Where did Feminism Miss the Mark? Reclaiming the Sisterhood
Modern day feminism has become the very thing that women fought so hard against: victimhood. Helping women is a noble and just cause. The Me Too movement had good intentions. As you know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. There was a time that women couldn’t come forward without doubt and shame being cast upon them. Over time, the pendulum has swung to believe women. Through the absence of discernment, this has led to the implication of believing all women. My mother always cautioned me against living my life in an extreme nature. As a child, I didn’t always heed her warnings. As an adult, I realize that her wisdom was grounded in the Hermetic principle of Rhythm: “The pendulum swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.”-The Kybalion. Standing up for myself was integral in the way I was raised. Discovering the practical and spiritual tools of the Modern Mystery School allowed me to expand upon this foundation. My Guide, Dr. Theresa Bullard, provided a framework of understanding to help me to connect to my personal power in the Empower Thyself program.
Discernment and taking personal responsibility are the virtues of a matured adult. Through maturity, you understand the power of choice. In many societies, we elect our leaders. While you may not agree with the outcome of their actions, you had choice in authorizing their power. Who appointed the leaders of the Me Too movement to represent all women who have experienced abuse? The challenge with not selecting our leaders is that we lose control of the narrative. We lost the script on women’s empowerment. The concept of personal responsibility seems to have been forgotten in the pollution of a troubling narrative that has emerged in our culture: Women are victims. Men are predators. The fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood has been sown into the consciousness of our society. By unmasking the Big Bad Wolf, who is revealed beneath the disguise? Are all women telling the truth? Could false accusations with the intent to harm be considered bullying? It is possible for women to be bullies? What are the consequences of making false accusations? When do we start treating women like capable adults?
In my direct experience, Founder Gudni Gudnason, Ipsissimus Dave Lanyon, and Ipsissimus Hideto Nakagome, lineage holders of the Modern Mystery School, treat all students, teachers and international instructors as capable adults. Ipsissimus Dave Lanyon has treated me as a capable adult even when I did not see that I was capable. By acting in this way towards me, I realized that I was often more ready for the task at hand than I previously perceived myself to be. It’s truly incredible how you can grow and grow up when you are not treated as a child nor a victim.
When we grow up, we stop blaming our parents. You may have had wonderful parents (I sure, did). You may have been adopted, raised by a single parent or grandparent. However your childhood may have been, there’s comes a point when you reach the gateway of adulthood. At this place, you have a choice. You have an opportunity for freedom and the power to create the life you desire. With power comes great responsibility. In fact, taking responsibility is the only way to have real power.
Our experiences as children shape our understanding of the world. You get hurt. You fall down. You get up. There’s no doubt that some children have it harder than others. The abuse of children is inexcusable. There’s no reason for it. If you’re a human being like me, even the thought of it pains your heart. For the purpose of this article, let’s make an important distinction between children and adults. Children don’t have choice. For the sake of clarity, let’s also add adults living in the free world. Civil rights impact choice. This is why the freedom to speak up against cancel culture is crucial for the betterment of society.
With our stage set, let’s return back the concept of blame. Your parents or the person/people who raised you were not perfect. Chances are they did the best they could, learning along the way through trial and error. They may have acted harshly. From the perspective of a child, they may have even seemed cruel at times. Maybe they actually were cruel. No matter how you were raised, taking responsibility for your actions is essential if you want to live an empowered life. Sure, you can continue blaming your parents and everyone else around you. You can point fingers and in the end, the price that you pay for shirking responsibility is your own empowerment.
What if you pay a bigger price than just your own empowerment? Is relinquishing personal responsibility creating a culture that is both detrimental to women and men?
Guiding me from an early age, my parents taught me about the vultures of the world. My parents were both kind and experienced in life. Knowing that while the world is mostly good, a few bad apples can ruin the bunch. Out of love, they did their best to empower me to not only discern danger, but also to prevent it. While I went astray at times, they instilled a foundation within me that I could return to when I was lost.
What did my parents NOT do? They didn’t relinquish the responsibility of parenting to the parents that had sons. Not for one minute, did they consider that teaching the boys and men in the world was enough. Of course, they raised my brother to be respectful of women AND they raised me to intelligent and discerning.
Not all incidents of violence against women can prevented, “An 82-year-old award-winning female bodybuilder turned the tables -- literally -- on a home intruder and beat him so badly after he broke into her house that he had to be taken to the hospital.” Haworth, J. (2019, November 25). ABC News.
Yes, this 82 year old grandmother called 911 first, but she did not wait for anyone to save her. Once the intruder came into her home, she defended herself. This is female empowerment demonstrated. Always stand up for yourself. In the lineage teachings of the Modern Mystery School, all people are seen as worthy of respect. If someone doesn’t treat you with respect, it is your divine right to stand up for yourself. Ipsissimus Dave Lanyon led martial arts trainings all over the world teaching students, primarily women how to physically defend themselves.
If someone is going to use force on you, you have the right to defend yourself. The mindset of this elderly woman was not to acquiesce. She responded and took the action necessary to protect herself. If you were to watch the interview of 82 year old, Willie Murphy, you would not see the face of a victim.
Do all of the events voiced in the wake of Me Too involve violence or force? Are any of these circumstances preventable?
When you question any woman, you can be accused of victim shaming. In the eyes of the public, the accused is immediately guilty, even before due process of law. Even if the accused is found innocent, the allegations will always follow them and families are forever damaged. Accusing someone of abuse or coercion is now enough for loss of a job, a career, an income that supports a family. How do you prove a negative? How do you prove something didn’t happen? How do you prove you’re not a witch? When did the witch hunt return to society? Now, it’s not our women being burned at the stake. It’s our men. Ah, the pendulum has swung once again. Because this was perpetrated against women, does it make it ok to do to men?
I’ve witnessed the fear in people. People don’t speak up for fear of being cancelled, accused of victim shaming, and being considered anti-feminist. Since when is asking questions wrong? How is asking questions considered an attack?
There’s a culture around social issues that creates a propensity towards thinking a certain way. This agenda creates a false sense of reality by omission and bias. Thinking for yourself is encouraged…if you agree with the agenda. Speaking up is praised…if you agree with the agenda. Has feminism become an agenda? Does it have anything to do with empowerment anymore?
When it comes to our rights as women, are we asking for something we aren’t willing to do for ourselves? Are we looking for special treatment? Is equality served à la carte where you pick and choose from the benefits and leave behind what is uncomfortable to look at? Responsibility calls you out of your comfortable zone. It requires looking at yourself and your actions, not from a place of blame or shame, but of cause and effect. Being empowered means you are the one at cause in your life. How can anyone else be responsible for creating the desired outcomes in your life? Living in this world, you will undoubtedly face challenges. What challenges are actually avoidable but you have just accepted as part of reality?
What is the impact of the Me Too Movement on women? “You shall know them by their fruits.” The women’s empowerment group, LeanIn.Org, surveyed men regarding the atmosphere inside and outside of the workplace. Men are now more likely to be uncomfortable mentoring women and working alone with women. Men are now more likely to be resistant to go to workplace dinners and business trips with women. Women worked diligently to create space in the workplace. The business opportunities for working women are at risk in this kind of witch hunt culture. The power of synergy between men and women working together is at risk in the social climate of pointing fingers without consequence.
This isn’t about silencing the voices of women. Yes, stand up against the violence of women and men (because yes, men are abused, too). This is about asking questions. This is about consequences for men and women, not just one gender (because that’s sexist). This is about not cancelling people based on allegations before evidence is presented and there’s an opportunity to hear all the sides. Our justice system is not perfect, but a kangaroo court or a witch hunt are not solutions. Your personal freedoms are at risk in a culture with a bias agenda towards victims. What happens if you’re falsely accused? What happens if the pendulum swings back again (as it does) and the real victims of abuse aren’t believed anymore? How do you develop your discernment and your personal power to overcome the challenges of being responsible for yourself? There are many paths. Find your path of empowerment. I found one that worked for me with the Modern Mystery School. I’m on a mission to empower all people, including women. I don’t believe the story I’m being fed. Women aren’t victims. We are STRONG. If you don’t buy the story either, then there won’t be a market for selling this agenda.
Always asking questions,
Christina Becerra, Certified Guide and Ritual Master in the Modern Mystery School
“Find your path of empowerment.”