The Practice of Feminine Mysticism

Feminine mysticism offers a practical approach to spiritual upliftment for women of this age and the coming age. Now you may ask, “Why would there be separate teachings for women on the practical aspects of spiritual development?” The reason is a basic one; the physical body, physiology, and psychology of women are different than for men. Separate teachings for women are essential. Basic spiritual practices may be the same, but certain practices for women need to be different, as experiences and developments differ. The state of beatitude is equally available to men and women, but the experience may vary somewhat so the practical application is bound to be different to some degree. In general, when a woman realizes the supreme entity she embodies the female expression, the Holy Mother, the divine Shakti, the goddess, the origin of creation. She becomes the feminine principle in the vast cosmological order. She is the source of all love, all nurturance, and all creation.

Now in some philosophies of India, and also in some European religious doctrines, the goddess is seen as somewhat less than the supreme Purusha, or God the Father. In these cosmologies he is the supreme progenitor, she is his Shakti, his operating force. So some centuries back it became common thinking that the female of the species cannot attain enlightenment as she is thought to embody the mother or goddess in her enlightened state. It was thought by many that the divine mother is second to Purusha, the cosmic consciousness. Thus females were considered to be able to achieve only this supposed secondary status of mother. This thinking spread throughout, not only India, but all of Asia. In European civilization a similar thinking took dominance. In esoteric circles this secret was held to be truth. All religions accepted it and even to this day accept it in some esoteric circles.

But there is a flaw in this thinking. The men who adopted this idea were influenced by the forces of their times. Women had already been removed from the inner circles of religious structures and the mother had fallen in stature within the human psyche. Therefore, this conclusion seemed correct even to the deepest thinkers. They were blinded by the darkness of the age. Now let us examine this more closely. It is true that when spiritual realization comes to a woman she may experience the absorption in a somewhat different manner than one in a male body. She may sooner or later come to know the Great Mother or the goddess as Shakti. She may realize this aspect in herself. A man may also have this experience, but it is not essential, it may be passed. A woman, however, will most certainly have this realization.

Lord Shiva and his Shakti are often depicted as one figure holding both aspects. This is a true indication of the relation of Mother and Lord. They are one in the same. Held within Prakrti, the creative principle from which the manifest universe arises is Purusha, pure consciousness. Likewise Purusha is expressed by Prakrti. They exist like two sides of a single sheet of paper. Who can say which side is the real one? They are the two faces of Brahma, of God.

So when a female merges into the Great Mother, the source of all creation, is she only existing in saguna Brahma, the manifest universe, with nirguna Brahma, the state of complete absorption with no attributes, unavailable to her? No. This is a mistaken understanding of subtle experience. The Great Mother and the Supreme Father are one in the same entity. Prakrti is ultimately controlled by Purusha. Purusha, unqualified consciousness, is behind all expression. But that very Purusha is expressed by the Great Mother and is within all expression. At her very core is unqualified consciousness. So the Great Mother surrenders unconditionally to the Purusha, as manifestation to its inherent nature of conscious awareness, and thus she becomes the very unqualified consciousness.

So I say the Great Mother and the Supreme Lord are one in the same. There is no difference. In the past age an artificial difference was theoretically established. It is part and parcel of the forces of masculine influence. As the mother waned in influence, this thinking took precedence. Now the mother is gaining influence in the human psyche and the thinking is changing. There was a period in matriarchy when the common belief was that men lacked the requisite capacity for full spiritual development. This was accepted by both men and women, and many men suffered degradation under this system. Let a balance be struck in this human society. The truth is that all are children of the same supreme progenitor and all will one day merge again in that unqualified consciousness.