Benefits of Awakening the Divine Feminine
Benefits of Awakening the Divine Feminine
She is so bright and glorious that you cannot look at her face or her garments for the splendor with which she shines. For she is terrible with the terror of the avenging lightning, and gentle with the goodness of the bright sun; and both her terror and her gentleness are incomprehensible to humans … But she is with everyone and in everyone, and so beautiful is her secret that no person can know the sweetness with which she sustains people, and spares them in inscrutable mercy.”– Hildegard von Bingen
No matter what gender (or lack thereof) you are, here’s what you can expect to experience once you commit to awakening the Divine Feminine within you:
- Enhanced intuition (higher perception)
- Sharpened gut instincts (animal perception)
- More flexibility and spontaneity
- Greater self-compassion
- Increased love and acceptance of others
- Connection with the Creator within
- More ability to enjoy the small things in life
- Greater receptivity to yourself, others, and life
- Increased ability to let go
- Deeper comfort with the unknown and reduced anxiety
- Heightened connection with your body and sensuality
- Enhanced ability to relax, receive, and be
9 Ways to Awaken the Divine Feminine Within You
The deep Feminine, the mystery of consciousness, She who is life, is longing for our transformation as much as we are. She holds back, allowing us free reign to choose, nudging us occasionally with synchronicities, illness, births and deaths … But when we make space for Her, she rushes into all the gaps, engulfing us with her desire for life and expression. This is what She longs for, this is what we are for: experiencing the Feminine through ourselves. We simply need to slow down, and find where to put our conscious attention.– Lucy H. Pearce, Burning Woman
To be whole and balanced beings, we need to honor both sides of our nature: the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine – also known in Jungian terms as the anima and animus. But now, more than ever, we are all being called to awaken the Shakti within.
Males need to get over their immaturity surrounding femininity, and females need to step more into their power. No matter whether you’re male, female, or non-binary/trans, it’s your responsibility to create change within yourself. For only when we change ourselves can true change in the world happen.
Pointing fingers at one gender or group as being “responsible” for all world’s ills, being “less than” the other type of energy, and so forth, is infantile. We need to grow up and stop feeding our lower nature. As Luna writes in her article on the Divine Masculine:
Don’t give fuel to your shadow self. Don’t perpetuate more division within this world. Learn how to awaken both types of energy within yourself in a healthy way.
So with that being said, here’s how to start this sacred inner work:
1. Connect with your inner Divine Mother
This might sound strange, but the reality is that we are composed of many subpersonalities. Psychiatrist Carl Jung called them “archetypes,” and more recently, psychotherapist Richard C. Schwartz (founder of Internal Family Systems) refers to them as “parts.”
The Mother is a universal part/archetype that can be found within all people of all genders. We see the Great Mother portrayed through the ages in numerous forms; as the Virgin Mary, Lakshmi, Isis, Sophia, Mother Nature, Kali – you name it.
So the question is, what does your inner Divine Mother look like? I recommend connecting with this part of you through practices such as journaling, drawing/painting, automatic writing, dream work, and mirror work. You might like to create or print out a picture that resembles your inner Divine Mother and put her somewhere important in your house. Let her inspire and remind you of the importance of honoring and connecting with the Divine Feminine.
2. Examine your wounds surrounding femininity
Examine the following questions:
- What has society taught you about femininity as a male, female, or non-binary/trans?
- How did your mother model her femininity and what did she teach you (whether directly or indirectly)?
- What negative core beliefs might you have developed surrounding femininity?
- What habits and behaviors do you bring into the world that indirectly or directly oppress the Divine Feminine?
Journal about these questions and do some self-reflection. Understanding how you truly feel about feminine energy – from all angles – is vital. Often we carry old programming that impedes our growth and maturation. The only way to move through these blocks is to see right through them.
For example, common negative conditioned beliefs include the notion that women should always be pretty, good at everything, never age, have a perfect body, be submissive to men, be meek and emotionally-restrained, and please everyone. (There are many other negative ideas out there – these are just a few common examples.)
However, your personal wounds might be totally different. For example, if you were raised with an engulfing helicopter mother, you might fear women and see them as fundamentally dangerous. If your mother was a manic-depressive, you might unconsciously perceive all women to be chaotic, unsafe, and unreliable. Try to examine both your personal and wider societal context.
3. Tune into your emotions
How are you feeling? If you were brought up in the West, you’ll have more masculine-dominated values. You tend to ask people, “How are you doing?” rather than “How are you feeling?” We need to shift away from that mindset. A person’s worth is not based on how much they do. In fact, a person’s worth isn’t externally-based at all. We need to start feeling things from the inside; to learn more about ourselves, to tune into our emotions. To learn how to show compassion by getting to know our authentic emotional landscape is to tap into the Divine Feminine.
So stop right now and ask yourself, “How am I feeling?” (If you struggle to label your emotions, search for “emotions chart” on Google images and print one out.) Are you feeling tired, moody, excited, intrigued, sad, nostalgic, disillusioned, surprised? Get into the habit of assigning a word to how you feel.
4. Cultivate your intuition
Intuition is a core Divine Feminine quality. Yet because so many of us live in our heads, we become disconnected from our hearts and souls (the source of our intuition). Sadly, the result is that most of us struggle to differentiate the voice of fear from intuition. Some of us even outright reject the value of intuition altogether!
To begin cultivating your intuition, try any of the following practices:
- Begin meditating (this helps to silence your mind and allow intuitive flashes to emerge)
- Experiment with oracle and tarot cards
- Tune into your body through the practice of mindfulness
- Learn to understand the meaning of your dreams
You can also read my article on how to trust your intuition for more guidance.
5. Find a feminine teacher/guide/figure you admire
We all need role models, and finding a mature and embodied woman is a powerful way of tuning into the Divine Feminine. Fortunately, there are many beautiful expressions of the Divine Feminine out there. You can begin your search in your friend or family circle, and extend it to authors, artists, historical and religious icons, and modern feminine figures. Once you’ve found someone (or a few teachers) you admire, put a picture of them somewhere special to honor the Divine Feminine.
Remember, the whole point of finding a feminine teacher/guide/figure that you admire is to learn from them. Please don’t idolize them or give away your power. Simply respect and appreciate them and make sure you integrate the lessons offered to you.
Also, if you find that there’s a male (or trans/non-binary individual) out there who reflects the Shakti energy in a healthy and respectful way, feel free to add them to your list of role models.
6. Slow down and be present
Masculine energy is all about do-do-do. But feminine energy is about being receptive, passive, and living in the moment. We don’t always need to achieve something. So make some time during the day to slow down and be present. Try to enjoy the little things and practice being grateful. You may even like to keep a gratitude journal – or if you’re into poetry, a place where you write poetry in appreciation of life’s small pleasures.
Slowing down, for instance, could be as simple as turning off your phone and going outside to enjoy the sunset. Or it could mean saying “no” to that extra task your colleague wants you to finish by Friday. While slowing down is difficult at first, keep at it. Your brain has likely been wired to be on the “doing” frequency all the time rather than in the being state of mind. So be forgiving and patient (other Divine Feminine qualities) and don’t give up. Even if slowing down needs to be scheduled into your day, make sure its a priority.
7. Practice self-love and inner child work
A crucial part of the spiritual path involves learning how to love yourself and healing your inner child. By learning how to love yourself, you are better equipped to show true compassion to others. What better ways to awaken the Divine Feminine within you?!
Self-love and inner child work go hand-in-hand, but before going too deep into inner child work, I recommend starting with self-love. Self-love is truly the foundation of all inner work because, without it, it’s possible to re-traumatize our already-wounded inner child.
To begin self-love, one of the most powerful practices is something called mirror work. Essentially, this practice involves standing in front of your household mirror every day and repeating loving words to yourself. These affirmations might include, “I see you,” “I value you,” “I forgive you,” “I’m here for you,” or whatever loving statement comes from your heart.
Read more about how to practice mirror work.
8. Connect more deeply with your body
The Divine Feminine is a sensual, visceral force that is at the heart of all life. She is the one who gives birth to existence, as well as tends and nurtures it: all very raw and instinctual processes.
To honor the yin energy within you, connect with your body. Learn its language. Discover more about what it means to be embodied in this life as a spiritual being. This might take many forms, for example:
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