Two weeks ago I wrote about a very damaging manifestation of the feminine principle sometimes called the Death Mother or Evil Queen.  Often clothed in black, this force in us represents parts of our feminine sides that have been so devalued, wounded and abused by patriarchal excesses that they are repressed into the dark, unconscious regions of our psyches.  There they become twisted, cold, vengeful and self-destructive.

In this post I want to bring some balance to our understanding of the feminine principle by addressing some of its positive qualities. But first, a few relevant words about alchemy and Greek mythology.

ALCHEMY

Dismissed by some left-brained literalists as pseudo-science, alchemy was, in fact, like mythology, a profoundly wise symbol system that sought to heal humanity’s dangerous tendency toward obsessive one-sidedness.  Employing both languages of the brain, logic and imagination, its practitioners described their work as a lengthy process of refining and uniting the King (the masculine principle symbolized by the fiery gold light of the sun), and the Queen (the feminine principle represented by the silvery watery light of the moon) in a Sacred Marriage.

The result of their union was the creation of a rare and precious form of new life called the Philosopher’s Stone. This symbolized the fullest and maturest wisdom and consciousness of which humanity is capable. Unfortunately, we are still so far from this goal that it would be laughable were it not so depressing.

MYTHOLOGY

In ancient Greece the feminine principle was celebrated in three aspects of Goddess. These can be represented by colors. The Maiden (green), Mother (red), and Crone (gray or black), represented the mysterious circle of life–birth, maturity, death and regeneration–celebrated in Lunar Mythology.  These were the dominant themes of humanity’s spirituality until the sun god’s Solar Mythology about the battle between good and evil replaced it. Today, many students of psychology, anthropology, religion, spirituality, myth and alchemy personify a missing fourth aspect between the Mother and Crone as the fully empowered Queen. I associate her with the color silver.

In the outer world of work, the Silver Queen is the most visible manifestation of healthy feminine authority. We see her in socially aware leaders and authorities of all kinds; for example, enterprising founders of innovative business practices that weaken the stranglehold of one-sided logic and linearity, or bold and balanced, firm and fair champions of healthy change in any group, movement, or organization.

Individuals (male or female) with well-developed Queen energy can be effective within the confines of the kingly Solar Mythology that still dominates our culture. However, they do not imitate, limit themselves to, or promote obsessively one-sided patriarchal values. Instead, they consistently facilitate the re-emergence of the Silver Queen’s Lunar Mythology.

My description of her values and way of being in the world is based on Jung’s observation, borne out in traditional literature throughout history, that the feminine foundation of the psyche–aka Sophia, Anima or Soul–is the source of our nourishing and transforming energies. It is only when we disown these energies that she turns her dark face to us in the form of Death Mother.

THE SIX C’S OF THE SILVER QUEEN

• As Carer, she is there for her true self and others: she feels, gives, listens, encourages, intuits, confronts, affirms. When necessary and appropriate, she sacrifices.

• As Container she holds and tolerates tension, conflicts, suffering, uncertainty and change without breaking or giving up.

• As Connecter she mentors, guides and networks with other people and respects other perspectives.

• As Communicator she speaks her truths, listens to others’ truths, and seeks to integrate otherness.

• As Cooperator she shares her knowledge and authority without greed, prejudice, envy, abuse, or expectation of reward.

• As Changer she trusts the transformative process and flows with evolutionary energy.

Our alchemical transformation undergoes continuous refinement throughout our Croning years.  At 56 I fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning and training a horse. At two and-a-half, Honey’s Shadow Dancer was the color of dark steel with a few white dapples, but within a year he was turning a beautiful silvery gray.

Shadow’s color was significant to me. As a child I’d loved Walter Farley’s Black Stallion and the Lone Ranger’s white horse, Silver. Gifting myself with a silver gray horse in the fall of my life was a choice to continue learning while celebrating the overlapping path between black and white.

The Silver Queen in each of us has the power to bring healing balance to all of us.  May we resurrect her before Death Mother destroys us.

Image Credits:  Alchemical moon and Goddess of the Moon:  Google Images

Jean Raffa’s The Bridge to Wholeness and Dream Theatres of the Soul are at Amazon. E-book versions are also at Kobo, Barnes And Noble and Smashwords. Healing the Sacred Divide can be found at Amazon and Larson Publications, Inc.