Mirrors and Mascs

All relationships are mirrors - if we choose to look. It can start by taking in a simple phrase as simple as “hello”...and then looking into another’s eyes to catch a flash of the facets that comprise their being - and our own. Even if we are guarded, we are shown that a foggy or broken mirror still reflects - even if the clarity of the image is blurred and veiled - for now at least.  Letting down one’s guard can feel impossible for many reasons. In this particular image, two masculine beings are being depicted as stepping into vulnerability, reflection, and connection. Still in the United States in 2025 (and certainly many places in the world) systems of patriarchy, misogyny, sexism, heterosexism dictate those assigned male at birth embody particular traits to avoid being violently punished. Boys and men are taught to take control, be independent, not show vulnerability, and to “muscle through” whatever troubles them. They are told that their soft bodies are not works of art - are sexual but not sensual wonders, capable of giving and receiving deep, present, tenderness. Boys and men are taught that they are not worthy unless they are hard, able, and ready - that their bodies are not connected to beating hearts, and all of the wisdom and emotional intelligence in their soul.  In this image these two men are forming a connection of trust and mutual reflection. The man fully covered in mirrors is offering his full self for the other to gaze into and see whatever he sees. It takes an incredible amount of self-work and trust to be exposed in this way, as he has no control over how the other views him or his parts - because as the saying goes -” we do not see things as they are, we see things as “we” are.” The other man may become triggered and overwhelmed at what is reflected back to him, which can be exceptionally dangerous.  He is lovingly placing mirrors on the other man’s  body, in sensitive spots where men are forbidden to touch one another.  They have already developed the mirrored connection to the head/mind where men often connect first, and now both are consenting to go deeper - to see and be seen through the connection of one another’s whole selves and bodies.  The man receiving is learning to trust himself to be a powerful and trustworthy reflection. He feels increasingly safe to be in increasingly intimate dynamics with this other man, even if it is unfamiliar. He is healing his past traumas to open to new possibilities. He is letting go of societal stories and personal narratives that have prevented him from looking at himself in relation to other men and is ready to embrace new facets of himself.  They are both brave and vulnerable and strong, held by the solid beauty of nature around them. By a presence so much bigger and honest than they are, existing long before they entered this plane and that will exist for far longer than their bodies will be here. They are supported in this journey, one that will leave them changed forever.  They are now part of one another’s stories and the story of all life.  Points for Reflection: What part of me to I need to strengthen to be able to be vulnerable and open to others I have learned are threatening? Are there parts of me that I do not allow others to see because I fear what they will reflect? How can I offer that part even more compassion? Can I imagine that something powerful is possible if I seek safe(r) people to share those parts of myself with? What might that look like? Can you think of a representative art project (like putting mirrors on your body in the sunrise/sunset) that would help you solidify any intentions you have around being a mirror for others? What does a healed and healthy “masculinity” look like- within ourselves and in the world? Whether or not we are assigned male at birth, there are associated learned behaviors and power dynamics that exist within all of us.