#menrise

A long, long time ago, when the light of human consciousness was still undimmed, there existed a balance between genders. The males and females on this planet intuitively knew their part in the plan (though not necessarily in the way we think of gender roles today). Women were the portals of life and the carriers of spiritual wisdom and guidance, and men were the guardians and protectors. The work of women was truly sacred. Men sought women’s guidance in all decision-making, and in return, they created a safe place for women to do their work.

Today the world evolved to greater complexity in terms of genders and the roles we take on. However, our core original gifts are still within us – women still bring life to the planet and as such, have a stronger connection to spirit and a deeper understanding of the value of life, and men are still built to guard and protect. This, however, applies to the two genders in general and does not obligate every individual to follow a specific path. For example, a woman choosing to serve in the army and never have children should be respected and honored, but it does not negate the broader energetic makeup of the genders.

Recently, a YouTube video triggered within me a memory of the sacred role of men and the deeply powerful safe space that they can create for women within any relationship, a space, in which the women can exhale and feel empowered and uplifted. This, I thought, is what men can truly offer women – a profoundly safe space, not only physically, but mentally, and emotionally.

And yet… at no time in recorded human history did men (collectively) make women (collectively) feel truly safe. Instead, there was a systematic dismantling of the women’s sense of value and safety. Over the centuries, women were stripped of their identity as the spiritual navigation system of humanity and prevented from engaging in their sacred duties. Women lost the ability to manage their lives and were required to be obedient to their male counterparts. Women were denied participation in social and political systems and had to rely on men to shape their lives. Women were stripped of financial independence and were forced to be fully dependent on their male family members. Women were used by men for pleasure and then shamed for it and forced to bear sole responsibility for any consequences. Women lost the ability to control their biological functions and to make choices about the timing and direction of their lives. Women were held responsible for the physical, emotional, and sexual violence that was done to them and had little opportunity for escape. The list can go on and on…

Today’s women learned to keep themselves safe in many different ways – they use martial arts, walk in groups, carry pepper sprays, promote code phrases that can allow one to escape unwanted and potentially violent attention in a public place, and so on. And you may shake your head and think, “poor women,” but let’s be clear, the consequences of the way that women in our world are made to feel are profound for all of us, extending to the entire humanity.

Imagine that a person engages in self-harm (cutting, for example), but only cuts the left arm, always leaving the right arm free of physical scars. You would probably agree that the experience of self-mutilation would affect the whole person regardless of which part of the body was cut. In the same way, when one half of humanity harms the other, the entire humanity feels the pain whether it realizes it or not. When the spiritual guides and wisdom keepers of the species are treated as no more than mommas at a baby mill, the consciousness of the entire planet suffers, and without a strong spiritual guidance system, all of humanity is bound to wander about without finding its path.

We are at a point in human evolution when the consequences of the imbalance between genders (regardless of one’s sexual orientation or individual job preferences) are coming to the surface. We must heal this imbalance so we can move forward as a species, so it is time to remember who women are and what they represent. Men, rise and answer your divine call to be the guardians of humanity. Honor women for their wisdom and their power. Realize that as portals of life women are not only seeded with respect for it, they also carry an innate understanding of how to manage its flow. Rise, men, and use your beautiful strength to create a safe place for women.