A Vision of the Sacred Masculine

By on Jul 22, 2014 in Pathways | 8 comments

I had intended to write this blog about the importance of being willing to be unbalanced but life interrupted my plan by presenting a marvelous vision of the Sacred Masculine in (of all things) the Major League Baseball All Star Game.

I do not know Derek Jeter and what kind of man he is, or friend or neighbor. But what I saw at the All Star Game was the essence of the Sacred Masculine appearing not just in him as an individual but in the process of the game. Jeter has played professional baseball for twenty years and been an all-star for thirteen of those years. He has played with enormous reliability and integrity. For example, there are no drug controversies. He has come to play each day and won several championships. In interviews he presents as a talented and humble man who knows who he is and what he does. And truth be told, he is not as good an athlete as he once was. He has trouble hitting a fastball.

But he is what many athletes aspire to be. And for heaven sakes I can’t hit slow pitch soft ball the way I did twenty years ago. And, as for base running I need a golf cart. We all slow down.

He has announced he is retiring at the end of the year and so was honored at this game. He batted first and when he came to bat the other players on the field, his “opponents” cheered him. Several of them took their gloves off (symbolically dropping their shield and sword) and clapped. It was a process in which opposition, division and antagonism was seen as superficial. Enmity was transcended. In an interview, he said of the experience, “It was an awesome feeling. I’ve been playing this game for a long time and to be appreciated by fans from all the teams and players on my team and against me makes me feel good.”

There was even a silent commercial in which many famous people tipped their hats to Jeter including Michael Jordan, Rudy Giuliani, Jay-Z, Billy Crystal, Spike Lee, New York Police and Fire Departments, Tiger Woods, Phil Jackson, players from the New York Mets. Elders recognizing a new elder. There is no more intense rivalry in sports than between the Red Sox and Yankees and so the commercial starts with Red Sox John Lester pitching to Jeter. And during the commercial several Red Sox Fan tipped their hat to him. Yes, we can compete, and do battle but in the end we are all one. The game and commercial was a wonderful image that was as USA today proclaimed “dignified and not excessive.” The competition and battle are only a game. It is a way that we play.

The competitive is transcended in the midst of a competitive game. Masculine energy has always been involved in sports and competition but in this setting the competition is both transcended and embraced. It is seen as not our essence. It is seen as the superficial. And as part of us at times. It is the way some skills are honed, strength is developed and talent used.

One of the things I love about Sera Beak’s book is that she finds the sacred in the midst of her life, a dinner with a friend, defending her Master’s thesis, a relationship with her boyfriend or being told off by another spiritual writer (Andrew Harvey). And so in today’s posting I am finding it in baseball.

I think the Sacred Masculine plays this sort of baseball. And the Divine Feminine plays …….. ???????

Come on representatives of the Divine Feminine, what do you think? What do you play?

In our workshop we might develop a thought or two about this. Perhaps we will develop some additions to Sera’s list of comparisons between the Divine Feminine and Sacred Masculine. If we do that I’ll send them to her and see what she thinks.

    8 Comments

  1. What do we play?

    Hmmnn…. I think that the Divine Feminine enjoys engaging in activities which are creative, nurturing, sensual… Things such as art and poetry, music and dance, enjoyment of nature and good food, and, perhaps most, authentic human connection…..

    Of course this is just one opinion, but perhaps “play” for the Divine Feminine is less goal-oriented (“winning the game”), and more experiential – drinking deeply of the good life.

    That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a good ball game – go Sox!

    Kerri

    July 23, 2014

  2. “Masculine energy has always been involved in sports and competition”

    But has it? Presently we have only patriarchal history records scribed and revised through the tilted filters of paradigms that exude “might, makes right”; “an eye for an eye”; and “survival of the fittest”. These euphemism cloak the shadow consciousness and unfathomable guilt derived from the horrific betrayal that humans have inflicted upon themselves and nature.

    We look for trite ways to justify our violence and insanity on the planet by proclaiming it has always been as such. If this is so, why are we so unhappy, unbalanced and on the verge of destruction? We seem adrift and out of place in the natural order. (which we have grossly disrupted)

    Before we became us and them. Before we objectified “the other” as units of personal gain. Perhaps we were great beings of love, creativity and healing. I think that the sacred masculine is actually based on compassion and direct action while the sacred feminine reflects intuition and nurture. When we broke from our natural self and engaged ‘egos’ we became beings of lack and limitations and created competitive violent ideals to feed the ego’s need for drama and destruction.

    I am not familiar Sera’s book and can only comment from what I have come to understand at this point in my journey.

    But to answer your question “And the Divine Feminine plays …….. ???????”
    She plays the drum to re-awaken her kind and their connection to nature. And afterwards she pours tea in the parlor and conspires with her sisters to over-throw the patriarchy – perhaps not realizing that it’s already becoming undone.

    Nina

    July 23, 2014

  3. Kerri
    This is a very helpful comment. It raises the level of dialogue for me. I was looking for something concrete (sort of typical for a male) like field hockey or gymnastics. Your comment lifts the discussion and puts it into the context of process and experience rather than goal orientation.

    Yes, the divine Feminine plays in nature, with good food and most especially authentic connection.

    Perhaps we can all gather for drumming, tea (see Nina’s comment), good food, connection and poetry.

    Than you so much.
    Graham

    C. Graham Campbell

    July 26, 2014

  4. Nina
    Thank you so very much for your insightful and knowledgeable comment. I totally agree that the patriarchy has tilted images and paradigms. The “filters” which you mention are often unfortunately associated with masculine have been some of the most destructive traits of culture for millennia. Incidentally, “survival of the fittest” to Darwin included cooperation and flexibility. It only came to mean individualistic strength and power when kidnapped by capitalism.
    In my commentary on the All Star Game, It was when competition was transcended that the Sacred Masculine was most radiant. I would suggest that to compete in and of itself is not always a negative thing. It is negative when one can only be competitive or values only competitive accomplishments.
    The Divine Feminine “plays the drum to awaken her kind and there connection to nature.” WOW That is a very powerful comment.
    I would like to ask if after the ball game, we clean up and promise to be absolutely respectful, would it be possible to join all of you for drumming and tea, and authentic connection, good food and poetry? (see Kerri’s comment). Ob better yet lets all play ball then meet for tea and…….

    Thanks for your post.

    Graham

    C. Graham Campbell

    July 26, 2014

  5. Oh I am in total agreement about having tea together LOL Or mead and sorting out the mess of duality. Instead of red tent gatherings I would like to see purple tent gatherings with men and women sitting side by side! My comment was more of one of a cultural observation trying to answer your question about how the sacred feminine is currently engaged with a little humor. When she awoke she was a bit edgy.

    Nina

    July 30, 2014

  6. Nina
    Your cultural observation has great value. There have been many filters and it is important to watch them very carefully. I like the idea of the purple tent AND red tent. And especially like a bit of mead and a Scone or two.
    AND a bit of an edge is not necessarily a bad thing! The Beak book is filled with edges. My next blog (hopefully to be posted by Monday) will be implying that.

    Graham

    C. Graham Campbell

    August 2, 2014

  7. Howdy

    I have been holding this topic for weeks and not certain it is time to comment but I will offer this. I find this mysterious. I believe I am in the throws of touching the DF within me. It has been a raucous, unbalanced, edgy, powerful time of discovery, humility, fatigue and standing in, standing within myself more than I knew was possible.. What are the characteristics or signs of the presence of the DF or SM? That is a mystery. I hear the question and all I can see is authenticity. I have difficulty attaching soft or firm traits to either DF or SM. Perhaps I am writing into a paradox. Soft and firm are in both.

    Jen on the road

    Jen

    August 14, 2014

    • Jen
      You anticipate my next posting on the importance of being imbalanced. Entering into these energies is not always easy. Many of the mystics including Rumi and Hafiz and especially Mirabai speak of the pain in the process. The going beyond often entails raucous, edgy energy and fatigue. And in my own experience it is when I encounter Mystery and Unknown that I am closest to the Real Connection or perhaps
      The Real Connector.

      Graham

      Graham Campbell

      August 23, 2014

Leave a Reply to Jen Cancel reply