Masculine and feminine energy and how they are rooted in patriarchy.

Podtale Podcast

Masculine and feminine energy are often described as complementary forces found in all people, regardless of gender. Masculine energy is typically associated with traits such as assertiveness, logic, independence, and action, while feminine energy is linked to intuition, empathy, nurturing, and receptivity. These energies are not inherently tied to biological sex, but rather represent a spectrum of human characteristics. However, over time, society—especially under patriarchal systems—has rigidly gendered these traits, elevating masculine energy as dominant, powerful, and ideal, while devaluing feminine energy as passive, weak, or secondary. This has led to an imbalance where individuals are often pressured to suppress traits that don’t align with traditional gender roles, distorting the true nature of these energies.

Patriarchy has played a central role in defining and enforcing these energy dynamics by institutionalizing power in male-dominated structures and delegitimizing anything perceived as feminine. It has taught men to reject vulnerability and emotional expression (traits aligned with feminine energy) and rewarded control, dominance, and competitiveness. Meanwhile, women have often been confined to roles that emphasize caretaking and submission, discouraging ambition or assertiveness. This binary framework not only limits personal growth and emotional balance but also perpetuates systems of inequality. True liberation involves reclaiming both energies as human qualities, encouraging a more holistic and integrated way of living that transcends patriarchal definitions.