Wednesday, February 29, 2012

She Protests Too Much

"thou doth protest too much."  --William Shakespeare

Some women who call themselves "feminists" may really
feel deeply the opposite, as in "thou doth protest too much." William Shakespeare wrote this line more than five centuries ago, a prescient insight into human nature.
 More recently, Thomas Moore in his book, the Soul's Religion, takes up the topic of femininity writing that "in a deep corner of their soul, [they] rejected women and didn't really appreciate the value of feminine qualities.
While perhaps trite to say, Moore observes that behavior is a double edge sword, or sides of a coin, the flip side is naturally its opposite. Is that hard to understand?

He further writes that the women with whom he discussed this contradiction within themselves have much courage to explore this embarrassing discovery about their deepest feelings and values. Contrasting with  women, there are also men whom Moore writes, are caught by the same or similar notions dishonoring women, "the mother goddess" as he calls it. They are excessive in their devotions towards women; an unbalanced adoration that puts off real, flesh and blood women. Here the Avatar of the goddess is confused for the goddess herself.

 In these men there often are signs of this imbalance: sudden anger and resentments, even violence towards women in a generalized sense. paraphrased

The feminine energy in life doesn't disappear
as a result of this hostility directed towards herself. Rather she may be pushed just beneath the surface where her energy lurks, often making life and relationships impossible. The candle is extinguished; in her neglected state, she is oppressed and unexpressed; while some choose to engage in the traditional helping professions, this gives only temporary outlet.

 Pushing through barriers erected just for her suppression, so as to have a clean, tidy, daily existence, the spiritual nature of the mother goddess soon rushes forward. She will have none of that! The retort of which is a fierce tongue lashing, a warring heart and an excess passion for the physical pursuits of the world.

Working herself free of blockages is to
restore the balance of energy that is natural to the soul. More than just talking about these lacks as correction, we must take concrete action in a direct, soulful, spiritual way to gain the balance that we need. 

We must not become lost in addictions either to drugs or behaviors for they are no good substitute for the spiritual ecstasy that we may really be seeking, or the holiness found in religion because all human problems are spiritual problems, insists Moore.

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