Everyone knows about the power of strength, but not the power of weakness.
Weakness is a also a power. But its influences are perhaps more subtle. Looking at hexagram 9, 43, and 44 found in the Yijing scripture: a Chinese book of divination and occultism with knowledge written within as old as man himself, we get some idea of this subtle and hidden power. While weakness in a proper position is docile, yielding, and changes to its opposite, weakness in an authoritative position gives rise to domination. Domination is a situation that runs on bad motivation, shame, guilt, character assassination, and “psychic vampirism” or attrition. Weakness is in fact a power in its own rite. It has influences that are quite pervasive and powerful.
Weakness in a high position is not capable of increasing those below for being inferior is only maintained by the expense of those of below. This weakness in a ruling position exercises its power by undermining others and using coercion. The undermining process disassociates its own weakness from itself and projects it onto its victim. Coercion is then used creating a negative identity of dominating others.
Natural weakness, and the power of the weakness are different. Natural weakness isn’t “bad”, its docile, yielding, and in fact necessary and integral to strength. The "power of weakness" however is a weakness in an active position of strength and leadership (Hexagram 43, 9) and is resolute in maintaining it's lesser state in a higher position.
Carl Jung talked briefly about the idea of the animus, and the anima. An idea that in the male is a feminine energy at its core, and in the female visa versa. This idea is also present in Taoism. Within yin is yang, within yang is yin. The inner aspect is not however equal to its external counterpart, it may be of a lesser or greater extent in various ways. The core energy however can assume leadership positions in psychology. The nature of man being feminine within whilst of woman being masculine (see fire and water trigrams) suggests the feminine internal dynamics are dominant over man, just as man’s external nature is dominant over woman. This is a very key point to stay aware of but not easy to understand due to this being an immaterial force of psyche in nature. Man’s weakness within allows for the strength within woman to complement him. As it is shown in Taoism: a firm line within two yielding lines denotes the trigram of Kan or water and which symbolizes the female, on the outside its feminine on the inside its masculine. While Li or fire which symbolizes the male: on the outside it’s masculine and inside feminine (broken line means feminine, solid line means masculine).
One can see how water can put out fire if it is smothered. Yet if water is not able to reach the center of the fire to smother - it will be transformed and become steam. Likewise if a man’s internal depth is shallow, a woman of greater depth will readily psychologically dominate. While if both are of sufficient depth the woman and man will be transformed through love, romance or other harmonious relationships. On the other hand when one is lead about by weakness and depends on others to complement: this is a state of weakness and exploitable. Weakness within man gives rise to primal animal passions and instincts in inappropriate situations. If left unchecked this weakness can drive man to criminal behavior due to his loss of self control and possession by the unconscious animus.
Note: The animus can also act as a true fire and compliment the true water within man in a harmonious relationship, but this would also require the anima to complete itself. Self completion requires alchemical transformation (which is what this website specializes in).
Weakness in dominance leads to the undermining of those around it in order to maintain supremacy. This can be done by forcefully injecting an emotional force which clouds the logic and reason centers of those around the "event horizion" or the radius of that power. While others may be superior to the weak leader or the leader be not equal to his or her responsibilities: weakness can maintain its high position only by increasing the negative, usually by creating a crisis situation which impedes decisive action or strength. Weakness dominating affects ones very senses and faculties adversely while one’s individuality is reduced. Sensitivity and intelligence is then also blighted as tension, stress, and states of instinct or pathos prevail over logic. Pathological states then multiply and this gives rise to neurosis and negative karma.
As lightly mentioned previously, the animus seeks to externalize itself by projection just as the anima externalizes itself as well in order to reflect the internal nature back upon the individual. Men often project their anima upon women, and idealize them as an aspect of his own soul. Women do the same but their projection is of the animus spirit and this is their internal masculine nature which is overpowering to the anima. A stereotypical "strong man" (strong externally and weak internally) is a good vessel for the projection of a female animus, he externally exhibits the qualities of her inner psyche in small or major ways; so that she may be able to relate to herself. The male anima is also able to project upon women but the anima being of a more yielding nature would be more easily handled, if not humorously discarded.
The female animus can gain power directly or indirectly, either directly through oneself which is healthy or through another which is not. The false masculine ego, often referred to inaccurately as “toxic masculinity” is largely defined by women’s misunderstanding of her own animus or the misunderstanding of tradition by both.
Negative and powerful women prefer "strong men": physically capable but unconscious within himself: he is malleable to her will and animus. The animus needs an unconscious male vessel for their projection of power. This then creates the image of the tyrant. The tyrant is not only a perpetrator of an external dynamic but also a victim of an internal one. Tyrants in powerful positions also use weakness as a fallback position when challenged.
A weak person can also assume a position of the victim when actually on offense. For example, a majority of domestic violence is in fact instigated by women (this comes from a Harvard study which is supporting the facts in this article: http://newscastmedia.com/domestic-violence.htm) due to the "taboo" nature of this information, one may find it hard to find / coorborate).
Women loose their temper in some fashion, provoke the male, and initiate violence, but being more often the physically weaker of the two, they are usually dominated by the male physical strength (fullfilling her own negative / disharmonious relationship to her animus). Nontheless this can work to their advantage legally / socially, and they may be aware of this at some level. Often the law enforcement system characterizes the male as the most imminant threat by default whether or not this is the case. So when an unhinged woman moves into position provoking the male with all their power, a "strong man" who has no internal self-mastery of his anima: he easliy falls victim to her power becoming the false masculine, the tyrant, the projection of the negative animus figure within the female psyche. His anima being unconscious yeilds to her inner force. Her power is now fully in possesion of the male. This is symbolized by the center line in the trigram Kan moving into the center line in trigram Li.
Again as stated previously if both male and female are of sufficient depth the woman and man can be transformed through love, romance or other harmonious relationships. But if the man is surpressing his anima, and the woman projecting her surpressed animus (not in touch with her masculine aspect) he inhabits the false masculine negative animus.
As suggested above the weak power actually becomes more powerful when attacked openly as it can assumes the position of the victim. In nature there is no problem here, nature is apparently fine with there being victims. However in man's world of laws that protect victims (in the same way a man protects his anima): assuming a victim position implicates the perpetrator as the guilty party. Force then moves against the one assumed guilty. This complex process described above works through duality and psychic projection of the inner psyche: the animus & anima.
However while nature doesn't really redeem the victim the way man and his laws seek to, it nontheless does have the pathway for man to follow in order to defeat the animus and false masculine power of weakenss. It's written in the figure of hexagram 9 of the Yijing scripture which states: to dislodge the tyrant one must use “friendly persuasion” and gentleness. One must display superior virtue and self control beyond the one with the charge against you: ideally without allowing them to loose face. To do so is the unassailable true power of strength, the spirit or the wind (the upper trigram of hexagram 9). However if one attempts to use the forceful domination tactics as a tyrant, one will not prevail, nature, man and the fates will condemn you and the wheel of karma will be set in motion.
To which the Purple Tyrant fled
The iron hand crush'd the tyrant's head
And became Tyrant in his stead." - William Blake
Not just the individual but an entire culture or society can itself be driven by the power of weakness and false masculine animus as a whole and may exhibit the following symptoms:
- A system of rules and limitations that gives one person petty power and another a pecking order to follow.
- Fear, Crisis, Demonization of others, Dogma, Pretense / Sentimentality. False sense of self.
- An cut-throat competition to eliminate the other & elimination regarded as only negative and never positive.
- A state of low energy, depression, and ill health.
- Everyone vying for top position, whilst nobody being fulfilled in it's service.
- Lower ranked individuals being held in contempt while the highest is envied and coveted.
- Each person wants to lord over others and dominate with ego.
- Sensitivity to and of male feelings is seen as reprobate.
- Victims are raised to a very high status by that society as icons.
In this case these qualities point to the pathological power of weakness waxing to its fullness.
Finally in order for man to overcome the false masculine animus which currently dominates the entire planet: he must learn of his inner nature and unite with his anima, as she must with her animus. This is the process of indivduation and self-mastery / enlightenment. This is done via neigong 內功 (internal qigong) or internal alchemy and mastered in the higher eschalons of the nine Taoist alchemical formulas of immortality. This site will eventually offer these techniques to the public via video courses. But in order to reach the neigong level one needs to first remove the obstructions and blockages that are impeding your awareness of Qi. Start working with your unconscious or subconscious forces, and begin your "shadow work": Thats what our beginner's pack video course is for. Start your journey today