Divine Feminine Concepts: Cycles
Hi all,
This post is about divine feminine concepts and how they apply to feminine heritage. So the first question you might be wondering is… what is the ‘divine feminine’? One of the key pillars of the divine feminine is the idea of embracing the deepest parts of yourself and being able to come through them wiser. This is often represented through cycles, and often compared to the the cycles in nature.
One of the most commonly recognised cycles in nature is the seasons. Having a perpetual Summer is unsustainable and not beneficial to us, so we have Winter to allow the Earth to rest and renew. We know this and understand this. So why do we expect humans to be perpetually happy? It is natural for each and every person to face challenges and setbacks; as a result, each of us experiences a range of emotions every day. Women are renowned for being more emotionally-attuned than the average man, making other women the ideal people to support us and teach us how to cope better when we are struggling with our emotions.
Talking about the difficult experiences our female caregivers have had with them can be beneficial for both parties. It allows them to release negative associations like shame and guilt while allowing us to gain wisdom. Topics to talk about could be as simple as getting made redundant, or as complex as being in an abusive relationship. These are things we don’t learn about from school and can blindside us when we experience them, but knowing you are not alone makes it easier.
Going back to cycles, women experience cycles of their own in their menstrual cycle. In the ovulation phase, we often have plenty of energy and enthusiasm. However, when we get to our luteal phase we feel drained and sluggish. Divine feminine concepts emphasise the importance of reflecting and resting in your luteal phase instead of trying to do everything all at once and tiring ourselves out. This is something we learn how to do from other women, because it’s not commonly known or understood by the men in our lives.
Another key cycle in nature that plays an important role in the Divine Feminine is the life-death cycle. This underpins so many of the other cycles we witness in that we cannot have one without the other; they are intrinsically linked and bring balance to each other. Completing a Feminine Heritage Project requires individuals from different points in their life. The naivety and enthusiasm of younger women can help to soften older women while the wisdom and endurance of older women can help to strengthen younger women. Furthermore, older women have a deeper understanding of grief and death while younger women help us to remember life and birth.
All in all, cycles are an integral part of life. They’re also important to think about when completing your feminine heritage project. If you can recognise the cycles in your caregiver’s life and how they have dealt with them, you can better understand your own personal cycles. After all, the people who bring us up make us who we are.
Useful resources:
Article on the Divine Feminine: https://mywellbeing.com/therapy-101/divine-feminine
Women who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241823.Women_Who_Run_With_the_Wolves
