The yin and yang and how you approach religion?

[mystic64]

yin: The passive, female cosmic principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.
yang: The active male principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.

The yin (female) principle and the yang (male) principle working more or less together in harmony is traditionally considered the foundation of everything that is creation in balance. And, when these two principles are not in harmony things begin to fall apart and fail.

My question for discussion is: "What effect, if any, does the yin (female principle) and the yang (male principle) have on how you approach religion and the deity or deities that you worship?"

 

[Riverwolf]

Nothing explicit, since there are active Goddesses and passive Gods.

But it could be said that the two first worlds, Niflheim and Muspelheim, the meeting of which gave birth to the World Tree, are similar to them. Niflheim is a land of ice, and Muspelheim is a land of fire. Ice is present in low temperatures (yin), and fire is present in high temperatures (yang.)

I don't know if this plays an explicit role in Asatru shamanism, though, or if it's just semi-coincidental.

 

[Quintessence]

I affects how I approach religion and the gods insofar as it acts as an example of something I avoid. I have a pretty settled hatred for sexist dualism.

 

[Straw Dog]

There is no clear divide between the yin and the yang. There is only yin-yang. Not one, not two.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I agree with Straw Dog. Yin/Yang helps in maintaining middle way for which a balance from extremes can be maintained as humanly possible. The philosophy arising from the symbol icon(s*) serves as a reminder of perspectives and acknowledgments in facing wholeness in duality as best as i can describe and muster using words.

Im appreciative and grateful to encounter this symbol with no real division or border, yet defined iconicly. A wonderful paradox for a religious walk.

 

[Thrice Great]

From a Luciferian point of view . . .

The principle of Mercury is that it always flows back together into a unity, it is perfectly symbolized in the Yin Yang. But, the importance is not on the two halves creating the whole, rather it is with the "S" shape that separates them. It is this "S" shape that is the river of alchemical Mercury. This is further identified as the boundary between waking and sleeping.

There is a place, not quite sleeping, not quite waking, and here is where flows this river of alchemical Mercury, where you can project the contents of the unconscious and you can read it back to yourself.

Hermetically this is the notion of the microcosm and macrocosm, that somehow the great world, the whole of the cosmos is reflected in the mystery of mankind and it is reflected in the mystery our mind and body, the objective and subjective universes. Here lies the secret of the alchemist's Coagulation, where the mutability of Mercury is overcome and crystallized. It must become ‘fixed' so that it cannot get away from you.

 

[crossfire]

From a Luciferian point of view . . .

The principle of Mercury is that it always flows back together into a unity, it is perfectly symbolized in the Yin Yang. But, the importance is not on the two halves creating the whole, rather it is with the "S" shape that separates them. It is this "S" shape that is the river of alchemical Mercury. This is further identified as the boundary between waking and sleeping.

There is a place, not quite sleeping, not quite waking, and here is where flows this river of alchemical Mercury, where you can project the contents of the unconscious and you can read it back to yourself.

Hermetically this is the notion of the microcosm and macrocosm, that somehow the great world, the whole of the cosmos is reflected in the mystery of mankind and it is reflected in the mystery our mind and body, the objective and subjective universes. Here lies the secret of the alchemist's Coagulation, where the mutability of Mercury is overcome and crystallized. It must become ‘fixed' so that it cannot get away from you.

Yes, lucid dreaming totally rocks.

 

[crossfire]

yin: The passive, female cosmic principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.
yang: The active male principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.

The yin (female) principle and the yang (male) principle working more or less together in harmony is traditionally considered the foundation of everything that is creation in balance. And, when these two principles are not in harmony things begin to fall apart and fail.

My question for discussion is: "What effect, if any, does the yin (female principle) and the yang (male principle) have on how you approach religion and the deity or deities that you worship?"

I'm quite yin. Very wei wu wei. (I come by my title of "lazy cop-out heretic troll" honestly.)

 

[Secret Chief]

Note yin contains the seed of yang, likewise yang. The symbol is a static representation of the ever dynamic interplay between all apparent dualities. The more one grows the greater the potential of the other; to push back to move again to equilibrium.

 

[gnostic]

I just love the cool symbol or image.

 

[danieldemol]

yin: The passive, female cosmic principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.
yang: The active male principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.

The yin (female) principle and the yang (male) principle working more or less together in harmony is traditionally considered the foundation of everything that is creation in balance. And, when these two principles are not in harmony things begin to fall apart and fail.

My question for discussion is: "What effect, if any, does the yin (female principle) and the yang (male principle) have on how you approach religion and the deity or deities that you worship?"

To me (ignorant as I am of Chinese philosophy), the whole recipient vs active comes across as deriving a symbology from a sexual reproductive (rather than sexist) image.

Basically it comes across as drawing from the deposit of the male into the female during reproduction as demonstrating yang (the giver) giving to yin (the recipient), from which I can see the parallel between God as the giver, and the cosmos (inclusive of it's spiritual realms) being the recipient.

Since my meta-philosophical descent is Abrahamic rather than Chinese, I would have to say it's personal impact is not great, although it is still interesting to explore.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

It doesn't, really. One of the most important Goddesses in my Path is Lilith, and "passive" could never be used to describe Her. Even removed from religion, I have a big problem with the whole active/passive sexual dichotomy.

 

[mystic64]

The reason that I asked the OP question is that I have been studying our mind's ability to manipulate what is generally considered creation for half of a century now and I still do not understand the role that the yin or passive plays in the grand scheme of things including religion. And when one looks at physics everything in what we perceive as creation is moving. Sometimes very slow, but still moving. And when one studies deities they are all active principles otherwise one would not appeal to them for some sort of action.

So where is the "yin" in things guys? I don't see any "yin" in women, I don't see any "yin" deities, and I don't see any "yin" in what is generally perceived as creation. In witchcraft and sorcery one has to first create a state of tension and and then a state of non tension before something can manifest itself and the Tao seems to indicate that one should go with the flow, whatever that means. But other than that I do not see any yin/passive principle at work in either deities or creation. ?

 

[mystic64]

It doesn't, really. One of the most important Goddesses in my Path is Lilith, and "passive" could never be used to describe Her. Even removed from religion, I have a big problem with the whole active/passive sexual dichotomy.

I have met Lilith and you are right, there is nothing passive about her at all! One does have to be able to be passive/very quiet in her presence though, otherwise they will begin to experience absolute insanity. At least the Lilith that I met, the witch/demon of desolate places.

 

[crossfire]

The reason that I asked the OP question is that I have been studying our mind's ability to manipulate what is generally considered creation for half of a century now and I still do not understand the role that the yin or passive plays in the grand scheme of things including religion. And when one looks at physics everything in what we perceive as creation is moving. Sometimes very slow, but still moving. And when one studies deities they are all active principles otherwise one would not appeal to them for some sort of action.

So where is the "yin" in things guys? I don't see any "yin" in women, I don't see any "yin" deities, and I don't see any "yin" in what is generally perceived as creation. In witchcraft and sorcery one has to first create a state of tension and and then a state of non tension before something can manifest itself and the Tao seems to indicate that one should go with the flow, whatever that means. But other than that I do not see any yin/passive principle at work in either deities or creation. ?

It's the silence between the notes that makes the music from just being a structureless drone.

Perhaps this quote from the Neoconfucianist Zhou Dunyi from the Taiji Tushuo quoting one of the Yi from the I Ching might be of help:

Therefore it is said, "In establishing the Tao of Heaven yin and yang are spoken of; in establishing the Tao of Earth the soft and the hard are spoken of; in establishing the Tao of Man humanity (sometimes translated as "love") and righteousness are spoken of."​

Another way to look at it: We have laws governing our actions: some actions might have laws against them. However, there are some things that can't be forced or outlawed: love, joy, peace, kindness, caring, equanimity, etc.

 

[mystic64]

It's the silence between the notes that makes the music from just being a structureless drone.

Perhaps this quote from the Neoconfucianist Zhou Dunyi from the Taiji Tushuo quoting one of the Yi from the I Ching might be of help:

Therefore it is said, "In establishing the Tao of Heaven yin and yang are spoken of; in establishing the Tao of Earth the soft and the hard are spoken of; in establishing the Tao of Man humanity (sometimes translated as "love") and righteousness are spoken of."​

Another way to look at it: We have laws governing our actions: some actions might have laws against them. However, there are some things that can't be forced or outlawed: love, joy, peace, kindness, caring, equanimity, etc.

The silence between the notes makes sense to me, at least relative to witchcraft and sorcery. The low frequencies sides of Voo Doo and Shamanism do not have a silence between the notes, they are just one long low frequency note. But at the same time they do put you into a low mind frequency passive state that takes away your ability to do anything including some times maintaining a heart beat.

Laws governing action? Basically for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. This causes whatever it is that one throws out to come back at one. In an ideal world "love, joy, peace, kindness, caring, equanimity, etc." would be the best thing to have coming back at one. But this is the first time that I have heard about the possibility of laws against action with the exception of the laws of human government.

Your answer to my question was very helpful! It also appears that the concept of yin and yang relative to the worship of deities and to one's relationship to the metaphysics of creation (which includes Heaven) that the concept of gender should be dumped and that the "yin and yang" of things should be considered "passive verses active" in a pure state without the concept of masculine and feminine being associated with it. The physics of things makes more sense if one just keeps the concept of gender clear out of it. No matter how one looks at things the concept of feminine being passive is both archaic and delusional .

 

[Thrice Great]

The reason that I asked the OP question is that I have been studying our mind's ability to manipulate what is generally considered creation for half of a century now and I still do not understand the role that the yin or passive plays in the grand scheme of things including religion. And when one looks at physics everything in what we perceive as creation is moving. Sometimes very slow, but still moving. And when one studies deities they are all active principles otherwise one would not appeal to them for some sort of action.

So where is the "yin" in things guys? I don't see any "yin" in women, I don't see any "yin" deities, and I don't see any "yin" in what is generally perceived as creation. In witchcraft and sorcery one has to first create a state of tension and and then a state of non tension before something can manifest itself and the Tao seems to indicate that one should go with the flow, whatever that means. But other than that I do not see any yin/passive principle at work in either deities or creation. ?

Don't confuse yin to mean non-active or submissive. Yin is the Feminine, the Darkness, the Womb that gives birth to the Light (yang), Kali, Hekate, Lilith, Sekhmet, the Waters of Nun!

 

[mystic64]

Don't confuse yin to mean non-active or submissive. Yin is the Feminine, the Darkness, the Womb that gives birth to the Light (yang), Kali, Hekate, Lilith, Sekhmet, the Waters of Nun!

Thank you for your input and just for the sake of discussion:
Dictionary:
yin: The passive, female cosmic principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.
yang: The active male principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.

In Chinese philosophy "yin" is considered passive and female with the key word being "cosmic" (1. Of or relating to the universe, especially as distinct from earth. 2. Infinitely or inconceivably extended ; vast.). The Goddess entities that you have mentioned use and obey the cosmic principles to do the things that they do, but they are not the cosmic principles themselves. The Waters of Nun, based on my experience, are passive and are the stuff that all things are made out of. Basically they are Chi/Qi in a state of non movement and a state of zero mass with the understanding that something (?) can cause an area of this field/ocean of Chi/Qi at rest to spontaneously show movement and this movement (generally called light) can become anything including a cognitive entity over time.

Now hypothetically we as human beings have the same abilities as the Goddesses that you have mentioned, it is just that we do not know how it is done. So because we do not know how it is done we have to go to/appeal to them or others like them to do it for us. Both we and they have to ability to cause movement/activity in the Waters of Nun. And yes, the first thing that you have to do is create the "womb" for that activity to become active in.

Yin as a feminine passive "cosmic" principle does exist, but once this passive cosmic principle becomes associated with active it becomes non passive and no longer feminine in a cosmic principle sense. It becomes something in creation that was "yin" that became "yang" (active and no longer passive). The Goddesses that you have mentioned, from a "cosmic principle" stand point, are "yang" because they are active. I agree that "yin" can create "yang", but once "yang" is created it is no longer "yin" because it is "active". Yes one can attach the female gender tag to this activity but the activity itself is no longer the cosmic passive feminine principle "yin".

The confusion comes when we associate the feminine comic principle "yin" with the physics of creation and the female gender tag. Because the female gender of all species are an aspect of creation and creation is made up exclusively of the active "yang" principle in play, all those that are of the female gender are also made up of "yang".

 

[crossfire]

Yin is expansive (not entirely passive there,) yang is contracting.

There is also the interactive principle of change--old yang becomes young yin--The Creative (Old Yang) begets 3 daughters (young yin.) Old yin becomes young yang--The Receptive (Old Yin) begets 3 sons (young yang.)

Bagua - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Notice some of the properties of young yin (female)--Gentle penetration, flexibility; Rapid movement, radiance, the sun; Joy, satisfaction, stagnation; are not exactly what you might call passive. Some of the young yang (male) properties: Excitation, revolution, division; Danger, rapid rivers, the abyss, the moon; Stillness, immovability; are not all what you would call active, either.

 

[mystic64]

Yin is expansive (not entirely passive there,) yang is contracting.

There is also the interactive principle of change--old yang becomes young yin--The Creative (Old Yang) begets 3 daughters (young yin.) Old yin becomes young yang--The Receptive (Old Yin) begets 3 sons (young yang.)

Bagua - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Notice some of the properties of young yin (female)--Gentle penetration, flexibility; Rapid movement, radiance, the sun; Joy, satisfaction, stagnation; are not exactly what you might call passive. Some of the young yang (male) properties: Excitation, revolution, division; Danger, rapid rivers, the abyss, the moon; Stillness, immovability; are not all what you would call active, either.

Crossfire, that was very interesting and something that I did not know about! What you have posted also gives more depth to the concept of yin and yang. There seems to be two concepts at work, 1. yin and yang relative to the Cosmic sense; and 2. yin and yang relative to the forces at work in what we generally perceive as Creation.

We have the totally passive "yin" that is totally moldable and without resistance (the Cosmic "yin") and we have the flowable "yin" that seeks the path of least resistance (the "yin" of the forces of Creation). "Yin" would be the water because it is flowable and "yang" would be the rock or obstruction that the water flows around. Thus Creation would be the result of the "flowable" (yin) and the "nonflowable" (yang) interacting with each other with the understanding that the "flowable" (yin) under certain conditions can become a "path clearing force" that is still "yin" because it is "flowable". This could also, generally speaking, explain the feminine gender of the human species as an example of the "yin" of the forces of Creation. Generally "flowable", but can become a "path clearing force" under certain conditions.

From there the advice to "go with the flow", would be the advice to follow the example of the "yin" (the feminine principle of "Creation") as the wisest coarse of action. And maybe that when one is dealing with a Goddess entity that that entity can become a "path clearing force" when properly antagonized (upset about something).

Maybe? What do you guys think?