62 QUESTION: What is the reason we have two kinds of hormones?
ANSWER: The male and female hormones are a physical aspect of this entire subject [Lecture #62 Man and Woman]. In fact, both sexes have both hormones. A woman could not live without male hormones and a man without female hormones. This physical manifestation is a proof of both aspects existing in both sexes. It is the outer symbol. It is only a question of the proper balance and distribution.
I might add here that the general impression existed for a long time that only woman goes through certain cycles in life: the cycles of menstruation and the change of life.
Man goes through similar cycles, only they do not manifest in the same way. When human beings become more advanced along these lines, these cycles and the principles by which they work will be discovered in man. In order to find them, psychological progress has to keep in step with the spiritual and metaphysical progress. Each man will then be able to find his own cycle which works individually, rather than by set biological rules as in woman.
This will be a very useful recognition. Man’s cycle changes according to the individual. It might be compared to the principle of an astrological chart that has been made for each individual separately. The man’s individual cycle is thus similar in principle to a horoscope. The rhythm of these individual cycles has a great significance in a man’s life.
By the same token, it is not only woman who gives birth. Woman gives birth physically, while man can give birth in soul, so to speak. The same laws governing physical birth hold true for spiritual birth. According to the health of his soul, the births will be healthy or abortive.
QUESTION: What exactly is meant by man giving spiritual birth?
ANSWER: Man in his real creative self can give birth to beautiful and constructive ideas which can become useful and workable in all realms, not only in the physical realm. Ideas and thoughts are alive. You have often heard these words expressed, but you take them as a figure of speech. In reality the process of the birth of an idea takes place according to the same principles as physical birth.
Since woman is also creative, she too can give spiritual birth – and she does. It is only the female side in an entity’s nature which is capable of giving birth. In woman, the female side is mostly turned outward on the “disc,” so that physical birth manifests. However, this does not prevent her from also giving mental and spiritual birth at other times, when this face of the disc may tilt inward.
Man, on the other hand, has the female, birth-giving side of his nature turned inward at all times. It is almost impossible to find the right words to explain these things to you, but this information may open new vistas for you to broaden your understanding and perception, even though my words are limited and may often appear oversimplified.