Anima and Animus or the differences in moral development
Updated: May 13, 2020
When Yung were speaking about the Anima/Animus archetypes, he explained that every single person has a different gender archetype inside them, influencing his/her behavior through the unconsciousness. The only way to catch these different gender identity-figures is in action by interacting with the other gender. Most of the time these attributes are projected into the others and very difficult to notice and it is much more rare to acknowledge them.
Anima, the feminine archetype of the Man's psyche, has a much more detailed explanation than the Animus, the masculine archetype of the Woman's psyche.
As Anima/ Animus are considered the part of the unconsciousness, which should be faced and acknowledged to become conscious, it brings an extremely difficult task on both gender.
Jung speaks about dualities like masculine-feminine, light-dark, conscious-unconscious, Logos-Eros, Full-Empty as the two sides of every substance.
In theories Feminine described as the dark part, the unconscious part of the whole, the Eros, responsible for the emotion and intuition.
While the Masculine is the light part, the conscious, the Logos, everything with logic.
The conflict exists with or without recognition inside each and every human being. And as far as the two parts are not harmonized inside the person, he or she can not reach his/her full potential.
In an interaction, Anima shows herself in a Man through emotions.
While Animus shows himself in a Woman through reasoning with justice over heart issues.
But... if Anima is in Man and making it conscious means to understand and acknowledge the emotions, how can you make the Animus conscious?
If Animus is the 'shadow' of the feminine (the unconscious part of the unconscious) does that means it is ergo conscious? How can you work on making the Animus conscious, if the Animus represent logic? How can be the logos unconscious?
How can you integrate the Animus to the conscious other than becoming Persephone and let Mercy lead?
photo source: DeviantAr