Authentic masculinity and patriarchy, what is the difference and why should we care? Well, first off I would suggest that the authentic and sacred masculine/feminine aspect for all of us is a natural expression of who we are. Patriarchy, on the other hand, is a sociopolitical structure. In many cases the conflation of the two distinct definitions can cause men or women to feel devalued, persecuted, or shamed.
Is there anything inherently wrong or defective with the authentic expression of masculine or feminine? In my view, No! Much like the yin yang symbol each blends into the other and holds at its core the essence of the other. This symbol points to a concept that transcends the day to day grit of sociopolitical structures such as patriarchy or matriarchy. The yin yang symbol demonstrates how we can have polarity in the context of unity. If we disenfranchise one half of the polarity then we weaken the unity.