Perhaps influenced by
International Women’s Day and delivering leadership programmes on emotional
intelligence to mainly male audiences, I found my attention tuned to the representation of masculinity
and femininity in the eternal city.
Carl Jung wrote about
our masculine (animus) and feminine (anima) traits, the archetypes of the
unconscious mind. Regardless of our gender, we have both.
Going by the number of
statues celebrating masculinity (in more ways than one), we can say that our
society has a developed animus, where traits come from a place of strength and are
associated with values of initiative, courage and rational deduction; where
there is a deep belief in the value of one’s own life.
Like the goddess
figures in Roma, our feminine side, our anima traits, seem to be less visible, less
celebrated, more hidden in society. But they are there. These are
the traits with a strong emphasis on the outward expression of feeling, of connection and sensitivity to events which impact on the
inner lives of friends and acquaintances. These come from a place of
goodness, where there is a deep belief in the value of the life of others.
In successful
relationships, partners possess proportions of these qualities in equal
measure. Arguably a successful society does too. It seems however,
that as a species occupying this world, we continue to face a serious
imbalance.
How can we access our feminine traits to bring about more balance, both as men and women? Here we can draw inspiration from the Italian
Renaissance and Tarot cards. Tarot cards as archetypes describe the
essential human traits, experiences and patterns of development. We
connect with them because of the shared meaning between the images of the cards
and the events in life. During the Renaissance, these images were used
for meditation; to help raise individual consciousness and to connect oneself
with one's true essence. We can therefore use them to reflect on the
feminine figures such as the Empress, to remind ourselves of our life giving
qualities, the value of our body and our senses, and our bond with nature. We can
contemplate the High Priestess and our connection with the mysterious inner
world and our powers of intuition. We can ponder on Temperance and our
function of feelings and our desire for harmony and cooperation. And we
can muse on the Moon, comfortable in that space of confusion, fluctuation and
uncertainty.
As women and men, if
we seek to balance ourselves and our relationships, we give hope to creating a
more balanced society. We offer the possibility of a more peaceful and
just world by considering what is good for people and the planet, not just
profit.
- Images: as posted on Vivid Photography Facebook page: 14 February 2013 Vivid Photography: for pictures full of life Visit their website www.vividphotography.co.uk and sign up on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-Photography/132020360238845?fref=ts and The Moon from The Mythic Tarot Deck as illustrated by Tricia Newell 1986 (via google images)
- Baumann, J and Baumann M, “Masculine & Feminine Side” http://www.lovesedona.com/02.htm
- Sharman-Burke J and Greene, L (1986), The Mythic Tarot, Random House. Direct quote from page 9.
- Dedicated to my loyal supportive female readers :)
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