The Balance of Masculine and Feminine Power
There is such a beautiful balance of power and support in this exchange. The Goddess as Mother nurtures the God into maturity and watches him shine as he grows and gains power. At his prime, they bring their energies together as Lovers and create new life. As he makes his natural decline, she shines in her power through the harvest season. He gives himself in death to the health and fertility of the land and the fields. And once again at Yule, she gives him birth and nurtures him through the winter.
Bringing it Home
How can we bring this example of the dance of the masculine and feminine into our lives and relationships? That is a pretty complex question. There is such an imbalance of power in the world right now, and there has been for a good long time. However, something is shifting as women come forward to claim their sexual sovereignty, as they have been doing for the past several decades. It’s filtered up from the counterculture of the 1960’s all the way into the mainstream as women step forward and courageously name their aggressors.
Owning it for Ourselves
Ultimately, we must find this dance of masculine and feminine balance within ourselves. We each have all of these energies within us, no matter what our gender – masculine, feminine, perpetrator, victim, and enabler – along with all the other aspects of ourselves that are both conscious and unconscious. Yule is a wonderful time to reflect on the more hidden aspects as we enter the darkest time of the year and emerge into the newborn light.
With bright blessings for your holy day season, Amrita
What would you like to “bring to light” this Yule? Please share in the comments below.
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My purpose in this life as well as the Gift Spirit has bestowed upon me.
I am grateful for you Amrita.
YES, Tara! Thank you for bringing forward your Gift and Purpose. Blessed be.
Hi Beautiful Amrita!
I appreciate very much your writing and drawing.
I love to dive in deep at this time of year as well. I have always related more to Winter Solstice than Christmas as well.
Where would I like to shine light and call in balance of this dance of the feminine and masculine?
It is a very alive question for me!
I feel I have had for years great visions and understandings of what is needed on Earth as modern day temples. I love doing the work of the temple like you. I see with clear visions, how it must be….yet I experience such frustration in bringing it into fruition.
Even recently, I was deeply entwined with a man whom I thought could be my true beloved…and he is a carpenter and very unafraidn and skilled at earthly matters!
But I am sad to say, the relationship ended….and I am not sure if he would understand or see me for I truly am.
So, I wait patiently.
And also proceed at a very small scale with this dream. Nurturing it sweetly to life.
Thank you for hearing me.
Blessings of Winter Solstice!
Dearest Sarah,
Thank you so much for sharing your hopes and dreams with me here. I am holding this with you in every way I can as your nurture it sweetly to life. May the Solstice bless you as well!
I’m bringing forth a structure, a way for My feminine divine erotic nature to be used as medicine on a bigger scale. Instead of just doing it myself and sharing with a few like-minded female friends, I’m going to have instructional videos, writings, perhaps podcast talks, classes etc. beginning to root! Thank You for your sacred work!!! I saw you at the Aquarian gathering at Venus Rising/eclipse weekend.?
Leahanna, I love what you are bringing forth, such a beautiful entwining of the feminine and the masculine. I will hold this with you and do encourage you to create your content!
I remember attending a celebrations at a Wiccan group around Halloween a few years ago and was happily surprised that it was a skyclad meeting. Initially I felt a little bit ashamed but after awhile I began to savor the beauty of the masculine & feminine mystique. My mother had abused me as a teenager by getting dressed for work naked which took her 15 minutes to accomplish. I mentioned this to my older sister recently and she told me that she was just teaching me. My sister asked my mother if she thought that being naked in front of me was such a good idea. Her response was that she wanted to teach me about the female body since I didn’t have a girlfriend. This response seemed to satisfy my sister but I felt really confused by her actions for many years. Studying Wicca really helped me to see the beauty of the feminine body.
Thanks for sharing what’s true for you. I can understand your confusion and hope that you’ve been able to work through that. Blessings to you.
I’m grateful to you, Amrita, for this clear and concise channeling of the symbolism of Yule. Our beautiful planet does a brilliant job of maintaining the balance, and this extends to the masculine and feminine principles. We humans can try to deny the natural laws, but it’s a futile pursuit. Unity and unconditional love prevails! ?
You are welcome, Daniel, and thanks for leaving a comment. Having been a priestess for nearly 2 decades, this piece just emerged for me. What a beautiful and timely realization. Blessings of the season to you.
What would I like to “bring to light” this Yule? Courage… the courage to do what is right for me, the courage to bring my whole and true self forth.
YES, I look forward to seeing you in your full courage and true self. xo