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We all bear witness to the wounded masculine energy in our society.

The excessive drive to do more, be more, and get more. That overwhelming consumerism that permeates our being. A constant pursuit for external “things” to validate our worth and boost the ego.

It is exhausting—and it’s killing us. Not just as individuals, but as a society, and as a planet.

This doesn’t reflect simply gender roles but the naturally present and complementary masculine and feminine power within all of us, that make an emotionally balanced human being. The masculine “doing” and feminine “being” energies.

Whilst the rise of the feminine culture is undoubtedly shifting the balance—reclaiming ancient Goddess traditions, in which women were revered for their cyclic wisdom—it’s equally important to recognize the distortion patriarchal society has inflicted on men.

When referring to men specifically, wounded masculinity is best defined as the conflict between how men honestly feel about themselves as men and what they believe it means to be a man.

This conflict often creates pain, as many try to cope with a sense of lacking by either completely rejecting masculinity, or by trying to prove to others (and themselves) that they are “real” men.

There is still today a culture that outright normalizes the objectification and degradation of the feminine as a means to boost a false sense of masculinity and reject inner feminine energy, deeming it “weak.”

As we reject our own inner feminine (emotional, compassionate, intuitive) nature, this is reflected outwards, so we reject it in others, and the world as a whole.

Thrust into a state of self-absorbed survival, desperately anxious of being “found out,” disrespecting any reminder of our soulful nature, including Mother Earth, and persecuting anyone who reminds us of this rejected aspect of our being.

The wounded masculine will often mock and shame sexuality and deem anything feminine energy related as “gay.” This causes many to suppress their truth, whether pertaining to sexuality or not.

These behaviors can gravely impact our ability to live authentically, for fear of being rejected by an ego-based “macho” mindset, which in turn, causes a perpetual cycle of spiritual and mental sickness.

Is it any wonder that suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45? When, as a society, we are taught to repress our authentic selves. Conditioned to wear a false mask, portraying what we think it means to be strong.

So many expectations, so many labels, so much to live up to!

To support healthy masculine energy and men’s mental health, it is vitally important that we, as a society, become aware of how we add to these toxic learned behaviors.

It is so important that we can hold space for men and women to feel safe in being vulnerable and expressing their truth without shame or banter. (The word banter is often used as a clever disguise for all levels of emotional, psychological, and intellectual abuse.)

If we wish to live an awakened life that benefits others as well as ourselves, it is not enough to simply tell people we are there for them. We have to show it, live it, be that stable energy, and be that safe space.

We all need that sometimes. We all need space to take off that mask.

We are all worthy of acceptance, not based on achievements, success, or the external stuff we’ve accumulated, but for who we truly are, as a person—wounds and all.

For this is not about shaming wounded masculine energy. It’s about recognizing there is (and has been, for a long time) a problem. There is a distortion, a spiritual sickness, and an imbalance. Only by recognizing this, can we then begin to heal, as individuals, as a society, and as a planet.

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