A Call to the Divine Masculine
This afternoon, I visited with my two sisters, my 11 year-old nephew, and my 3 year-old niece. We went for ice cream at a favorite local restaurant, which had provided distanced picnic tables in a grassy area above the parking lot. My nephew and I waited for our ice cream while my sisters hauled my niece up the steep stairs with their treats. All this time, a random dog was running off-leash, around the lined-up customers (mostly women and children). As my nephew and I headed for the picnic area, we heard a man screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs, and saw my sisters trying to get my niece back down the stairs. It was his dog that was running around and, when the dog ran up to my niece, overwhelming her with its size, my sister asked the man to call his dog over to him. The man started screaming, “F*****g bitches! In 15 years I’ve never put my dog on a leash and I’m not going to start now.”
When I went up to confront the man myself, he and his wife had left the park, and I saw my sister’s ice cream still sitting on the table, melting into a puddle. I headed down the stairs to tell my sisters that they should come back, and I saw the man sitting his in his luxury SUV next to the stairs. I looked at him and said, “Were you just cursing out my sisters and my little niece?” He sneered, “Who, me? No! You must have me confused with someone else!” And laughed. I said, “You’re a real man, aren’t you?” He said, “Are you bitch too?” I replied, “Absolutely.” I looked at his license plate and read the number back to him, at which point he took off. His wife never said a word; she was completely subdued. The only other man privy to the incident commented and laughed about it to one of my sisters but at no point tried to intervene.
I felt a detached curiosity during this incident; bewildered by a 50-something year-old man who is so insecure in himself (and perhaps unable to cope with what’s happening on the planet right now) that he had to torment any woman in his vicinity, including his wife and a 3 year-old. Last night, however, I went to bed sleepless, enraged by the two separate incidents of male police terrorizing Black women and children in Washington D.C. and Colorado. Tonight, I won’t be able to sleep until I express what I feel is happening.
There is a very real energy around toxic masculinity that is being called up at this time because it is being cleared out of our world. This energy has held the seat of power for thousands of years. It has distorted major world religions, waged countless wars, and tortured and subjugated women, children, and anyone who doesn’t conform to white, male, heterosexual norms. This power has dictated the course of our planet to the point that it has nearly wiped out life in all of its forms. This corrupt masculine energy has had its day and can no longer be allowed to run the show. What we’ve seen with the #metoo movement, with the Catholic church, with sex trafficking, with Black Lives Matter—is, at last, a call for Accountability. Like any dying thing, this toxic masculine energy will kick and scream on its way out, clutching at power any way that it can, even to the point of blatant public abuse of those in weaker positions.
The energy of the Universe, in all things, is divided into the Masculine and Feminine, the Alpha and Omega. Both energies exist in each one of us, regardless of gender, and both energies are sacred. The Divine Masculine (Alpha) is Presence, Awareness, Space without form, and pure Consciousness. The Divine Feminine (Omega) is Energy, Creation, and pure Love. We can’t have one without the other; both are needed for perfect balance and harmony. When integrity lapses in one or both, we see shadow, dysfunction, toxicity, abuse. Life is thrown off balance, and disorder rules the day.
What we’ve experienced for centuries is a distortion of masculine energy, to the point that the Goddess must now intervene, or this masculine energy will destroy us. We are seeing the rise of Kali Ma, the great Mother and Protector of the Universe. She is the fierce embodiment of Shakti (or Feminine energy). She demands that Shiva (or Masculine energy) fall in line and work with her, not against her. Without her life-giving force, Shiva is impotent; with her, Shiva can become one with God or the Universe.
Those of us beings who identify with the Divine Feminine, call upon every man and masculine-identified being at this time, to step into his/their rightful place as a CONSCIOUS PRESENCE in a world that desperately needs you right now. You must not look away. You must not check out. We need you to step into your highest integrity. We need you to act. We need you to hold space for the Feminine, so that She can finally heal, trust, and thrive as She was always meant to. We need you to be Warriors and Protectors. We need you to demand better of yourselves and your brothers. We need you to hold boundaries. We need you to face your darkest shadows so that you can participate in the new world that’s coming.
Make no mistake, we are feeling the birthing pains of a new age. When a bright light suddenly illuminates a dark room, it is agonizing at first, but when our eyes adjust, we see how much beauty and perfection we had been missing. If you’re a masculine being who feels (and fears) that you’re losing your footing and place in the world—you are correct. But while this process is challenging, be assured that you are called to step into a far greater role, if you choose to accept it. The Divine Feminine holds out her hand to the Divine Masculine, beckoning him to join her. We can create something better, but it has to be together, not at the expense of the other. Men: we are looking to you. What is this moment in time demanding of you? Who are you going to become?
Filmmaker Interview: Writer/Director Julia Angley
I think compassion is really the big thing, knowing that everyone around you is working hard and that you can trust them. I know that I try to be compassionate in my writing, finding out what makes a character relatable even if they initially appear less than perfect, so I guess that’s the same strategy I use on set.
Julia Angley is the writer/director behind the dramedy short film, Matriarch, which is having its premiere this week at the Woods Hole Film Festival on Cape Cod. I was fortunate enough to play the role of “Nancy” in the film, and I took this opportunity to “sit down” with Julia and ask her about her process. Matriarch is a UCLA graduate film that was shot on location in Massachusetts.
What inspired you to write and direct Matriarch?
I was inspired by the women in my family – I grew up in New England surrounded by women who are, at their best, strong and stubborn, but at their worst, can struggle to express their emotions to each other. Because I have a dark sense of humor, the best way to explore those characters was through dark comedy. I think that there’s a real beauty in watching someone finally allow themselves to feel things, so I conjured up these two women who were dealing with something terrible – a death in the family – while focusing on something a little more mundane.
What types of female characters do you like to write?
I love to write complex female characters – what I love about Mary and Nancy in Matriarch is that they are both dealing with a lot of layers. We don’t explore a ton of their specific backstory in the film, but we know that Mary was the “good daughter” who stayed home to care for her mother, while Nancy followed a different path. I loved watching these two characters interact, and see how their divergent life choices had lead them to very differing perspectives.
Why did you want to shoot in Massachusetts?
I knew this film had to be told in small town New England. I grew up in the town we shot in, at the church we filmed at, and I knew that was the world of the film. Having made films in Los Angeles, I knew I needed a very different backdrop and texture for the emotions of Matriarch to ring true. Everything’s colder in Massachusetts, and not just the snow. There’s a hardness and resilience to the characters that is reflected in the landscape.
What were your references or inspirations for the film’s look, style, and tone?
My references were so diverse! There was modern television, including GLOW and The Crown, there were films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Election – and a ton of films my cinematographer (Lambert Grand) referenced that I can’t quite remember anymore. We knew we wanted the cinematography to be very pretty, shot like a drama, but play with humor inside these static frames, so we watched a lot of comedy to prepare as well. I always talked about this film having a bit of a British comedy feeling to it, where it’s all about what’s proper and what’s not – since I think there can be a lot of that in New England!
What is your process for communicating your vision to the production team?
Pictures, clips, more pictures, music, watching things together, color palettes, paintings. Basically I’m pulling everything that has the right feeling and showing it to my team! I also really wanted to tightly control the color palette of the film – it’s all creams and purples, and very understated. I got my whole team on board with creating that look and feel, and it gives the whole film a very homey, pastoral sort of look.
What is your process for directing actors?
I love digging into backstory. When I’m writing a piece, I usually end up writing long bios for each character. I like to talk through them with my actors, exploring how the characters feel, their perspective on life. I don’t love to rehearse dialogue too much, because I don’t like it to become overly stiff. I think I also spend a lot of time watching for reactions, not just line delivery, because I know how important that’s going to be in the edit. With Matriarch in particular, so much of the film’s tone is based on how the sisters are just reacting to each other, which can be way more important than the lines themselves. So a lot of our time in rehearsal goes to figuring out what emotions are simmering under the surface.
Describe a favorite moment from the film.
My favorite scene was the morning where we shot the penultimate scene. It was just myself and the two actors in the room, and we were rehearsing a scene with only three lines of dialogue, but it’s a key moment where the characters are able to work towards forgiveness. It was our last day of shooting and we didn’t have a crazy schedule that day, so we were able to spend a lot of time just listening to music and talking about the emotions both characters were experiencing in that moment. It was so different from what a film set can sometimes feel like, with no hectic energy, and I think it helped allow the actors to really bring out their best performances in the scene. The end result is a small, delicate moment of connection that I’m really proud of.
Did you meet with any challenges during post-production?
The biggest challenge was the score! I had the cut locked for almost a year and was auditioning different composers, trying out temp music, and experimenting before I hired Michael, who ultimately composed for the piece. It was a breakthrough once we figured out the score, because it really sets the tone for the entire film.
The score is beautiful. How did you work with the composer?
Michael Bryan Stein, the composer for the film, is a genius. I’ve worked with him on three films so far, and he’s just amazing. I described to him the dark tone of the comedy, and he nailed it. He selected the instrumentation, the piano and strings, and made it feel both grand and intimate – which is perfect for dramatizing passive aggression. He understood the balance of leaning into the heightened emotions, satirizing the drama, while also letting those same feelings bring us into something real at the end.
How did your vision for the film, or the film itself, evolve over the course of the filmmaking process?
The great thing was that it came together like a puzzle. In finding collaborators, from the production crew to the cast all the way through post production, every time I found the right collaborator it just felt like it “fit.” And then that person was able to bring something to the film that I hadn’t expected! I love that collaborative nature of filmmaking, because you literally cannot do this by yourself. So I loved just seeing it evolve through the eyes of my cast & crew!
Why are you excited to premiere this film at Woods Hole Film Festival?
I knew I wanted to premiere this film in New England – it just belongs there. I was thrilled when I got the chance to bring it to Woods Hole, because it’s just exactly where it should be! And the virtual format this year has been a bit of a blessing in disguise – I’ve got friends from all over who can all tune in to watch! What a great way to share it with the world.
Matriarch screens online through August 1st. Purchase tickets here. To keep up with Julia and her work, please visit her website.
LIFTING AS WE CLIMB
I am privileged to perform as a speaker in this concert series with Voices Rising. If you’re in the Boston area, you can purchase tickets here.
Celebrating and protecting voting rights, promoting pay equity, demanding gun reform, and safeguarding women’s autonomy. With battle-cry anthems and pensive reflections on our ongoing struggles, Voices Rising’s music urges you to foster resilience and emboldens you to resist. Our time is now.
Our Time Is Now: Songs of resistance and resilience features Joan Szymko’s “Lifting As We Climb,” the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) commission for the Dr. Catherine Roma women composer project.
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