Definition.
The anima and animus were originally presented by C.G. Jung as cross-gendered presences within the psyche. The feminine anima was understood to be present in the male psyche, and the masculine animus was present in the female psyche. Conceptually, this is valuable because it serves as a reminder that psyche is always a blending of traits and tensions. We all have masculine capacities, and we all have feminine capacities — though how that blending arises varies from person to person.
The challenge, however, is that, since Jung’s time (1875-1961), the idea of human gender has broadened and become slippery. On this basis, Jung’s anima and animus concept may seem outdated to some, and outright offensive to others. One possible solution to this quandary is to suggest that each human has both an anima and an animus. Again, this pairing of figures expresses differently in different individuals.
My own interest in the anima and animus, however, largely sidesteps the issue of gendering. First, I contend that the anima/animus are complexes, in contrast to a prevalent understanding that they are archetypes. Second, I propose that the anima/animus may be not two intrapsychic figures, but four:
- the anima A, representing the feminine factor in psyche
- the animus A, representing the masculine factor in psyche
- the anima B, acting as the eros-based bridge between consciousness and the unconscious
- the animus B, acting as the logos-based bridge between consciousness and the unconscious
Anima B and animus B, I suggest, may be expressions of what post-Jungian Jeffrey Raff terms the ally. The eros-based ally emphasizes a loving, supportive essence as highlighted by Raff, while the logos-based ally emphasizes teaching and reason, and might best be exemplified by Jung’s Philemon figure.footnote 1