Being and doing
In a conversation I had with a good friend, we discussed the difference between roles in life that are either about being or doing. As a theatre practitioner, she didn’t like the idea of being called an actress, because she felt there was an element of sexism in assigning gender to the description of the job. I asked her if she felt the same about Goddesses and she said it was somehow different. I was able to pinpoint the fact that an actor does his or her job, whereas a Goddess simply is who she is.
In considering age old traditions of leadership, questions could be asked about Kingship. Is it a being or doing role? I am inclined to see it as a being role, except that different folks bring their own interpretations when they find themselves in that position.
The traditional rulers of the lands of my forbears are selected through a process of ruling families taking turns to present a suitable representative, whenever a ruler passes away.
Some kingdoms have more authority than others in the overall domain, due to a combination of various historical and mythological factors. In another conversation with a sibling recently, we discussed the reasons why some of the current figures appear to be relatively lightweight when compared to their recent predecessors.
We agreed that such pivotal roles shouldn’t be assigned to people simply because they are successful in business or happen to be well heeled. It helps to have a hinterland when significant numbers of people hold a person in high regard as a symbol of authority and prestige.
