Femme-in-Men

Unmasking the Femme-in-Men

David Shane Shelton, MA, Indigenous Mind, Wisdom University, October 2010, Greece 1841 Pearce Ct., San Marcos, Tx, jamiedave@grandecom.net, 512.754.0427

Femme-in-Men Abstract This paper constitutes the dissociation and subsequent repression of the feminine

aspect from a patrifocal perspective. Such a duality formed due to an emergence of our collective ego, which sparked an entire sensory objectification of our surroundings; shadow construction of that which posed threats of death formed in the wake. Bill Plotkin has developed a tool by which to handle this ego-driven duality, identifying archetypes of our fractured collective psyche. A primary archetype from our collective subconscious is Trickster. This fundamental force of our collective unconscious has seemingly been attempting to undermine our conscious development and reunification. Or has it? The archetype of Orphan, tying Plotkins concept to that of Ken Wilber, is synonymous with our self-conscious mode and our current egoic state. This archetype seems to misinterpret the intentions of Trickster as detrimental; demonizes it, thus, inadvertently perpetuating the current state of duality. Then, to shed light on the authentic message of Trickster and locate Orphan as having a childlike tantrum, a Visionary archetype is introduced who acts as a mentor to Orphan and as one who works to entice the collective unconscious forward; to quell the upstart ego and listen to the authentic message of Trickster (a.k.a. Sage). The next logical step would be to follow the Visionary archetype, integrate our shadows and mature. During our collective shadow work, we will listen to and understand Tricksters authentic message as that of the Sage archetype; and come to understand mens grave, egoic error. This same error has ebbed and flowed through our collective unconscious for 5 to 6 thousand years and will continue to do so until we surrender the egoic-self, the Orphan. Once in a mature state, our collective unconscious will fully integrate the voices of both

Femme-in-Men men and women, equally into a unified state. Further study is needed to more

completely understand the method by which this shadow work can be accomplished.

keywords: Trickster, Coyote, Orphan, Dog Dream, Visionary, I, Sage, consciousness,

duality, collective unconscious

Femme-in-Men Unmasking the Femme-in-Men

TO BEGIN WITH
For 5 to 6 thousand years and running, men have been asking themselves and the collective psyche through the internal monologue: What are women all about?, Who are they? and What do they want? We used to be equals, didnt we? Although this paper is launching from these questions, the answer is hiding in the form of the elusive and ever mischievous Trickster. According to historys legends Trickster is a malevolent archetype that hears our questions and seemingly replies in such a way that we end up feeling foolish for having followed its advice. Or, is it actually a misunderstood, benevolent archetype, either divine or of the collective mind, with a golden heart guiding us in the right direction, yet men, in this case, have not properly understood and followed the advice? Throughout the history of our collective Western conscious development (I know not of the Eastern Mind, as of yet) we have received the answers to our collective needs and intentions (unity with both nature and each other). Our collective unconsciousness has received, through dreams, both sleeping and awake, a data stream download of visual metaphors left for us to translate and to interpret how to apply to our dilemmas. As we learned to utilize this knowledge, we toiled at the application as the social contagion of it spread. Social contagion is a new field of sociology and a deeply mysterious phenomenon from the research of Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler. One may ask where is the evidence that members of a society are invisibly linked, without words or peer pressure binding them? Social contagion would be the answer.

Femme-in-Men It seems, then, that almost any behavior can be contagious (Chopra, 10). Social

contagion, somewhat of a herd mentality or a school of fish, is where resistance to the download was met and decided by the collective conscious whether it was too difficult a task or not for the whole of us. Thoughts and ideas are not as easy as physical tasks such as farming, for example, to grasp and implement. Thus, often times, we discard the new behavior to our own great misfortune, continuing our immaturity. A handful of experiential epiphanies have smattered our history with potential for conscious transformation and we just could not embrace it. We would resist with an entire gamut of justifications for not embracing this download. We became so good at this resistance we actually identified the delivery system and named it Trickster, blamed our woes on it. We have become adept at sloughing off the all-too-difficult tasks it provides us, even though we asked for this knowledge. We bitterly rant about Tricksters abuses on our souls. For example, we may ask Coyote (Trickster of North American Mythologies, Loki of the Nordic, or Hermes of the Greek): Why, oh, why does my belly hurt so badly? To which it may remind us of our intolerance for dairy products. We are pleased to such an easy solution only to find it difficult to give up our addiction to milk, ice cream and cheese. We blame, then, Trickster for trying to diminish the pleasure in our life by trying to take away these things we love so much. Many a collective shadow have we accumulated because of our slack and our addictions to that which provides us greater pleasure.

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Addicted to a Sensory Reality

We are addicted to reality and the input our senses provide. Our senses constitute the foundation of what we believe we can rely on, feeding the irrational parts of our soul and preventing development. Plato conceived an entire Gnoseology around this: 1) an irrational appetitive part related to bodily pleasures; 2) an emotionally charged spirited part, concerned with hopes and fears; and, 3) a rational part pertaining to reasoning and knowledge (Bakalis, 005). He, as well as the majority of philosophers, then and now, would reason that Homo sapiens spend entirely too much time relying on the inherently unreliable senses for objects to stimulate the appetite and use of the imagination toward practical thought of bodily movement toward said object (Bakalis, 005). The senses are the path of least resistance and we can most easily rationalize these sensory inputs over abstract concepts in order to satisfy the insatiable desires of the strong appetitive part. Rather we should have concentrated our practical thought processes to fight the appetite and transform the download into actions of the body towards that aim for the soul never thinks without an image (Bakalis, 005). To build soul, practical thought must be impressed into consciousness. We do listen but we do not embody this advice due to Tricksters seeming potential to decrease our pleasures. When broken down and analyzed with practicality, we find our Shadows to be fueled by a fear of death. We spend most of our modern lives seeking pleasure and fulfilling that desire with material things, and sex and drugs, and tee-vee. We will do anything to avoid even thinking about our mortality. Why me?!, we exclaim. We continue, however, in perpetuation of the particular form of [our] own illusory existence (Eros) and the avoidance of all that threatens [our] own particular dissolution

Femme-in-Men (Thanatos) (Wilber, 96). Again: Why me?! Trickster then answers and we perceive this as a reduction in the Eros portion of our meager lives and consider it bad advice,

thus we continue to repress our soul/spirit construction. Our intuitionis corrupted as we pretend to fulfill [our] desire for Unity (Wilber, 96). Working together, man and woman, we evolved our consciousness out of a childlike state of Mother Earth worship. However, 5 to 6 thousand years ago, the question, I believe, of our differences in gender came into focus as our brains gained mass, thanks to an Agricultural Revolution prior to even this time mentioned, and allowed just that much more awareness within our corporeal bodies. Men did not like the answer, did not have the patience to fully comprehend this new awareness or the solution to our physical differences and therefore have created an imbalance in our natures, preventing access to our potential super-consciousness, even today. Thus, in modern and post-modern men, the [physical] differences tend to be amplified and polarized, most likely due to egocentrism (Plotkin, 008).

Modus Operandi: The Soulcentric Developmental Wheel

Are we ready, then, to look at some historical moments where we sought divine guidance, received it, then, ignored it due to its potential to reduce our Eros? The following is, first, a set of tools to identify this wily manipulator and identify its actual intention and where in history it has struck (roughly). Secondly, the rough-out historical presentation will begin, describing both the trick and its possible true intention. These applications are lost in our collective shadow and must be retrieved,

Femme-in-Men

identified and integrated for us to evolve to our potential super-consciousness. Can we redirect our behaviors to correctly improve our consciousness? Bill Plotkin has developed the Soulcentric Developmental Wheel. It is a nature-based soul guide utilizing a multitude of archetypes superimposed onto cardinal directions, the actual diagram can be found at his website: http:// www.animas.org/Shift%20-%20summer%2008.pdf (Plotkin, 008). So painstakingly detailed, Plotkin has designed this wheel to flow organically as if through the course of a day as one begins in the East, where Trickster resides, on the right-hand side and work clockwise through, not only the seasons and directions but through a childhood, adolescence, the shadowy angst-ridden teenage years to adulthood and elder hood to the end and death, each with a subsequent archetype. The process and application of this psychotherapy tool functions just like a sine-wave as one initiates the functioning of a new system with a download of information, often in the form a visual metaphors; building up and inputting energies in order to analyze the download until peaking into a social contagion, utilization of the download and then a return to entropy to prepare for a new download, similar to a birthing process. The following work of this paper will implement the use of this tool and apply it to the question posed by the men in Western Civilization. The focus will remain on the archetype of Trickster. It resides in the dawn aspect and birth portion on the eastern most part of the Soulcentric Developmental Wheel, but in order to understand fully, we must place it in context of the other quadrants, other archetypes such as the Orphan, and the Visionary. We can follow a pattern of development leading up to Trickster as it inputs new downloads into our realm of consciousness, giving us ample opportunity

Femme-in-Men to express our collective free-will down through the struggles of our collective projections and the subsequent interpretation of said Trickster as our teachers

disseminate the new-found knowledge and the social contagion absorbs it. All of this just as Trickster prepares to stimulate us once more, as often times it happens, we just did not get it right the first several times. Trickster, after-all, will continue to present the same sphinxian riddle until we understand and integrate the knowledge and expand our spirit, soul and consciousness. We must believe, then, that Trickster has been misinterpreted and has our best interest in mind. Therefore, let us take a closer look at this archetype.

Who is Trickster?
Excerpt from Green Grass, Running Water, a novel by Thomas King: So. In the beginning, there was nothing. Just the water. Coyote was there, but Coyote was asleep. That Coyote was asleep and that Coyote was dreaming. When that Coyote dreams, anything can happen. So, that Coyote is dreaming and pretty soon, one of those dreams gets loose and runs around. Makes a lot of noise. Hooray, says that silly Dream, Coyote Dream. Im in charge of the world. And then that Dream sees all that water. Oh, oh, says that noisy Dream. This is all wrong. That Coyote Dream makes many sad noises, and those noises are loud and those noises wake up Coyote (King, 93). A dialogue continues between these two. Coyote wants to sleep, yawns and re-names the silly Dream Dog Dream. Dog Dream asserts that it is in charge and wants to be G O D. Only when I steps in to mediate does it seem to be settled as I warns Coyote that Dog Dream could be trouble; Coyote agrees. Coyote notices that Dog Dream has everything

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backwards and contrary but gives in to Dog Dreams shouting. I now warns that he has empowered it. The quiet voice of Coyote says not to panic.

Through all of that Barking (Dog Dream)

The work of Ken Wilber will be of great assistance here as we can identify each of these characters in terms of the pre-personal level of the subconscious and the personal level of the self-conscious (Wilber, 96). We could equate Dog Dream, first off with the self-conscious mode. This is an advanced mind with rational, mental-egoic, selfreflexive qualities able to picture [a] future through an expanded mentality, [and]

need[ing] to picture that future actually lying ahead of him as a promise that death
would not touch him now (Wilber, 96). In Jungian terms, this is Shadow. Collective shadow building is a project everyone participates in as long as they remain unconscious (Chopra, 10). Wilber continues, saying that egoic personality, as Roheim put it, isunconscious madness; said Ferenczi, is a miniature psychosis (Wilber, 96). In other words, this egoic mode of consciousness is a modern, updated take on the id. In reference to Plotkins work, I would suggest that Dog Dream (most commonly known as either Thor, from Nordic Myths, or Ares of Greek) gauges around the south, south-west quadrants of his Soulcentric Developmental Wheel, location of the Orphan archetype, our often times angst-ridden teenagers whose experience of abandonment is a catalyst...for full emergence of ego; it is launched not only when we first experience our separateness but because of it (Plotkin, 008). The Orphan begins to take holdthe first time we feel let down by caregivers who have been less-than perfect. At that moment, we feel forsaken and a new ego emerges; Dog Dream

Femme-in-Men begins barking (Plotkin, 008). This paper focuses solely on the negative aspect of parenting (there are beneficial aspects) because we are attempting to pinpoint the error in the collective unconsciousness and assuming an immature level in Western mens minds on this topic of male/female separateness; new revelations, then, still

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remain under the tutelage of whatever prior social contagion the authoritative element endorsed. Initially, the Fool archetype (or Trickster) teaches us nonattachment, simplicity, and joy in the moment; for once attachment occurs, separation anxietyappears (Plotkin, 008). Once we collectively develop into the Orphan stage and begin asserting independence, we rebel from that voice of reason (Coyote), imagining it to be a part of the entitlement/obedience training of the previous mindset. This mindset instills a contraction of innocenceall too common in our egocentric society as a result ofphilosophies that emphasize obedience, indulgence[s] (Plotkin, 008).

Looking into Coyotes Eye

Next, it seems Coyote might be synonymous with the subconscious, pre-personal realm: A state of mind where we experience [ourselves] as indistinguishable from the world and all was basically undifferentiated, embedded, fused and confused by Dog Dream (Wilber, 96). Thus, as Dog Dream, that which is self-conscious, misinterprets what is actually the guidance of the subconscious to develop the collective unconsciousness of the species, it seeks its answers in reality with the senses, when in fact it should be seeking within the intelligible, causal realm to embody that new perception Coyote is sending us to. To seek answers within is the guidance of many a

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mystic. However, as Dog Dream cannot and will not find the answers in its surrounding reality, it perceives that Coyote has deceived it, tricked it and begins to project various Shadows. So, to this day, Coyote, Loki, and Hermes are all perceived as Tricksters. Plotkin ascribes this to ego projection versus soul reflection. Soul reflection is paramount to our souls want[ing] us to know; to wake up and see ourselves more clearly like a mentor pointing out essential thingsto discern and revere and help our attention [to be] drawn to aspects of nature that most resonate with our souls (Plotkin, 008). Ego projection sees an environment full of traps to prevent the destination of conscious expansion as Dog Dreams perspective continuously barks contradictions while soul reflection shifts perspective to Coyotes eyes and sees evidence of nurturing; its not an answer we would have given ourselves (Plotkin, 008). After all, is it not possible that Coyote is that element of soul reflection providing clues in nature and in our dreams to indicate our holographic surroundings and dreamscape realities so we can respond properly and lucidly? In reference, then, to Trickster, Plotkin serves us well as he aptly describes this archetypes dual nature. Plotkin describes Coyote as an existence centered in the present moment and the eternaland [a] spontaneous expression of wisdom; [celebrating] the wondrous and numinous where transcendence at last becomes[our] primary reality (Plotkin, 008). Synonymous with Trickster is the archetype of Sage. Sage is about surrendering to the mysteries and nonattachment to sensory forms and narrow vision. Both reside in the Eastern most quadrant. Sage, Plotkin continues, inspires the rest of us to let go of the lesser things in our lives and to ask ourselves to consider more deeply what is of true and lasting value to our species (Plotkin, 008).

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And, Sage, most likely might respond to our solemn questionswith perspectives that reject or reframe our most cherished assumptions; recognizes what truly sustains life, the life of the whole (Plotkin, 008). I, the Visionary archetype, I believe, lies in Plotkins section regarding the WestNorth-West quadrant of the Soulcentric Developmental Wheel. The Visionary stud[ies] the maneuvers by which [the] invisible becomes visible and are mentors[who] have mastered crafts for rendering the invisible visible, for carrying to others the samegift (Plotkin, 008). Men of Western Civilization, in this phase, will surrender [their] beliefs about how [they] were supposed to be and how the world was supposed to work (Plotkin, 008). We, the collective culture/mind of the West want men to enter this adulthood and recognize women as equals. At this portal awaits I, the Visionary, which abides at the interface between the mysteries (realm of Coyote) and the manifest (the continuous yapping of Dog Dream) in order to decipher the manner in which the transformational enigmas emerge into form (Plotkin, 008).

OUR COLLECTIVE TEENAGE UNCONSCIOUSNESS

We grow, intellectually, as far as we can go. We stop and ask: What is next? What do we do? We receive the transmission; we collectively process it and manifest it through those individuals most adept and in-tune with the divine, our Visionaries. From there, it spreads through social contagion and we go into a cocoon. That is if we have successfully completed the adolescent phase and begun listening to our Visionary mentors. We can emerge through the other side, into an adulthood having hopefully expanded our souls. The cocoon is about entrance to shadows; it resonates with life

Femme-in-Men transitions and direction of self-discovery. This shift involves individuated person[s]and psychosocial success in the previousstages (Plotkin, 008). In other words, maturity of character. Here, we find a historical marker, if I understand Wilber correctly, wherein the separation anxieties of Mother Earth from ourselves leave us capable and wanting of

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independence. The transition from body to mind was often paralleled by a transition from matriarchy (and Great Mother) to patriarchy (and Sun Gods) (Wilber, 96). There is, too, an Oedipal Complex at work here on an existential level. I am speculating that as we transitioned from matriarchal to patriarchal, our god/dess perspective also fell into flux. Women, perhaps, identified with the Mother while men identified with the Father. The above is a mere portion of the entire scene taking place, but it will suffice to establish the following. As Wilber continues, I, the Visionary is heir to Oedipus complex for if the authentic message of Coyote is not transformed and integrated, the lower [consciousness] almost certainly will contribute to a pathologyof the higher, simply because what is the whole of consciousness at one stage becomes merely a partat the next (Wilber, 96). So, now, there is an egoic mechanism in place, Dog Dream, Orphan, to repress that which is deemed to diminish pleasure; with I, the Visionary there to provide a balance of manifest and mystery. Since men identified women perhaps as wanting to continue the Great Mother traditions, more specifically connection to nature and its cycles, this leaves the men of the West unable to commit to further, deeper levels of consciousness expansion while the question of the women as potentially limiting their independence, in their minds, remains.

Femme-in-Men A teen-like angst emerges only when we find Coyotes answer seemingly

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unreliable as I matches wits with Dog Dream throughout the Western quadrant of the Soulcentric Developmental Wheel in the cocoon and where the anxious Orphan archetype begins to yield to the Visionary. Wilber quotes Becker on the subject of this anxiety: The conceptof early experience is an attempt by the child (Dog Dream, the Orphan) to deny the anxiety of [our] emergence (Wilber, 96). This is a time when the world shiftsand terrifying mysteries beckon that were previously unexpected (unconsciously) and on which [our] live[s] now depend and what is needed here is a fundamental understanding of what the world is, [in order to shift] if, that is, [we] keep maturing (Plotkin, 008). With assistance from our Visionaries we can recognize subtle and causal levels of mental equality, a terrifying mystery to some men, between genders will perpetuate this shift.

Beginnings of a Cultural Medusa Neurosis

5 to 6 thousand years ago, the great civilizations we know from history are beginning to thrive; simultaneously our collective unconsciousness is completing the division between the identification of men and womens respective perceptions. Now, there has emerged some disturbance in mens soul-maturation. The men of our species no longer understood the women and violently put them under thumb. At some point, men asked Coyote: What has happened? What has come between us? Why are we different? What do we do? To which Coyote responded in its quiet, somber voice: Become one. Seek wholeness. This is in reference to Jungs anima/animus, I believe, yet men could not hear for Dog Dreams constant yelling You can be a hero! Take her

Femme-in-Men into your house! Rescue her to be One! Wilber then references a point made by Becker, in relation to Dog Dream, wherein at the very heart of human motivation [is]

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the urge to stand out as a hero, to transcend the limitations of the human condition and achieve victory. (Wilber, 96). Our men, incorrigibly, used their sensory rationale, or irrationale, to take possession of women to become one unit, but not whole. This was the mis-interpretation, the trick. The natural course of evolutionary events that ought to have led to the differentiation of mind and body, had (in the West) already gone amuck indissociation of mind and body (Wilber, 96). Historically the body was equated with femininity and the mind with masculinity, then the inwarddissociation of the body from the mind meant an outwardoppression of the feminine. Since the body was perceived as a threat to the egoic, the feminine was viewed as a threat to [the] masculine (Wilber, 96). Men proceeded, considering themselves heroes to repress women for fear that they were falling prey to the dragon, representing the old Great Mother. We must repress death, and its reflex terror, and all

aspects of life that threaten death (Wilber, 96). Men believed they were doing the
good of the collective through this possession, but the greater suffering men ultimately caused, including a great deal of angst. According to the website, http:// en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Angst,, Kierkegaard used the word Angest (in common Danish, angst, meaning "dread" or "anxiety") to describe a profound and deep-seated spiritual condition of insecurity and fear in the free human being. Where the animal is a slave to its instincts but always conscious in its own actions, Kierkegaard believed that the freedom given to people leaves the human in a constant fear of failing his/her responsibilities to God.

Femme-in-Men Men, at this stage of angst and separation, are unable to determine that this possession is incorrect. From the Visionary archetype, I scolds Dog Dream, creating

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imbalance, and men suppress this feeling into Shadow, continuing in violent outbursts because they have not a solution. Men have continued to ask the same questions over and over throughout history, receiving the same answers and only hearing the loud barking of Dog Dream. This is when I, the Visionary, erupts into the West-Northwest portion of the wheel as the two, I and Dog Dream, can not resolve their differences. Meanwhile, Wilber whispers Visionary advice: recent research shows very clearly that the most developed personalities display a balance and integration of both masculine and feminine properties,whereas less developed individuals tend to display the stereotypical attitudes of their particular sex (Wilber, 96). Further education of this subject is key.

Hubris of the Hero

Innumerable opportunities have presented themselves to allow men to correct this atrocious error. However, men will continue to be given the same lesson until learned. Until men can shift perspective and integrate this knowledge, the cycle will continue and they will be left behind, in a matter of speaking. Men, with their intellect, must recognize that women have already achieved the same mental capacities. Only through hubris do men blind themselves from this observation. This new perspective has been illuminated on occasion. The Greek Philosophers told us to seek inward the answers and knowledge. Heraclitus, for example, taught us that unfulfilled desires provide

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pause to reflect on the causes of impulses (Bakalis, 005). In other words, stop grasping at what is wanted, in perception, in order to understand the intelligible causes of the want. If men could give pause, as Heraclitus suggested, it would be a simple matter to solve, then, for nothing exists in [shadow] that is beyond our power to dissolve (Chopra, 10). All of us have been trained to seek explanations through our gross level perceptions rather than through the subtle and causal levels even though time and again we learn the senses are not as reliable as our intelligible reasoning. Kant, tapping into the authentic message of Coyote, stated that experience is a construction of the mind imposed on sensation and mens mind[s] [can] not penetrate beyond the veil of phenomenal experience in reference to women (in this case); man [can] know things only as they appeared to him, not as they were in themselves (Tarnas, 91). Ultimately, the two modes, [thinking and sensing], must be interpenetrating and simultaneous (Tarnas, 91).

A SUMMATION
It is unfortunate that women still have no equivalent voice. Teresa of Avila, Mother Teresa, Marie Curie, Ruth Westheimer, Amelia Earhart, Phyllis Diller, Catherine the Great, Susan B. Anthony, Anne Hutchinson, Artemesia, Hyatia of Alexandria, Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut, Joan of Arc, Boadicea are all powerful women of their time, however, they still seem dwarfed and muted by their male counterparts. I am afraid the culture of the West has further damaged its potential by continuing to repress half of its voice on top of repressing nature. For at this point in time and up to this point, women

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have been objectified, first and foremost, even before nature was objectified. I can not speak for a woman as I am not. But, I believe they have been right beside men all along; only men have not recognized this through the social contagion due to their addiction to sensory inputs. If we transcend those sexual differences, [we] discover a mental equivalence and balanced identity (Wilber, 96). Coyote is Trickster, yes. And, Coyote is also a Sage. So, with a Sage, were more likely to intuit a coherent and meaningful pattern in life. (Plotkin, 008). We have a severe addiction to our sensory inputs which keep us in the mobius strip of lowconsciousness existence. At this level, men of Western Society may never acknowledge women as equal, always objects separate, like nature. It is only through the use of both intelligibilia and the senses that men may hope to rejoin their counterparts and gain access to higher levels of consciousness. Our Visionaries wait at the portal, represented by men such as Immanuel Kant, Ken Wilber, Deepak Chopra, Richard Tarnas, Bill Plotkin and countless others. These men, and there are women there, as well (i.e. Lynn Bell, Joanna Macy, Jean Houston, to name but a few), who are also our modern day Visionaries, entice us forward through the portal between what is currently manifest and the mysteries beyond; to enter the domain of the cocoon and conscientious adulthood. What, then, prevents access to the intelligibilia? I would suggest that it is our own shadow, developed listening to Dog Dream. A few words from Deepak Chopra may help to enlighten the subject. Higher consciousness is the only lasting answer to the dark side of human nature. Its not the answer thats at fault here its the application (Chopra, 10). He is suggesting we surrender our angst and enter the mysteries as guided by the Visionary, I. The first step in defeating the shadow is to abandon all

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notions of defeating it. As soon as you talk about winning, you have lost already. You have been dragged into the duality of good and evil. Good has no power to defeat its opposite once and for all (Chopra, 10). This is no longer a competition. Men absolutely must recognize the already great mental achievements of their counter-parts and seek this wholeness. When the shadows bluff is called at rock bottom, it resorts to extremes of self-destruction. The shadow loses its power when consciousness stops being divided (Chopra, 10). I shudder to think what final death-throws men will enact before surrendering to the greater good. We could rectify bad behavior in a few years, once we put our minds to it. Why dont we? Because remaining unconscious is easier. The era of the shadow can come to an end once we choose unity over separation (Chopra, 10). Finally, why is it so important men acknowledge womens mental capacities? Men and women must work together once more, as they did prior to the initial awareness of a physical difference noticed some 5 to 6 thousand years ago to expand the collective consciousness toward super-consciousness. The Self (Dog Dream portion of the Self) has adopted the stance of an adversary who may actually destroy us if we persist in the wrong course in life (Sanford, 81). It is apparent that the evil condition we are experiencing has the intent of curing us of our wrong direction in life (Coyote). What is really wrong, is the wrong attitude we have toward life, the mal-development of our egos, and the symptom or illness the Self has produced is a consequence of this and can be seen as an attempt to cure us (Sanford, 81). It is, then, absolutely imperative we listen to both the quiet voice of Coyote and the Visionaries who each beckon us forward with messages of balance, wholeness and unity (the authenticated message of Coyote).

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Afterthoughts
I have made no attempt at suggesting actual solutions to this dilemma of extreme magnitude. I would do further study/research to even begin to hypothesize this. Perhaps an in-depth look at Eastern Philosophies and Womens studies? I plan to continue the writing of this piece and actually attempt to mark the points in history at which Dog Dream (Orphan) misinterpreted the message of Coyote (Sage) as well as the Visionary I. I believe the West is presently discovering a trick and must re-evaluate the message back to its authentic origins, attain a real level of maturity and head into 2012 prepared for descent into its own cocoon. The West, I believe, must begin preparing for its inevitable adulthood.

Femme-in-Men References

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Bakalis, Dr. Nicolaos (2005). Handbook of Greek Philosophy from Thales to the Stoics Analysis and Fragments: Substantial and Complete Essay on Ancient Greek Philosophy with Fragments Included. Victoria, B.C., Canada: Trafford. Kindle loc. 497, 1210-1217, 1754, 1758. Chopra, Deepak; Ford, Debbie; Williamson, Marianne (2010). The Shadow Effect: Illuminating the Hidden Power of Your True Self. New York: HarperCollins. Pages 9, 13, 14, 17, 24, 26, 30, 34. King, Thomas (1993). Green Grass, Running Water. New York: Bantam Books. Pages: 1-3. Plotkin, Bill (2008). Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World. Novato, California: New World Library. Kindle locations: 1062-1067, 1082, 1106, 1624, 1648, 1790, 2351, 2353, 4202, 4776, 4790, 4810, 5690-5695, 6192, 6196, 6201, 8461, 8488, 8516, 8555, 8579, 8608. Sanford, John A. (1981). Evil: The Shadow Side of Reality. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Co. Pages: 31, 32. Tarnas, Richard (1991). The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World View. New York: Ballantine Books. Pages: 344, 346, and 348. Wilber, Ken (1996). Up From Eden: A Transpersonal View of Human Evolution. Wheaton, Ill.: Theosophical Publishing House. Pages: 12, 26, 63, 64, 96, 107, 120, 123, 214, 220, 221, 227, 233, 239. *cover image is a download from the public domain