Constanta Lupei

 

The Anima and Animus

The anima and the animus represent the subconscious expression and identity, which is the opposite of one's biological sex and identifying gender. For instance, in a man's subconscious is the anima, a female presence that is like a deeper personality. Adversely, in a woman's unconscious mind lies the animus, the male personality. This concept may also be described as a man's buried feminine nature, or vice versa.

The anima in a man's mind may influence his choices in romance; the anima often takes the form of the man's mother, combined with other females who have had a significant effect on him. The anima affects his decisions dealing with women and his interactions with them. It has four known levels; the first is Eve, which focuses on the male's desires and categorises women as inferior and malevolent, which is consistent with the once-popular Christian belief that women created original sin through Eve. The second stage is Helen, which refers to the infamous Helen of Troy. It represents a woman's capability of succeeding in the world on multiple talents, but without innocence or integrity. The third is Mary, alluding to the Virgin Mary. It symbolises a woman having virtue and goodness; it is the opposite of Helen. The last stage is Sophia, from the Greek word meaning wisdom. In this phase, the woman is seen as an equal being with flaws and strengths, a thinking, sentient creature.

The animus of a woman's mind does not mirror the stages of development of the anima. It is apparently far more complicated than the anima, with a supposed multitude of male images as opposed to the one image of the anima. Like the anima, however, the animus has four stages of development, though they are less detailed than those of the anima. The first, named the athlete, personifies physical prowess. The second, the planner, is a picture of independence and leadership. Third, the professor, is the embodiment of a teacher and helper. And lastly, the guide, which is the equivalent of the Sophia stage.

It is this student's impression that the anima and animus are, at times, more dominant than Carl Jung has described. Though he asserted that they are both unconscious and somewhat conscious, this student believes that the anima or animus in one's mind may influence an individual's feeling that they are in the wrong biological body, i.e. being transgendered or genderqueer.