Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with divine feminine energy?
Creators say divine feminine energy can help people live more authentically, but its message sometimes gets watered down on social media.
svetikd/Getty, Carkhe/iStock, Ava Horton/BI
- Posts about feminine energy are popular on social media.
- Creators say feminine energy can help any person trust their intuition and live authentically.
- Experts warn the message can get lost in translation when its watered down on social media.
Alexis Smith and Nadia Khaled were at a crossroads in their early 20s. Smith, 25, was reeling from an intense breakup, while Khaled, 26, needed a change after losing her job.
Then, they tapped into their feminine energy — and everything changed.
The concept of divine feminine energy, which believers feel is a force that exists in everyone and guides our emotional and creative sides, has been all over social media.
You might've seen videos of women breaking down their rituals to connect with their energy, inspirational Instagram graphics about how feminine energy can change your life, or clips of people discussing how they healed their feminine side.
Content creators like Smith and Khaled said that tapping into their feminine energy was key to creating the lives they wanted.
However, experts told Business Insider that the recent trend has some drawbacks, from reinforcing gender norms to opening the door to alt-right pipelines.
Say hello to divine feminine energy
It's tough to find an exact definition of divine feminine energy on social media. Still, it generally refers to a manifestation of creativity and emotion, complementing the action and logic that come from masculine energy, experts said.
The concept of femininity versus masculinity isn't new. It appears in different religions and psychological frameworks, like in controversial Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung's musings on the anima and animus, which he saw as the feminine side of men and the masculine side of women.
Author and physician Deepak Chopra also embraces the idea of the divine feminine, writing in a 2021 essay, "The adjectives that apply to the personal feminine are love, affection, forgiveness, compassion, allowing, nurturing, and creative. They need to be present in everyone's life, whether you are a man or woman, and every child needs to be exposed to them."
Smith and Khaled told BI they learned about the divine feminine online and through books like "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle and podcasts such as Jay Shetty's "On Purpose."
"It comes down to really tuning into my body and what my body is calling me to do as opposed to what my brain is telling me to do," Khaled said of how feminine energy functions in her life.
She said she tries to actively tap into her feminine energy by making herself feel present in her body, whether by taking herself on a date to Barnes & Noble, doing a more in-depth skincare routine, or listening to her body when she's exhausted.
"If I am feeling really burned out, I don't push myself to go harder," Khaled said. "I take that as a sign to step back and relax, and when I'm feeling inspired to take action, that's when I start doing the initiating and leaning more into that masculine energy."
@nadia.khaledd being the universe’s passenger princess >>> #manifestation #feminineenergy #surrender #trusttheuniverse #lawofattraction #idontchaseiattract #passengerprincess #highvaluewoman #glowup #visionboard #lawofdetachment ♬ original sound - Nadia Khaled
Smith, a feminine energy coach and content creator, said she thinks of feminine energy as "life force" energy and a way to get in touch with her younger, most authentic self.
Meanwhile, she said she relies on masculine energy for her work but often needs to turn that "energy off," which "takes a lot of planning and organization."
Both creators also said focusing on their feminine energy enabled them to adopt an "attract, don't chase" motto in their personal and professional lives, which they say has made them more successful.
Khaled saw her social media following explode when she started approaching content creation with this mindset, and Smith said she's been happier while dating since she embraced it.
A form of empowerment
Although Smith and Khaled use feminine energy similarly, the term holds different meanings in other settings.
Erika Evans, a sexologist and relationship therapist, discusses the idea of feminine and masculine energy with her clients from a therapeutic lens. She said tapping into those sides can help her clients grow and trust their instincts.
Evans also encourages her clients to create rituals, such as dancing, journaling, or spending time in nature, to help them tap into their feminine energy.
@awwlexis Replying to @coolsexysmarthotgirl where wounded feminine energy comes from and 2 ways to heal ❤️
