How to Embrace Your Feminine Energy (in a Masculine World)

For years, I felt like I had to hide my emotions, put on a tough exterior, and act like nothing could faze me. I could relate very little to the concept of feminine energy, yet never felt woman enough.

Because at the same time, I was bombarded with the messaging that being a woman – being feminine – meant acting ‚girly‘, pushing aside your intellect, wearing pretty dresses and make-up, and caring about little more than being appealing to men.

Is that femininity? I‘ll be honest with you: it makes me angry that a lot of the online discourse about feminine energy still circles around superficial topics like style and seduction.

Many publications I came across, while diving deeper into my own femininity and researching the 7 Feminine Archetypes, reinforce a very problematic image of femininity and often reduce women to their appearance or sexuality.

When we look at it through a more holistic lens, feminine energy is so much bigger, and infinitely powerful. Maybe you are familiar with the duality of yin and yang – that comes much closer to the truth about feminine energy.

And behind it lies a spiritual concept that – surprise – does not only relate to women.

So, what is feminine energy?

Feminine energy is one of the two cosmic forces that reside in all things being – including us humans. It is believed that we all carry both feminine and masculine energy within us.

We sometimes also speak of the divine feminine or yin energy as opposed to the divine masculine or yang energy. Everything we experience is made up of these two forces, a neverending dance.

This means anyone, regardless of their gender, can access feminine energy and harness it in everyday life for more healing, inner guidance, and nurturing.

It’s worth noting that while both masculine and feminine energies exist within everyone, we tend to default to one energy over the other.

Women, for instance, often lean towards their feminine energy, while men may naturally default to their masculine energy. This is no definite rule (I‘d definitely say I‘m one of the many exceptions myself), but a general tendency that can be a result of upbringing, culture, and individual personality traits.

In any case, there is nothing wrong about being more or less feminine and nobody should be shamed for the way they express themselves.

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Typical feminine energy traits

When we speak of the (divine) feminine, we usually refer to traits like:

  • Empathy and compassion
  • Being over doing
  • Intuition
  • Creativity
  • Nurturing
  • Receptivity
  • Collaboration and community building
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Alignment with nature and its cycles
  • Focus on relationships

Looking at these traits, gender is not implied. However, displaying the above traits often gets rewarded in females and disregarded in males.

As a society, we definitely still have a long way to go when it comes to understanding and embracing healthy expressions of masculine and feminine energies.

5 myths about feminine energy (that need to stop)

Now, I already mentioned I was a little upset, so let‘s clear some misconceptions about feminine energy before we continue. I hope this helps people to get a clearer understanding that does not reduce our true internal power to stereotypes.

#1 Feminine energy is NOT only for women

I‘ll be honest, it does make sense that people get confused. I would attribute this to two reasons:

  • female and feminine are very similar words and are often used interchangeably
  • in our society, we expect women to have qualities that align with feminine energy and expect men to express more masculine energy

It‘s likely that more women do indeed naturally display more feminine qualities. But is that biological? Or social conditioning?

In reality, all people have a blend of masculine and feminine energies within them, regardless of their gender identity.

Maybe changing the language around the concept would help. Personally, I like calling it yin energy – it is a more neutral wording that we can all relate to.

#2 Feminine energy is NOT weak

In a world celebrating masculinity, the feminine has often been viewed as weak. To this day, many men are afraid to open up to their emotions and show vulnerability because it is considered ‚feminine‘ and thus negative.

Well, I‘ve got news for you. Feminine energy can be incredibly powerful and transformative. We can use our intuition to make better decisions, tap into our creativity to solve problems in innovative ways, and connect with others and ourselves on a deeper level.

In short, embracing yin energy can help us become the best versions of ourselves, and can be a powerful tool for personal and societal transformation.

#3 Feminine energy is NOT subordinate to masculine energy

The idea that feminine energy is subordinate to masculine energy is a deeply ingrained cultural myth that has persisted for centuries. This misconception is based on the false belief that masculine qualities like strength, power, and dominance are superior to feminine qualities like nurturing, empathy, and intuition.

In reality, they are simply two different aspects of the same whole, and both are essential for creating a balanced and harmonious life.

When we buy into the misconception that masculine energy is superior, we can end up neglecting our feminine energy and missing out on all the gifts that it has to offer.

Together, we create magic.

#4 Feminine energy is NOT passive

The misconception that feminine energy is passive or submissive is not only incorrect, but it can be outright dangerous. We don’t want spirituality to reinforce harmful gender stereotypes that contribute to abuse and violence against women and marginalized groups.

Someone passive or submissive may be viewed as less deserving of respect and autonomy, creating an unhealthy power dynamic where the person with more perceived power feels entitled to exert control. This can also lead to ignoring or dismissing signs of mistreatment.

While it’s true that feminine energy is receptive and open, it’s far from passive. A healthy connection to the yin includes firm boundaries and the ability to stand up for ourselves and others.

#5 Feminine energy is NOT incompatible with success

The world of business is (still) defined by patriarchal structures. It celebrates and rewards primarily masculine traits like ambition, assertiveness, and competitiveness.

Ultimately, this led a lot of professionals to suppress their feminine energy. It exposes a deep-rooted fear that leading with gentleness and intuition will have us judged as incompetent, weak, or overly emotional.

However, embracing feminine energy can actually be a powerful tool for success, as it allows us to tap into our creativity and emotional intelligence to make more informed and holistic decisions.

Luckily, we are finally starting to see some more appreciation for feminine leadership.

Why do we need feminine energy?

When we prioritize masculine energy over feminine energy, we create a world that is imbalanced and out of harmony. This can lead to a focus on competition over collaboration, control over connection, and individualism over community. These imbalances can create harm to ourselves, others, and the planet we live on.

Feminine energy is an essential and valuable part of our human experience. We harness it to create a more compassionate and inclusive world as well as to take better care of our emotional and spiritual health.

Feminine energy can help us to

  • make more meaningful connections
  • develop deeper self-awareness and compassion
  • find meaning and purpose
  • embrace vulnerability as strength
  • heal from past trauma and pain
  • make a positive impact in our communities
  • express creativity
  • accept and work with the natural cycles of life
A powerful woman kneels on the floor and throws sand into the golden evening light, a scene of feminine empowerment and grace.

What is the wounded feminine?

The wounded feminine is a term that refers to the collective pain, trauma, and oppression experienced by women and those who identify with their feminine energy. It is a result of centuries of patriarchal structures, gender-based violence, and cultural expectations that have devalued and marginalized feminine qualities and ways of being.

The wounded feminine can manifest in a variety of ways, for example:

  • low self-esteem and insecurity
  • victim mentality
  • lack of boundaries and passivity
  • self-sabotage and manipulative behavior
  • codependency and neediness
  • a sense of disconnection from your feelings or intuition
  • emotional trauma (including sexual abuse and domestic violence)

Underneath it all lies the core belief that femininity is wrong and a sign of weakness. Needless to say, this can be incredibly challenging to heal from because those patterns are still deeply ingrained in cultural and societal norms.

However, we can actively recognize the existence of the wounded feminine and work to heal it.

As a collective, we benefit from valuing and uplifting feminine qualities and ways of being, supporting survivors of gender-based violence, and challenging patriarchal structures and cultural expectations that perpetuate the wounded feminine.

Two female friends holding each other's hand. Reducing social media can help to connect in real life.

Balancing feminine and masculine energy

As a result of how our world is structured, a lot of us spend a bit too much time in our masculine energy. Sometimes, we are just trying to protect ourselves but there is potential harm to it.

Let me clarify, is no problem with having a lot of masculine energy – as long as we do not shut out the feminine completely. As with everything in the universe, there needs to be a certain balance.

Ideally, we would experience an equilibrium between the two energies and be able to shift fluidly between them as needed.

11 signs you may have too much masculine energy:

  1. You are overly competitive and driven to succeed at all costs.
  2. You have difficulty relaxing and find it hard to disconnect from work or other obligations.
  3. You dismiss your emotions and intuition when making decisions.
  4. You have a tendency to be aggressive or confrontational in your communication style.
  5. You struggle with vulnerability and find it hard to share your emotions with others.
  6. You have a need for control and cannot surrender or let go.
  7. You struggle to receive pleasure and be intimate.
  8. You are disconnected from your physical body.
  9. You struggle with relationships and find it hard to connect with others on an emotional level.
  10. You have a tendency to judge yourself and others harshly.
  11. You feel a sense of burnout or exhaustion from constantly pushing yourself.

Is that you? As a woman with a lot of masculine energy, I feel you. While a lot of that yang energy does serve me, I had to actively work to unravel the aspects of it that were doing me a disservice.

When I allowed myself to recognize the strength in vulnerability, started fostering meaningful connections more, and dreamed up big creative projects, I finally started feeling a sense of wholeness I had been missing.

It‘s been a beautiful journey of softening and, if you feel called, I can only encourage you to explore your feminine side.

An ipad shows a preview of the 7 Feminine Archetype Workbooks. Included will be practical exercises to understand your archetype and feminine energy for more self-awareness and personal growth.

The 7 Feminine Archetypes – Workbooks

It’s a little dream of mine to create a workbook for these archetypes, as a tool for reflection and self-exploration.

Are you interested? Let me know! If enough people want the workbooks, I’ll make them happen. ♥

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How to activate your feminine energy

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your existing yin energy or exploring this aspect of yourself for the first time, there are numerous ways to tap into the feminine.

Especially when we focus on habits and activities that cultivate a sense of intuition and connection, our feminine energy tends to thrive.

I don‘t want to make this blog post endless, so I‘ll keep this section short.

Here are some suggestions for increasing your feminine energy:

  • take time to rest and recharge
  • connect with nature
  • practice mindfulness (breathwork, journaling, meditation, …)
  • express your emotions and learn to communicate non-violently
  • join a women’s / men’s circle where you can connect and express yourself freely
  • engage in creative activities (painting, singing, writing, dancing, …)
  • focus on community
  • practice empathy and active listening
  • allow yourself to receive
  • create a sacred space for yourself
  • practice gratitude
  • spend time exploring and connecting with your body
  • listen to your inner voice when making decisions
  • start flowing instead of forcing

Most of these are probably straightforward enough, but if you have any questions about feminine energy and how to embrace it, feel free to comment below!

As I wrap up this discussion on feminine energy, I can’t help but feel inspired by the beauty and power of this energy. It’s a force that has been misunderstood and undervalued for far too long, but we are now at a time where we can embrace it fully and use it to create a better world for ourselves and those around us.

So let’s celebrate our feminine energy, honor its wisdom, and allow it to guide us on our journey toward greater self-awareness and fulfillment.

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6 Comments

  1. Thank you very much for the great and insightful information provided in this website.
    I really appreciate the effort you put into this and the creative and beautiful art work you made. May God bless you and enlighten your journey to the greatest places you deserve to reach.

  2. im a male and for a long i felt imbalances within, being burnout, lacking connection to inner voice, overly emotional and so on. now i find it clear that it was the divine feminine energy i was lacking since i have had a long years since childhood to be of overly competitive and of highly power seeking nature. thank you for this blog. now im more into embracing this divinity. blessings

    1. Thank you for sharing!! I’m always so excited to see men diving into this work, too. It just shows how we are ALL affected by our world’s current conditioning. How beautiful you are now starting to embrace the divine feminine and nourishing this side of you. Enjoy the journey!
      Anna

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