She is the Ocean and He the Ship

“Like a ship cutting through a vast ocean, the masculine decides on a course and navigates the direction: the feminine energy itself is undirected but immense, like the wind and deep currents of the ocean, ever-changing, beautiful, destructive, and the source of life.” -David Deida

Lately, I have been getting a lot of questions about relationships, and while people can make relationships incredibly difficult and complicated, I am going to simplify them abstractly for you in this post.

As talked about previously, relationships are merely a value exchange between two people. A romantic relationship is one where the value that most derive from the connection is the collaboration with their counterpart, their opposite and their complement all in one. This union provides more value for them together than being alone. 

With the masculine energy, the feminine is the counterbalance to that energy. As learned in Alchemy, there is duality in the world and the opposing forces need each other. This is where balance happens in the universe.

The way I think of relationships and the way I advise others is a metaphor. David Deida said it best when he described the feminine energy as the ocean and the masculine energy as a ship. Notice how far-reaching the implications are for this metaphor.

A ship needs the ocean and the ocean needs the ship. Without one or the other, there is no story to tell, no action, or anything that is worth remembering. A ship will be stranded and the ocean will be forgotten. 

One can watch the ocean and admire how beautiful it is, just as one can admire a woman’s beauty yet nothing is noteworthy until there is action and this is where the ship comes in.

These two energies are totally different and this is often where others get in trouble when going about relationships. A man and a woman are not the same and shouldn’t be treated the same in relationships. They are going to behave differently, they are going to respond to different things in life, and they are going to think about life differently.

This difference between the sexes brings out a polarizing force of magnetization. When these opposite ends of magnets attract, then lightning can strike and give more force and beauty to the world. Only together can these forces be even more than what they are separate. This combination is growth and omnipresence all in one.

Just like nature, the two energies are destined to fit perfectly together. A ship sails on the ocean and goes to where it needs to go. The ocean provides solace against the land and a path to a man’s destination. When a man and a woman come together, what can be accomplished is magnificent, but the two have to work together.

The ocean can destroy a ship. Men get lost in a woman’s beauty and women get lost with a man who doesn’t know who he is or where he is going.  The ocean can be polluted and diluted by that of a ship. However, when a man and a woman come together in harmony they get to where they are going and the journey is one of beauty. There may be chaos, challenges, and obstacles to overcome, but the quest is what life is all about.

The Ocean

The woman is a beauty to behold. One can get lost in admiring her waves and the natural essence of her form. Though formless she is, she will take longer to understand than a ship. The ocean is also the medium that one travels in. She can help or hinder the man on his trip and on his journey. The waves are never the same and are always changing.

In a storm, there can be destruction and devastation unless the ship knows how to navigate through the waves. She will be at times hard to navigate and at other times totally peaceful. The thing that the man needs the most is a clear direction when doing such navigating. He must know where he wants to go and he can’t let the ocean sway him from his destination. She will work powerfully with him if only he stays true to his ship, himself, and where he wants to go.

A woman that is worthwhile will be expressive in her energy. It’s not that you don’t want the storms because they are bound to arise, but you want to experience the fullness of the storm and be able to navigate through it this is the quest of a man.

The Ship

In his masculine form, the man knows who he is. This man is solid and generally unbreakable as the true form of himself. You can get a grasp of who and what he is. You can trust in the dependability and durability of the ship. Yet, you also know that it is real and non-deceptive. The man that gets himself in trouble is the one that tries to disguise his ship or be someone who he is not. Reaching or trying to be anything but your own ship is a path to destruction. 

Some ships are made better than others, but the ones worth coming together with are the ones that cannot be destroyed or swayed by the ocean. These ships move with the ocean, but to the place of their choosing. They know who they are and they are certain of where they are going. In addition, they are excellent at navigating the ocean and they know exactly what to do, and when to do it to get them to their journey safely.

A man that is worthwhile will know who he is, where he is going, and how to communicate effectively with a woman.

Much more can be covered on how a man is like a ship and a woman is like the ocean, but the power in this metaphor is for you to have a far-reaching understanding of men and women. In the specific scenarios and life experiences, you will find more of these examples and how to apply them to your own understanding. 

The key to successful relationships is acceptance. You first accept the differences of your counterpart and then adapt to the waves or change in your current.

When you have a masculine man who is the ship and a feminine woman who is the ocean and they align, this is when the magic of a destination pales in comparison to the wondrous journey ahead. May this journey last many years.