What is “Outside” in the Physical is
Action/Doing – Masculine/Electric
What is “Inside” in the Non-Physical is
Being/Non-Doing – Feminine/Magnetic

The primary point to remember with the hemispheres’ archetypes is that anything that is outside of us should be thought of as physical, outer world. The masculine aspect involves acting on and doing something. It requires the electric left brain. Anything that is inside of us should be understood to be the non-physical, inner world. The feminine aspect involves non-action and simply being. It requires a very magnetic right brain

EXAMPLE: FLOW BETWEEN MASULINE AND FEMININE ARCHETYPES

John Doe is upset and worried about something that is frustrating him in life. Instead of remaining inside the house and fretting, he decides to go out and tackle the yard work. He spends the next two hours mowing, raking and clearing.

John Doe steps back after he accomplishes his chores and thinks about life in general, while enjoying the yard’s beauty. He feels good, because something inside of him provides him with a sense of accomplishment. Suddenly, he has a flash of insight, and knows how to handle the problem he is worried about.

You see John Doe satisfying his need to feel better, and then doing something about it. Was this directly relating to his original concern? Perhaps not but in some ways they are interrelated. In order to balance his left and right hemispheres, John Doe first occupied himself with physical activity. That gave him the chance to clear his mind and come up with a solution to his original problem.

After a while, you will be able to recognize the functional differences between the two hemisphere archetypes. It can become fun when you are able to see the instances when you are acting in your masculine side, or resting in your feminine side. The instinctual give and take of each of your sides continues to grow so that you feel more and more balanced in your life. This new way of feeling clear and calm continues, and you see the effects in everyday life.

Giver = Masculine Archetype
Receiver = Feminine Archetype

Often the simplest of understandings are the most overlooked. Clients are amazed at how the best approach is to return to the simple truths in relationships. The primary thing to consider is that men and women love differently. They have different approaches to how they give and receive love.

For a man, when all is right in his world, the masculine archetype within him really wants to give anything to his beloved goddess muse. In everyday life, it is a built-in or innate trait for a man to be the dominant provider/giver (protector) in the relationship. It is a man’s masculine side that does all of the providing and giving. His feminine side does all the receiving of that giving. As we know men often marry a trophy wife in hopes of finding that one who he can gush over like a collectible item on his shelf. She is his I Dream of Jeannie with the Long Blonde Hair dream girl.

Like the Comedian Steven Wright once quipped, "A friend of mine has a trophy wife. But from the looks of her, it wasn't first place.” These situations rarely are win/win in the end. Therefore, he must find the being side of himself — that vision, the muse.

A woman has an entirely different approach to giving and receiving love. When all is right in her world, she enjoys a relationship with a man whom she can truly admire and honor with her love. However, oftentimes she gets confused about what it means to give and receive love.

She falls into a trap where she believes that she is the true giver in the relationship causing judgmental resentment. This confusion is somewhat understandable. Because of their natural instinct to give birth and nurture others, women actually think that they are the true givers in a relationship. Rather, it is the male side of the woman that is the giver. Even during conception, the female's egg is the receiver of the male’s sperm, and not the other way around. She is the natural vessel to receive. Even the word vessel has a “v” at its beginning.

Women tend to fantasize about marrying a man in hopes that he would be that one who provides her with eternal safety. They too have to be careful not to marry a trophy husband. If a woman is to truly shine her brightest, she must learn how to receive from others. Her long, laundry list of judgments and expectations can easily get in the way of her being able to receive from the world around her, including her man, children and friends.

She feels comfort, joy, safety and security when she receives from the male in her life, either her actual partner or her inner male archetype. She becomes a magnet for love, and this makes her naturally alluring. Similarly, the task of the feminine archetype within everyone is to receive. In the end, it is the inner feminine that must receive.

GIVING

In order to understand how giving and receiving function within both men and women, it is easiest to show illustrations of how each would exhibit these traits. Let’s look at two simple examples of basic giving in men and women. Granted, these examples are a bit stereotypical, but this is the fastest way to get the point across.

Example 1: Men love the idea of taking themselves out to see their favorite baseball team at the playoffs.

This is the man’s masculine archetype providing him something he loves to do.

Example 2: Women love the idea of treating themselves to a mani-pedi at a spa.

This is a woman’s masculine archetype providing the means to do something she loves.

RECEIVING

Reviewing these two same examples of basic giving, we now break down as to how they are both receiving.

Example 1: At the baseball game, men are enjoying themselves with cold beers and snack dogs. They are engaging in the great moments of the big game, and sharing in the joy of the winning plays with those around them.

This is the man’s feminine archetype receiving the love of the game which is something he loves to experience.

Example 2: At the spa, women take the luxurious moment of relaxing sometimes with a glass of champagne. They pick through and choose from a rainbow of colors for their nail treatment, and either check their cell phones, close their eyes and relax or socialize with friends.'

This is the woman’s feminine archetype receiving a much deserved beauty treatment, which is something she loves to experience.

The Snowball Effect of Love:
Love is Both Giving and Receiving

The world can be your oyster. You can be an irresistible magnet for love and attract the man of your dreams. When you learn how to receive properly with graceful appreciation, then the world is truly your oyster. Receiving is just as much a part of giving, and vice versa. In receiving, the giving portion is completed.

You naturally give back, and this is the snowball effect of giving and receiving, because it becomes perpetual. Essentially, it is a circle or snowball of love that begins to grow bigger and greater.

When you master your ability to balance the masculine giving and feminine receiving parts of yourselves, you create a solid structure that supports more love to flow into and through your life.

You will naturally attract an equally balanced individual, who mirrors your inner emotional character according to the level of growth of your inner emotional work.

Both Halves Make a Whole -
We Need Both the Masculine
and the Feminine in Order to Exist

Nowadays, there is a belief going around that women can do without a man, or a man can do without a woman. This is the attitude that states, ‘We don’t need a man/woman. We can manage just fine without one, thank you very much!”

I can sympathize with some aspects of this thinking, because women may argue that they are trying to be strong in life with their ‘I am woman! Hear me roar!’ Helen Reddy attitudes. The root of these issues often stems from abandonment. Unfortunately, by rejecting the male archetype, people reject the other half of themselves, their inner male. Like it or not, whether in a physical relationship with a partner, or with the archetypes inside, everyone needs both the masculine and the feminine aspects in order to exist. No one can survive without one or the other. It is physically impossible to do so.

Ironically, women who are trying to live their lives as if they don’t need a man, already have the masculine aspect or male part of themselves living within them as their inner knight in shining amour. Note that this trait is not limited to women who reject men. The same thing applies to men who reject women.

EXAMPLE: THE CHOCOLATE CAKE

A great example of how indispensable the masculine aspect is to the feminine, and vice versa, is found in simple tasks, such as baking a cake. Imagine a beautiful, chocolate layer cake with rich and creamy chocolate icing and fresh strawberries piled on top. As soon as you see it, you crave the cake.

You have gathered all the necessary ingredients and kitchen tools to bake the scrumptious cake. Your bowl is ready. The oven is preheating, and the ingredients are accurately measured, one-by-one. After dropping in the ingredients, you stir everything to a smooth texture. Excitedly, you watch the scrumptious cake coming together before your eyes.

You pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, and then bake it to perfection. After the creamy icing is applied, and fresh strawberry slices are strategically placed on top, you stand back and smile with satisfaction at your creation.

Completion of the cake requires both sides of the brain. The structured half is responsible for measuring, planning, preparing and doing the work to create the final masterpiece. Without the left side, nothing would get finished, since all projects require the doing factor.

The right hemisphere muses the idea into existence. It sings a love song while you stir the creamy batter. The feminine side desires the colorfully delectably red strawberries atop the richly dark chocolate.

As you stand there and crave the tempting delight, both archetype hemispheres admire its beautiful form and shape. After a time, you begin to see an amazing balance, even within the simplest of tasks. Your receiving side soaks in the beauty of a thing, and turns it into something light-filled and glorious. The giving side of us takes on the task of building the cake. This is done by the structured side of ourselves — our inner masculine.

The feminine could not create a cake successfully without our masculine side. The cake needs a cake pan or mold in order to hold its shape; otherwise, it is a big mess in the oven. In a similar manner, without the inspiration and passionate idea from the muse, the cake would not have come into form. Both sides need each other in order to exist. It is only with balanced perspective and understanding, that cooperation and harmony can exist. This contributes to a balanced wholeness in life. At some point both sides of us cannot wait to be wholly loved and loving; hence, the snowball effect.