Where are the Men of Transformation?
I’ve been running courses and workshops for over twenty years now and I’ve noticed a trend emerging these past few years. More women then ever are attending the transformational events and less men than I would deem to be normal. Of courses, being introspective, I firstly look at myself and what I’m attracting and to notice if I, as the leader, have any patterns running that may be encouraging this.
In the past I would have said it’s true that I like to have more of a female audience. And I hated authority of which men sometimes reminded me of. Yet these days, I don’t have that in my system in the least and enjoy men being on my courses as much as women.
So what’s going on?
The shift from male dominated professions and men having preference in the modern era is no secret. In fact, it’s only since the end of world war 2 that women have been ‘allowed’ the privilege of coming out of the kitchens and making valuable contributions in all areas of life. Nature seems to abhor imbalance and rightly so, women have claimed their piece of the turf. And that hunger is quite encouraging because the menu is growing and the appetites get sharpened by success.
The unsaid ‘agreement’ between men and women has been like this: Women can have the social ground, where they get sought after, praised for their outward appearance and could get away without doing much apart from looking physically good. These days, that is not enough for most women. So they are breaking the contract. They are now seeking higher ground, to be appreciated for their mind, their abilities in the corporate and political world. Plus their contribution to a philosophical world. Maybe even a peaceful world.
So now what of men?
Men will have to get used to sharpening their own tools now. They have to be able to re-invent themselves, just as women have, and find the place where they are most useful and their powers are effective. The hunter and providers, as a role, are now extinct. Remnants of them lie around, like old habits waiting to be banished as ghouls are banished at halloween. Yet the future man will be able to support new paradigms coming through. Instead of being armed with fists and bullets, he will protect and defend with wisdom and real courage. The courage of true expression is sometimes much harder than to kill someone with a remote weapon.
Men can become the landing place, the rock that is solid and allow the new times ahead to nurture vulnerable ideas, concepts and growth into being. Just as a women would do the same on a physical level with a new born. Gone are the days (in the west) where a man has to protect ‘his’ woman in such a physical way. Yet the new role is emerging where he is himself being uncovered to find strength to guard the new era of ideas, concepts and expression to come through. His goal of truth and expression, even in the face of death, can set free and unleash fresh power into the world, creating a safe matrix of connected people, unafraid to talk, discover and learn.
To do this, and to be this, men will have to take the path less travelled. And I encourage them to get onto workshops, courses and any other way of shedding the old skin and preparing the way of the new dawn.
You can check out one possible pathway as a beginning, here at Lighter Shades of Transformation. Yet there are many and you will need to find your own path.
