Cultural Conditioning and Gender Roles

[Bring4th_Austin]

This topic is probably one of my most contemplated topics, and I really wish there were a more "hard science" way to explore the distinction between the cultural biases and biological biases experienced by men and women. I think having a solid answer could lend some perspective to spiritual philosophy, particularly in the context of the archetypal mind as Ra describes in your quote, plenum.

As reeay said, we are contextual beings. Culture is probably one of the most apparent contexts we can observe. But our bodies are also a context, the biology of how we function, the way that we evolved in nature (it's clear that male and females have different roles in nature). From how I understand the "divine feminine" and "divine masculine" as discussed in spiritual philosophy, the expression of the differences between male and female is a sort of manifestation of these divine principles. According to Ra, these are essentially the harvest of the last octave, the "mover/moved" or "reacher/reached for" dynamic which seems to be present down to the very core of our universe.

But exactly how much is impression from the "divine" universe? Exactly how much is impression from our evolutionary processes? And then exactly how much is impression from culture? And how much have all of these things had in influencing one another? These are questions I can't get off of my mind, and I'm just not sure how we can find answers to any of these.

But despite where the influences come from, the Jungian concepts of Anima and Animus offer an opportunity to use the expression of masculine and feminine as a way to explore our hidden and unconscious selves. We will express our gender identity based on whatever context we have, and so our Anima or Animus will also be based upon that same context, simply opposite of what gender we feel we are expressing. And when we work with these unmanifested, inner aspects of self, they can serve as a sort of gateway into the unconscious mind. They can lead us to parts of ourselves which we suppress due to cultural expectations, parts of ourselves which go unattended because of where our attention is drawn by our interaction with society through the gender interface. Anima dreams have been some of the most powerful and emotionally vivid dreams I have ever had. She can lead me to untapped potential for love and expression that I had not previously realized.

And so I think that is probably what is more important than answering my burning questions of where our idea of masculine and feminine come from. The picture Ra paints is that the difference in masculine and feminine were highlighted by the dropping of the veil and that the rise of these differences was inevitable. These highlighted differences then being manifested within our archetypal mind and in our natural environment. But whatever differences we do experience, whether from culture, nature, or the universe itself, it gives us an opportunity to explore our unconscious minds and spirit in unique and mysterious ways. We can work with the dynamic polarity of masculine and feminine within us to work towards an understanding of what it means to be a complete, whole, and integrated being. The differences can be as enabling as they may seem restrictive.