The Divine Feminine: Meaning, History, Traits, & More

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The complete guide to understanding and harnessing feminine energy

Co-authored by Cheyenne Main Reviewed by Stina Garbis

Last Updated: November 12, 2023 Fact Checked

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What is the Divine Feminine?

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Traits

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Goddesses and Figures

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Do you have to be a woman?

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Harnessing the Divine Feminine

The divine feminine is an energy inside everyone and everything that is often associated with compassion, nurture, forgiveness, intuition, and empathy. It’s the feminine aspect of divine or godly power that connects the earth. The divine feminine primarily focuses on the inner being and your own emotional world—tapping into this energy can help heal your mind, body, and soul, and can help you to show more kindness to the world and those around you. Keep reading to learn more.

Things You Should Know

The divine feminine is energy that reflects inward and is emotional and intuitive. Everyone has the divine feminine inside them, regardless of gender.
The divine feminine has been worshiped for centuries. Goddesses like Venus, Aphrodite, or Durga often represent divine feminine energy.
To tap into your divine feminine energy, love yourself for who you are, listen to your intuition before taking action, and spend time outside in nature.
Goddess-worshipping religions are always either pantheistic or polytheistic. Only God-worshipping religions are monotheistic. This is due to the fact that although God Is actually Beyond Gender, the way one views Creator's Relationship with Creation will reflect how we address the Almighty in either the Masculine or Feminine Tense: When the male creates, he creates outside of himself. When the female creates, she creates from within herself. So if one were to refer to the Almighty as a goddess rather than as a god, then one is expressing belief that the Almighty Created from within. Eg., Mother Earth, Mother Nature, etc.

Section 1 of 5:

What is the Divine Feminine?

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The divine feminine is the emotional and intuitive energy inside us all. The divine feminine was born out of the idea that there’s a female equivalent to patriarchal, masculine social structures and deities. The divine feminine is believed to be the energy inside everyone that is associated with creativity, fertility, and intuitive thinking. ^{[1]
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- Throughout time, many cultures have celebrated divine feminine goddesses: the Egyptians had Isis, the Romans had Venus, and the Greeks had Aphrodite.
- Many religions have also embraced feminine counterparts to masculine gods. In Hinduism, the world’s oldest religion, female deities are still worshiped today.
- The divine feminine is the equal counterpart to the divine masculine—both work together like yin and yang to bring balance to our lives.

Section 2 of 5:

Traits of the Divine Feminine

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The divine feminine is the more “right-brained” aspect of your personality that guides your emotions and allows you to listen to your inner feelings. Getting in touch with your inner divine feminine can help you allow yourself to feel your emotions instead of suppressing them.
In your day-to-day life, you may find yourself making logical and rational decisions while suppressing your inner wisdom. The divine feminine can remind you to follow your intuition , reflect on your emotions, and listen to these “gut feelings” or “instincts” when you find yourself at a crossroads.
Cooperation means working communally with others toward a common goal. The divine feminine is often described as the more extroverted, open parts of ourselves that know the value of working together and listening to others’ unique insights and contributions.
The divine feminine is a nurturing, empathetic, gentile energy that is not only focused inward but outward toward the earth, animals, and other people. Those who harness the divine feminine also often find success in relationships and being kind to the people around them rather than through achievement or wealth.
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Sensual Being sensual means getting pleasure from the world around you and finding your body a wonderful place to live in. Instead of doing and achieving, you’re more focused on just being. The divine feminine can help you be more present, indulge in activities that excite you, and appreciate your body.
- Sensuality is not just about sex—instead, it’s more about taking time to enjoy your everyday life and being comfortable in your own skin.
Creativity is an essential part of the divine feminine. Your dreams, fears, passions, thoughts, and feelings can seep into the beautiful work you create. This freedom of expression can be a great way to understand yourself better and get in touch with the feminine energy inside of you.
The divine feminine can help you accept yourself and those aspects of life that you can’t change. Forgiveness towards yourself means letting go of what brings you stress and being understanding towards yourself. Allow yourself to find acceptance, softness, and kindness towards yourself, especially on difficult days.

Section 3 of 5:

Goddesses and Divine Feminine Figures in History

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Cultures and religions across time have worshipped divine feminine figures. The divine feminine has always existed, although different cultures and spiritual traditions might have different ideas about what femininity means. Here are a few goddesses and figures that show how divine femininity can be powerful, complicated, and ever-changing: ^{[2]
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- Venus: The ancient Roman goddess of passion.
- Pele: The Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, who is said to create new life after they erupt.
- Aphrodite: The ancient Greek goddess of love, desire, beauty, and sexuality. ^{[3]
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- Freyja: The ancient Norse goddess of love, fertility, battle, and death. ^{[4]
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- Oshun: The deity of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria who is typically associated with water, purity, love, fertility, and sensuality. ^{[5]
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- Isis: The Egyptian goddess associated with healing and protection from this world to the afterlife.
- Guanyin: The Buddhist goddess (enlightened being) of compassion. She is the female counterpart to Avaloskitesvara.
- Durga (or Devi or Shakti): The Hindu goddess who is the female counterpart to male divinities and is often associated with protection, strength, motherhood, war, and destruction. ^{[6]
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- Asase Yaa (or Aberewa): The great female spirit of the earth in the indigenous religion of the Akan people of the Guinea Coast. She’s often associated with fertility, motherhood, and the creation of life. ^{[7]
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- Sophia: A central figure in Gnosticism, who represents divine wisdom and feminine spirit, and is believed to be the female counterpart to Jesus Christ. ^{[8]
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- The Shekinah: The Glory of God, and female counterpart to HaShem in Judaism. ^{[9]
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Section 4 of 5:

Do you have to be a woman to embrace the Divine Feminine?

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People of all genders and sexes can embrace the divine feminine. Divine feminine and masculine energies don’t have anything to do with gender or sex. Everyone has the divine feminine inside of them. Instead of being opposed to each other, masculine and feminine energies exist in balance with each other like yin and yang or the sun and the moon. ^{[10]
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- Everyone has a mixture of these masculine and feminine qualities. While the divine masculine is achieving, confident, and logical, the divine feminine is more reflective, intuitive, and cooperative.

Section 5 of 5:

Harnessing the Divine Feminine in Your Daily Life

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Nourishing your feminine energy often means taking care of yourself and giving your mind and body what they need to survive and grow. Drink plenty of water, engage in exercise each day, get enough sleep, pray or meditate, and be kind and loving toward your physical body. ^{[11]
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National Institute of Mental Health
Informational website from U.S. government focused on the understanding and treatment of mental illness.
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Trying to measure up to other people’s standards can put strain on your mental and emotional energy. Incorporate the divine feminine into your daily life by learning to love yourself for who you truly are. Forgive and accept your flaws, practice gratitude , and repeat positive affirmations to yourself daily. ^{[12]
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Being compassionate towards yourself can mean searching for the wonderful kind friendships and relationships that you deserve. Look for people who recognize your value and will lift you up when you’re feeling low. Nurture your relationships and allow them to fill you with positive, loving energy.
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Get involved in climate change and social justice causes. The divine feminine is an empowering energy that often means fighting for changes that can benefit the world and the people around you. Connection to Mother Earth and community are the foundations of the divine feminine—do your part to help the planet and support changes that will truly matter.
- In many cultures, the divine feminine is also associated with justice and defense. ^{[13]
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Divine feminine energy is all about developing your intuition . By getting in touch with your inner voice, you may find that it’s easier to make decisions, in all aspects of your life. Pay attention to what your dreams might be telling you and keep a journal, taking 20 minutes a day to reflect on what’s on your mind. ^{[14]
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Engaging in the natural world and all its sensations can help you get in touch with your inner feminine energy. Enjoy what the natural world has to offer by going for a walk, hiking, collecting flowers or other objects from nature, planting a garden , or caring for plants indoors.
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Sit in silence and give yourself a moment of rest. A constant barrage of work, social media notifications, and the general stress of life can be overwhelming to the senses. If you feel drained, fuel your feminine energy and give your soul a moment of healing by sitting by yourself without music or distractions for at least five minutes.
- You can also decorate your home with calming lighting, colors, and textures that bring you a sense of peace.
The workplace is often seen as a field dominated by masculine energy. ^{[15]
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American Psychological Association
Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists
Go to source} However, having a balance between masculine and feminine energies can make you an excellent leader. Bring more feminine energy into the workplace by encouraging group collaboration and supporting the achievements of others.
Divine feminine energy encourages you to be comfortable in your own skin and celebrate the pleasant physical sensations you get from the world around you. Bring the divine feminine into your life by lighting your favorite candle, cooking a delicious meal, wearing nice fabrics, or listening to your favorite music.