Rebel Rede

Yin Yang: Finding the Balance

Yin Yang is the Chinese philosophical concept of balance. It is the idea that there are complementary opposites in everything and that those opposites come together to exist as a whole. It is the concept that you need the light and the dark, the feminine and the masculine etc. to function as a complete whole. Unfortunately this concept of balance has been lost in most the of the world’s major religions. For example Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are all patriarchal religions. Their religions are based solely on male dominated spirituality. This is not yin yang!

I use to be a Conservative Christian and my spiritual practice was definitely dominated by male-only concepts. I wish I could say that now that I am a Pagan witch I have complete spiritual balance, but that would not be the truth. The Pagan community is not immune to spiritual imbalance. In fact, it is often the patriarchal world religions that are to blame for our imbalance. Many Pagans come from a Christian background before turning to Paganism and witchcraft. They are often so burnt out from the male domination in their spiritual pasts’ that they turn to a female dominated practice as a counter balance. This is exactly what happened to me.

I was so angry and tired from all the male dominance in my religious upbringing that I only worked with Goddesses and the Sacred Feminine when I first became a witch. I will admit I still mostly work with female only deities. I have started to notice that this is not healthy for my spirituality though-I am unbalanced. I cannot create balance by only working with the feminine, just like Christians cannot have balance by only working with the masculine. I must accept the God side of the yin yang as well.

Admittedly, I am a little scared to do this. I have so much bitterness built up from working with God (Yahweh) in my past, that I am tentative to begin working with male Pagan deities. It is important to remember that the concept of God in Paganism is not the same as the concept of God in Christianity though. I do not have to fear the Horned One!

The little work I have done with the Pagan Gods has been amazing already. Pagan Gods are strong passionate warriors. They protect us, love us, and give us strength and vitality. They are an important part of our Pagan spirituality! One of my favorite things about working with a Pagan God is that unlike Yahweh, Pagan Gods are sexual beings. They bring passion and lust into all that they do. At first their sexuality made me uncomfortable, after all, in Christianity having sexual thoughts while praying or meditating with God isn’t exactly kosher. I am learning to accept the sexual energy they bring though and to see it as an integral part of my spiritual practice.

We all need to have yin yang in our spiritual practices.  If you do not have balance in your spiritual practice, if you do not work with the male deities, be careful they will find you eventually. The Gods won’t hold back. They will find a way into your practice.  Don’t be afraid when this happens-embrace it, enjoy it, and learn from it. As SJ Tucker says in her song Hymn to Herne, “You best be ready when the Horned One comes!”