By Daniel Giamario
Since the early 1970’s, I have been an advocate for the Feminine and a major supporter of the efforts to expose the debacle of patriarchy. The women’s movement of the early 1970’s, the introduction of the asteroid goddesses, and the re-mythologizing of astrology, all inspired my criticism of sun sign astrology, as being a monotheistic relic of patriarchy ,and a semi-brainwash. Instead, I have always felt the soul to be polytheistic, and that the Feminine is “First Principle”. This subject is explored in my second book, Origins of the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm. Furthermore, the 7th and 8th principle of the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm elucidates this also: https://shamanicastrology.com/about
Also, throughout the years I have always emphasized that the archetypal feminine is not the same as women, and that the archetypal masculine does not mean men. These principles are foundational to the full spectrum of all the gender possibilities available to men and women, and essential to engage with the inner sacred marriage process as taught by the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School™. The aim has always been to take us beyond the simplistic and limiting views, such as “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”, which merely perpetuate cultural stereotypes.
At this point in the culture, most open-minded cultural creatives, and a growing number of mainstream folk, can readily perceive that patriarchy has been a seriously bad wrong turn for global humanity. However, over the last four to five years particularly, what seems to be happening is increased polarization. There is increased polarization in pretty much all areas of our lives, but especially between men and women.
I have recently realized that I have been unwittingly supporting this polarization. I have continuously been supportive of many “Goddess” oriented groups and forums. Terms like “Divine Feminine”, “Sacred Feminine”, are extensively used. For eight years, I have co-created a workshop/ adventure called Renaissance of the Sacred Feminine! For example, often when looking at the Venus synodic cycle, the emphasis is often primarily at the Venus position for women. This is despite the fact that the Venus cycle is equally about a man’s archetypally feminine side. Men have not felt particularly welcome in this, mostly, company of women. Meanwhile, it’s not hard to notice that it’s almost all women that attend the gatherings that Anyaa and I have co-created in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. And it’s certainly true that the majority of students in the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School™ are women, which is equally true in my client base. I certainly have no problem with groups designed to be for just women (or just men for that matter), but it’s not the aim of Shamanic Astrology to separate like this. I also hope that more women will become interested in the Mars synodic cycle, and its implication for women. I also fervently hope that the emphasis can more easily be directed at the “inner sacred marriage process”, which is the main theme of our third foundational on-line course, and that more men will feel welcome.
Another phenomenon that has happened five or six times over the last few years has really impacted me. Dear friends and clients of mine, both men and women, have been greatly damaged through fake bots, lawsuits, and web postings that seem to stem from the excesses and fanaticism on the fringe of the “Me Too Movement”. These victimized individuals are all good people, who have served the awakening of global humanity and who have been caught in a backlash.
The problem is obviously the increasing polarization between men and women. When considering questions of sex and gender: First and foremost, men and women are human beings. We are all in this together. And I now refuse to contribute to any further polarization. For further information on this most important subject, please see my recent vlogcast on sex and gender here: https://youtu.be/06RSynd6rOE
Whilst there are archetypal differences between the masculine and the feminine, it’s not about men and women. I find so many women who are consciously or unconsciously supportive and complicit in the support of the patriarchy. And there are strident and extreme “Me-Two” supporters who actually have stated that eliminating 90% of the male population would solve the problems that the Earth faces. I suggest that they do more shadow work, and see their own inner patriarch. In addition to this, it’s quite obvious to see that many prominent women leaders, in politics and corporations, are totally subservient to the patriarchy, and actively benefit from supporting it. I could name names. And there are many good men, who are open-hearted and awake, and quite supportive of the great project of co-creating a post-patriarchal world.
I take full responsibility for whatever I have done to increase the polarizations. So here is one thing that we have decided to do. Anyaa and I have decided to rename our program: Renaissance of the Sacred. Full stop. Interestingly, our vision statement still remains the same. But now hopefully, it will not contribute to any further polarization, or be subtly suggesting the superiority of women over men. As I must always remind us, it’s not about men or women, but rather the “inversion” created by aberrant patriarchy and patrialinealism that has caused so much damage, and has been consciously or unconsciously been supported by both men and women. We don’t need patriarchy, or matriarchy moving forward. At this time, with great regret, these international adventures have been suspended until travel is an easier experience.
Furthermore, I commit to guide the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School™ on this foundation, with a much more equal balance between the Masculine and the Feminine, and with less use of “Goddess”, “Divine Feminine”, or “Sacred Feminine”. The far greater story of our type of human, going back 300,000 years, was almost always gylanic, egalitarian, cooperative, and with an equal ranking between women and men. This is, of course, disputed by the mainstream/establishment, promoting that “civilization” only started about 5500 years ago. This is such a limited and stifling view, creating a mono-view that drives inquiry into conformity and cognitive dissonance. As Gandhi once remarked when asked about “Western civilization”, he remarked: “that would be a good idea”. Certainly this is a symptom of being at the bottom of the Kali Yuga.