Modern manhood: or how the King became the Happy Fool
Once upon a time there was a tree that bore a strange fruit. The fruit that almost looked like the tree but not exactly. It wrapped itself around the tree and slowly started sliding down. As it descended lower and lower, the more ripe it became. Until one day it freed itself from the tree and disappeared into the daylight. It found it’s own legs and stood on it’s own two feet, wandering off into the world.
It felt so happy and free. It didn’t know where it was going, but in its awareness, all and none really existed. It made friends along the way and dwelled in freedom and happiness. It suddenly fell into a new space and found a new ground. Apparently it became a king. A king without a kingdom and clueless about what to do. He knew his role was important. But he felt bound by the role and missed the freedom he had when he left the tree.
So he sits, acting out what he thinks is expected of him. He laughs at people who are deceived by his external appearance; nice clothes, golden crown, sitting on the throne like it’s his ground.
Power, the throne, he enjoys, until he sees it as his own.
Fool or king he doesn’t know, what he doesn’t know won’t help him grow.
Looks left, looks right, laughs at his own fright.
Frightened or free he doesn’t know, what he doesn’t know won’t help him grow.
Happy fool he likes to be, what he wants to be will set him free.
Back to the tree he may go, but will he be free in the flow?
Again and again he lives in cycles, round and round he feels bound.
Bound to the tree, bound to the throne, he is happy when he is on his own.
Happy fool he knows to be, happy fool sets him free.
Ssssshh, please don’t read out loud, but What’s with today’s man? Just asking 🙂 A king or a fool?
King is the leader and the path finder. He is the one who gives direction, takes decisions, and assumes responsibility for his decisions. King possesses the energy of ordering and has the power of inner authority. He brings calm and balance. He also possesses the fertilizing qualities of extending life, vitality and joy. King represents the integration and integrity of masculine energy in its full potency.
Fool is a loner and adventurer. Fool has no plans and goes with the flow. Fool is innocent and simple. He is oblivious to the world around him and doesn’t fit in the society. He loves his freedom, travels light, is a free spirit and a free thinker. Â He looks left and right, to the past and the future, but keeps walking; he is unstoppable.
In our society, with all heroes gone, with no more rites of passage, and no more models of manhood, men are pretty much on their own. There are no more thrones they can just simply inherit. And maybe they don’t want to? Maybe they want a new identity. I know WE want them anew. I know we want them authentic, potent, conscious of their life purpose, their deepest desires, free to express, to take fully and give fully.
But will we allow them a period of being Happy Fools? Who adapt clumsily and reluctantly to the newly emerging powerful feminine by bailing out, resigning, drifting, retreating, avoiding, ignoring, escaping. A period of blissful unknowingness, covering up painful insecurities, waiting for a new vision of masculine to emerge. A period of time to reconnect with their core being, their core desires, their true nature. Will we allow them time to step fully into a new Man’s Way?
We often forget that growth requires sacrifice. And that we may be exaggerating the gravity of our loss, ‘we want our King to be a king’. Because don’t be fooled, Fool is unstoppable, and its journey is a journey to freedom.
Some interesting reads:
The Way of The Courtisan ‘The Opressed Men” http://thewayofthecourtesan.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/the-oppressed-man/
Apologies to the Divine Feminine by Jeff Brown
http://soulshaping.com/soulshaping/apologies-to-the-divine-feminine-from-a-warrior-in-transition/
Apologies to the Sacred Masculine by Jeff Brown
http://soulshaping.com/soulshaping/apologies-to-the-sacred-masculine-the-letter-this-warrior-in-transition-would-like-to-receive/
The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida
http://www.amazon.com/The-Way-Superior-Man-Challenges/dp/1591792576
shamanictracking 
You and Monika seem to be barking up the same archetypical tree. There is so much confusion about gender roles and actions in this post industrial world.
Some men say they desire an independent strong goddess, but they really do not know what they want 🙂
LoL Totally agree, much confusion.
It must be that this this post came from my higher self… Yes, my shaman self works at the soul level, at the level of symbolics and archetypes. My higher self knows that patience is not about waiting but foreseeing.
My worldly self goes like, what the f…, now we have to wait for them, are you f…ing kidding me A sidenote to all my frustrated soul sisters who sent their comments in private: you are not the only ones using the F word to describe your feelings. Talking about the F word, I am no Feminist, I am actually scared of feminists The truth is: I ♥ Men.
Half of my blog visitors are men, and I am really proud of that. But none of them commented on this post! Hmmmm interesting …
Feminine and masculine are out of balance big time. We are still living in a man’s world. But from the western world to the developing world, women (and men) across the globe are rising up to embrace the powerful feminine and fight for gender equality. Yet gender equality (social, economic, etc.) should not be mixed up with male/female polarity, or else we risk ending up in very neutral relationships.
I know you said that men do not really know what they want (and I am not disagreeing). But do we? xox
Bailing out? Resigning? Ignoring? Well, tell me who YOU are and be prepared to listen who WE are.
“A period of blissful unknowingness”, to live through, to embody the unknown, to be able to use the unknown in the “real world”, to have glimpses of it available in future situations where guidance may be asked for.
How about this as a male echo on the ponderings of your higher self (just a few words…;-))?
This is a reaction from the bottom of my male self, to the wonderful words written by you.
A vitalizing energy lies in the exchange between individuals. In the exchange between individuals of different gender, there may be that extra bit of tension, from where that extra bit of energy may spark. How about, finding a way to integrate that spark into our lives?
Love your thoughts, inspiring…
v
🙂 Lol
I really really enjoyed your comment! You really got some energy going there. Yes, I agree and love the idea of ‘spark’ing more with each other and our lives 🙂