TheoErotic

Continuing the conversation about the mature and immature feminine and masculine. I will start looking at the masculine. In todays society we have a lot of the immature masculine going around. In fact there is a public caricature of what the masculine is that is solely based on the immature masculine and so for boys growing up there is no real image of what the mature masculine looks like. The idea that the immature and mature masculine is somehow only found in male bodied persons confuses the matter even more.

In some tantric and a few Christian environments Jungs male Archetypes are being used well to paint a picture of the mature masculine. However the archetypes of Warrior, Lover, King, Sage (especially warrior and king) are also in popular culture connected to parts of the immature masculine and patriarchy. So what is the image of the immature masculine that is held up by society?

According to pop culture a man is:
– Aggressive
– Controlling and dominating
– Goal oriented
– Dogmatic/Pragmatic
– Detached (not emotional)
– Goes into a man cave when hurt or unbalanced
– Competitive
– Sex as stress relief or withdrawing from sex (man cave again)

This is all the immature masculine. All of these traits can in one way or another be found in the shadow side of the male archetypes. Now just to make the point about gender clear, have you ever met any women who where aggressive? Who where controlling or dominating or competitive. Of course you have, because a woman can be in the immature masculine as often as a man. I would go so far as to say that parts of the feminist movement is promoting this shift into the immature masculine for women as a way of asserting power and dominance.

So lets turn to the mature masculine, the mature masculine is:
– Present and aware
– Actively watching and listening without judgement
– Communicating clearly and setting clear boundaries
– Grounded & Free
– Inclusive & Altruistic
– Responsible and dependable
– Wise
– Sex as a doorway to higher consciousness and deeper union

Again this is not directed to people in male bodies and I think we can all agree that a woman can benefit from all of the above and that we all regardless of what body we are in would do well from seeking these qualities within ourselves.

In our western modern society male initiation has been lost and with it we have also lost the mature masculine. We are in a dire need of true fathers and mature masculine role models that can help us to reach for these qualities and own them openly as true masculine.