We continue our meditations on the crisis of the masculine in our times, a crisis that is thousands of years old and that Mother Earth and our species can no longer tolerate.
If we cannot cure our false notions of masculinity that Patriarchy has fed us with, our species will not survive. This latest war, brought on by one disgruntled man, Mr. Putin, with his fingers on nuclear weapons (as he was eager to remind us in a speech last week) is another Wake-up call. Not only will our species not survive, neither will millions of others on Mother Earth. War between nations and humans needs to yield to addressing our common war against Mother Earth. Matricide cannot be addressed if male agendas and wars dominate our consciousness, banishing the divine feminine and our capacities for love, forgiveness and creativity.
We are invited to read these as a poem and a prayer and a Litany.
November 27: More Gratitude to Robert Bly
November 29: Prophetic Gifts from Robert Bly
November 30: Hildegard of Bingen on the Sacred Masculine
December 16: The Opposite of the Sacred Masculine
December 17: bell hooks, Champion of the Sacred Masculine & the Divine Feminine
December 18: On Display Jan 6: Lies, not Masculinity
December 19: Lying vs. Masculinity
December 20: A Litany of Toxic Masculinity
December 21: Authoritarianism & Fascism: The Unholy Masculine on the Rise
December 22: Father Dominance & Collective Fascism
December 23: The Christ Child vs. the Unholy Masculine? A Poem by Leonardo Boff
December 27: Archbishop Tutu: A Real Man, Christian and Human Being
December 30: Winter Festivals, Virtue, & the Sacred Masculine’s Return
December 31 A New Year’s Meditation on the Christmas Launching into Father Sky
To be continued
See Matthew Fox, The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine.
See Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image: A man prays at the shrine of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, activists killed in the 2014 revolution for Ukrainian independence. Photo by spoilt.exile on Flickr.
Queries for Contemplation
What further awakens you and lights a fire for you on reading and contemplating these themes?
Recommended Reading
The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine
To awaken what Fox calls “the sacred masculine,” he unearths ten metaphors, or archetypes, ranging from the Green Man, an ancient pagan symbol of our fundamental relationship with nature, to the Spiritual Warrior….These timeless archetypes can inspire men to pursue their higher calling to connect to their deepest selves and to reinvent the world.
“Every man on this planet should read this book — not to mention every woman who wants to understand the struggles, often unconscious, that shape the men they know.” — Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of The Left Hand of God
8 thoughts on “A Poem/Litany to the Sacred Masculine, continued”
Matthew, Your “Query for Contemplation” today is: “What further awakens you and lights a fire for you on reading and contemplating these themes?” And let’s look at them again: November 27: More Gratitude to Robert Bly, November 29: Prophetic Gifts from Robert Bly, November 30: Hildegard of Bingen on the Sacred Masculine, December 16: The Opposite of the Sacred Masculine, December 17: bell hooks, Champion of the Sacred Masculine & the Divine Feminine, December 18: On Display, Jan 6: Lies, not Masculinity, December 19: Lying vs. Masculinity, December 20: A Litany of Toxic Masculinity, December 21: Authoritarianism & Fascism: The Unholy Masculine on the Rise, December 22: Father Dominance & Collective Fascism, December 23: The Christ Child vs. the Unholy Masculine? A Poem by Leonardo Boff, December 27: Archbishop Tutu: A Real Man, Christian and Human Being. December 30: Winter Festivals, Virtue, & the Sacred Masculine’s Return, December 31 A New Year’s Meditation on the Christmas Launching into Father Sky. Now with all that said, I will respond to today’s question: “What further awakens you and lights a fire for you on reading and contemplating these themes?” What it awakens in me is: WOW that a lot of discussion about the masculine! I think, at least for me, I need to try to learn more from women. If it was up to mothers and grandmothers right now, there would be no war. Now there is war because of the toxic masculinity, but what we know about matrifocal cultures is that they weren’t / aren’t wars. I know that we can’t turn back the hands of time, but why can’t we learn what they knew, and change how we live on the earth ???
Amen Brother Richard! My comment is related. Not only women, but ultimately beyond human notions and gender to Divine LOVE. 🙏🏽♥️
Einstein stated that “we can’t solve problems with the same level of consciousness that created them.” He also stated that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and yet expecting a different result.” He also stated, “knowledge is not the key to solving problems, but rather it is the imagination that is the key to unlocking the solution.” He also stated, “mankind is not to be focused on being successful, but rather is to be focused on being of value.”
Reading and pondering over these themes within the past several DMs, has become like a lenten journey… a spiritual exercise of the examen of the level of consciousness humanity is at, collectively. Through this process we see just how insane humanities approaches have been in solving the world’s problems, as humanity keeps repeatedly doing the same things over and over again… expecting a different result. An example of this, is humanities long history of war. Clearly the knowledge that humanity has gained throughout all the pain, suffering and sorrow of war is not enough to unlock the solution to being and living peacefully together. It’s time now, to imagine… to image a nation… seeing self, others and all of creation differently in order to discover the solution. When mankind shifts its focus from what it defines as success and the means of achieving this and instead focuses on what is of true meaning and value,
then perhaps there will be a paradigm shift within the collective consciousness of humanity… one in which humanity awakens to seeing and valuing the interconnections, the interdependence, the interreliabilty of the great webb of life… our relatedness to one another and the all and the everything of creation… everyone and everything individually contributing a neccessary value to the whole community of life… the unfolding goodness of the evolving diversity within the emerging beauty of unity.
Perhaps, through all the major crisises humanity is currently and collectively facing… there is the potential of a paradigm shift unfolding, evolving and emerging within the collective consciousness of humanity…
which was glimpsed recently within the prophetic, truth telling messages spoken during the latest United Nations conference.
As an ecologist/ecotheologist with professor sons in ecology and physics (cosmology) respectively, my heart resonates with yours here.
Father—
Jesus of Nazareth was born into a patriarchal time and place. His words and teaching reflected that and the culture he grew up in. He communicated with others in that context right up to his earthly death.
And yet, we must look at what he was always pointing to as the Christ of Divine LOVE, we must look beyond. This is where “heart” knowledge comes in, where God “speaks” into our very souls.
God is not patriarchal as many would have it. The Relationship at the Center of All is “gender free” so to speak. How could it be otherwise?! Divine LOVE is beyond human love, even though human love may reflect some of the divine.
I could say more here, but this will suffice to prompt you to “listen” with your “heart” for the Truth that surpasses the mind’s understanding. This is the “place” Christ is always pointing to.
}:- a.m.
#silence #solitude #obedire
Amen, brother. And the truth will set us free. Sadly, there do not seem to be enough people yet living into this.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the minds and hearts of all brothers and sisters of the world. Kindle in us the fire of your Divine Love. Help us to imagine and say yes to lasting peace and harmony on Mother Earth when nation shall not NOT use war against nation but instead shall embrace in love and unity. All weapons of war shall be destroyed and turned into instruments of peace. May all children be born with all memory of war erased from their minds and their hearts. May MLK’s vision of the beloved community be fully realized. So be it—-so it is.g
Barbara, and AMEN !!!