The Balance of the Divine Feminine and Masculine - Things I Learned from Black Panther

I’ve been on what I call my spiritual journey for more than a few years now. Really, I’ve been on it my whole life, but aware of it and on purpose for more than a few years. One of my favorite recurring themes that I read about and study and meditate upon is the idea of my Divine Feminine. I do yoni meditations and have gentle moments with myself while on my cycle to connect with this. I connect myself with the phases of the Moon to understand it more. I understand myself as a Creator, and not just of humans, and I see God in myself through my Divine Feminine. 

I recently started reading about Tarot. By recently, I mean a little over a week ago. I bought a book and my first Tarot deck, and one of the first things I read about was the balance of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine. This was a mind blowing moment for me. I’d spent so much time and practice on connecting to my Divine Feminine that I didn’t think at all about the Divine Masculine that is obviously its counterpart. 

One of my favorite things that I know is that feminine and masculine traits are those that we need a balance of within us in order to be a well rounded human. I’ve known that, so how is it that I was so blind to the Divine Masculine? I don’t know. But, of course, I read this in perfect timing. Just days later, I would be seeing the heavily anticipated Black Panther film and exposed to a beautiful depiction of both the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine at play. 

The two main factors that stood out to me was Power (by way of defense) and Submission. The Dora Milaje, King T’Challa’s army, is made up of all Women. They are stern and deliberate in their stance and movement, but undeniably beautiful. They are physically powerful, Okoye, the leader, being the most powerful warrior there is. Period. Like, the baddest, strongest, best fighter there is. But they only fight when they need to, and when they do, it’s a gorgeous sight, almost like an intricate dance. This is power in the presence of grace and reminds me that I can defend myself (and my tribe) and do it in a way that is everything at once; beautiful and graceful, but also in a way that holds nothing back. 

Submission. I only consider the opportunity to submit when it’s sexual. I am my Mother’s daughter, a Woman who doesn’t mind letting someone know that they’re not needed, a Woman who is constantly refusing to bow down for fear of seeming weak. Black Panther used Men to depict how beautiful and utterly strong submission can be. Whether it was through yielding in a fight or kneeling in front of a Woman, unafraid to surrender, the Men in this film showed me the strength in submission. 

So, you see, Black Panther took two elements, Power and Submission, that a lot of us have preset to male or female in our subconscious minds, and flipped them on their heads. It deliberately made the Woman the source of physical power and protection. It deliberately put Men in the position to have to yield and surrender out of honor and respect. While doing so, however, you see each element evenly balanced between the Men and the Women. The Power that the Women possessed was an act of their submission to their country and King. The Submission shown by Men is one that is only possible through Power. Both elements live in harmony with one another, making their host a sight to behold. 

Of course, there were plenty other examples of these themes and many more in the film, but for the divine timing of my journey, these were the most predominant. Let me know some of your favorite Black Panther themes, hit me on social media, or email us at askawaywithwords@gmail.com. Wakanda Forever!!