Male and Female Androgyny
By Dr. Lee Warren, B.A., D.D. (c) 1999 PLIM REPORT, Vol. 8 #3
See Related Articles in Esoteric Mysteries Revealed
Introduction
One of the most baffling phenomena concerning human gender disorders is
androgyny, which is defined as being physically male and female in one. An
androgyne is also referred to as a hermaphrodite. Many have mistakenly confused
androgyny with bisexuality, which is a psychological condition.
Only in rare cases are humans born with both male and female sexes. Estimates
reveal that approximately 1% of the population is born with these traits.
Many cultures view androgyny in a mythical sense when one of their offspring is
born with this affliction, as something both to be obtained and dreaded. For
example, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica Macropedia, the Dogon African
tribe has a myth of creation, which they believe that androgyny is a sign of
perfection (Vol. 5, p. 240).
The Greeks concept of the hermaphrodite and how the sexes were created and
separated is described in Plato's writing "Symposium." In it, the character
Aristophanes describes two humans joined as one, which Zeus decides to split in
half. Each of these beings was globular in shape, with rounded back and sides,
four arms and four legs, and two faces, both the same, on a cylindrical neck,
and one head, with one face on side and one the other, and four ears, and two
lots of privates, and all the other parts to match [see the website
http://parallel.park.uga.edu/~mkozusko/634/hermo.html].
It should also be noted that many cultures' gods were androgynous. For example,
the Hindu god Shiva is often depicted as half man and woman. In addition, both
male and female hormones are found in both sexes.
What is the intent of this article?
This article will explain the origin and purpose of androgyny in accordance to
the purpose, pattern and plan of Elohim who is male and female within Himself.
Modern science has been unable to explain why this phenomenon exists. It will
also show that androgyny symbolizes a spiritual principle that is three-fold
and reflected on three levels: physical, psychological, and spiritual.
Most important is that all humans are androgynous with respect to our souls and
there is a psychological component of androgyny that we all have to develop if
we are to grow on a spiritual level.
In short, Adam with Eve in him is the model for us all, for our soul is the
woman that is giving birth to the man-child Yahshua. Finally, this article will
explain how various cultures have dealt with androgyny.
What are societal norms regarding gender?
Throughout most cultures the dominant view of gender is either male or female
not both. This is the interpretation, especially in the western cultures
according to Judeo-Christian tradition, which is "the arbiter of "natural"
behavior of humans (p. 1)."
Now any possibility of human gender other than male or female in this mindset
is considered abnormal. Thus, the birth of androgyny in these cultures was
abnormal. A child that has both sexes faced many problems. Growing and
development is the first problem. But the greater problem is facing and living
in a society which has its own set of values and norms, where everyone is
either male or female.
In most cultures this represents a great psychological shock to the parents of
the child. In past western cultures, especially Europe, these children were
usually given up to the Church.
We will see later in this article that in some cultures androgyny are seen as
bad omens and the children are usually killed. This occurs where societies are
superstitious.
The irony of this situation is the profound ignorance that mankind, especially
Christians who are supposed to have some knowledge of the scriptures, has of
this phenomenon. The rejection of the androgyny shows that they have no
understanding. Had the Christians understood Adam with Eve in him (Gn. 1:27),
then they would treat androgyny with love and explain their purpose for being
created.
Can science explain androgyny?
Science cannot explain why humans are born with both sexes. But science can
explain what causes androgyny in terms of some abnormality in the male and
female sex chromosomes. Many people believe that androgynes are freaks of
nature.
But there are no errors made in Elohim's creation. In fact, how can the
creature with his very limited understanding of the creation say the workings
of His Creator are flawed. Neither science nor man will ever understand this
phenomenon because they reject the existence of Spirit and the principles
within the Bible. Physical androgyny is a reflection of spiritual androgyny
(Rom. 1:19-20) or as the ancient saying called the "Law of Correspondence" goes
"as above so below."
An age-old question that men have always pondered is: was the chicken before
the egg? Likewise, one may ask the question: which of the sexes came first?
Many believe it was man. The truth concerning the matter is that Adam was
created with both sexes, male and female, for the woman was taken out of Adam
(Gn. 2:22-23).
Was Adam made in the image of Elohim, androgyny?
What must not be forgotten was that Adam was created in the image or reflection
of Elohim (Gn. 1:27)-the Creator. This means that the human body manifests many
of the spiritual attributes of Elohim's spiritual body.
Elohim's spiritual body is both male and female in principle, then Adam's body
must be created to reflect this. Basically, Elohim's spiritual body is made-up
of nine attributes such as Intelligence, Wisdom, Knowledge, Love, Beauty,
Justice, Foundation, Power, and Strength. In fact, each of these spiritual
attributes is both male and female.
What this means is that all spiritual attributes have both a female and male
counterpart. For example, Intelligence and Wisdom have a gender. Solomon makes
this point when he assigns the female gender to Wisdom. He writes in the
Proverb: "Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice
(Pro. 8:1)?"
The male side of Intelligence and Wisdom is logic and critical thinking, while
the feminine side is more intuitive and caring. Both are necessary for the
creative process to work. There is no domination of one over the other, for
they both are equal or exist as King and Queen. Clearly, this is a model of
perfection or androgyny and it is the balance of the male and female principle
in one.
Why were the sexes separated?
Now the sexes were separated so that mankind might understand the operation of
the principles and characteristics that the Creator Elohim, who is spirit,
possesses (Jn. 4:24). Without the physical counterpart of the male and female
principles, there is no way to understand the invisible spiritual operation and
its creative process of conception. From these opposites, males and females,
always comes a new creature. Many of the ancient secret schools and Greeks
understood the importance of opposites.
It only has been in the last 200 years that a philosophy has brought out the
importance of these opposites in any creative process. The German philosopher
Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) developed a philosophy called Hegelianism. The
philosophy of Hegel states that every existent idea or fact belongs to an
all-embracing mind in which each idea or situation (thesis) evokes its opposite
(antithesis) and these two result in a unified whole (synthesis), which in turn
becomes a new thesis. (see "Conspiracy: Fact or Fiction?" in the Vol. 8, #2
issue of the "PLIM REPORT").
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