When discussing the animus, the same prerequisites apply as for the
anima.
Animus
When discussing the animus, the same prerequisites apply as for the anima.
This is particularly true of its origins in syzygy, and so it is essential for the reader to have digested the comments on the syzygy motif in the revious section.
The conclusions arrived at there can simply be reversed when dealing with a feminine system: in a woman’s system there must also be a masculine element – hence the Latin masculine animus.
Initially it means “ soul, spirit,” and in relation to thinking it means “ spirit, thought, reason.”
Meo animo means, for example, “in my opinion, my thinking.”
Jung uses the noun more in the sense of spirit than of opinion, tenet, principle.
Like the anima in man, the animus comes to the fore in the second half of
life.
With the woman, however, the hormonal component is more pronounced; she starts to grow a moustache, for example, her voice gets deeper and she becomes more energetic.
Although the animus in the woman’s system has the same position as the
anima in man, what may be surprising to learn that its phenomenology is very
different from that of the anima.
La petite différence anatomique is considerably greater in the psychological sphere.
In so far as the animus must be regarded as the legitimate function complex of the woman, the whole universal difference between man and woman could be discussed from this angle.
It would then emerge that the modern egalitarianism of man and woman (women’s liberation, etc.) is a fatal error, for it is precisely this difference between the sexes, especially the psychological one, that makes life interesting and keeps the ball rolling, as the saying goes.
There is no denying that it can make life complicated, but we merely wish to point out that a deeper knowledge of the real differences between the two is likely to be
more productive than a declaration of war.
The legacy of Jung, and especially Emma Jung,[54] could be a starting point for a reconciliation, but unfortunately this is too irksome a process for belligerent animi, and unassuming heroism is not their style.
At this point we must not fail to refer to the original representation of the development of the animus, as depicted by Toni Wolff,[55] for she has given a most impressive typology of the feminine psyche.
It seems, however, that in the West at least, cultural development has not offered the animus sufficient opportunity to pursue a natural course.
As with the anima, a conscious coming to terms with the animus ought to provide a
basis for any creative achievement, in that it leads to harmonious integration, a synthesis of the masculine and the feminine, enabling it to bear fruit.
This is why, only recently, creative women have become more common.
However, as the animus usually fancies it has to assert itself as a spiritual principle against the man, although this is not a conscious intention, it manifests itself in a form that is bound to be objectionable to the man.
Such animus effects, for example, are niggling and splitting hairs, arguing about
principles and ideas, being dogmatic.
She begins to be a know-all and clings obsessively to her ideas. An animus obsession, i.e., lengthy spells when this unconscious factor dominates, often leads to religious sectarianism or tenacious adherence to some trendy philosophy.
Analytical experience has shown that conscious processing of the animus can be brought about better between two women (analyst and analysand), which may be because in such a situation the “battle of the sexes” is not a factor and it is thus possible to work on a more objective basis.
Jung asserted that there were three stages in the development of the animus.
The first stage is that of the father complex.
A girl is attracted to older men; they can be paternal friends or teachers.
The second stage is what Jung calls the stage of action.
The representatives of this stage are usually “hero types,” such as prizefighters, pilots, tanned sportsmen, preferably blueeyed, and tenors.
In the negative case, they may be criminals, albeit physically attractive ones. Jung called the third stage the spiritual stage.
It manifests itself mainly in projections onto parsons, teachers, doctors, actors
and artists.
Negatively, there can be swindlers, impostors, misunderstood geniuses or big talkers.
During these stages of development, the figures of the second stage may appear in dreams as pilots, racing drivers, chauffeurs, hairdressers, and in the third stage as priests, sorcerers or very old men.
Theriomorphically, the commonest figures are birds, especially eagles.
When the animus has reached a high potential and at the same time is projected onto a real man, this can lead to anything between sexual bondage and spiritual servitude.
The scientific processing of the manifestations of the animus is still in the
early stages.
The first and as yet the best contribution on the subject comes from Emma Jung, with the essay “Ein Beitrag zum Problem des Animus.”[56]
Esther Harding deals with the history of the development of the animus in The Way of All Women.[57] There is a wealth of illustrative material in the socalled “controls” of female mediums in spiritualism, which are always masculine.
A remarkable example of this is the representation of the case of Mlle Smith with her “control,” who calls himself Leopold, in Th. Flournoy.[58]
As examples from literature, Jung often refers to Ronald Fraser’s tale of The
Flying Draper[59] and especially the novel by H.G. Wells (1866-1946) Christina Alberta’s Father,[60] which is a veritable treasure trove for complex manifestations of all kinds.
In H.G. Wells we can see a peculiarity of the animus that we have not yet mentioned: for Christina Alberta the animus is represented in the form of a “court of conscience,” i.e., a tribunal made up of several men.
This plurality is actually a characteristic of the animus, so that one is tempted to replace the term animus by the plural animi.
The anima, by way of contrast, is usually just one woman, and although it has dark and light aspects, this ambivalence can be found in one and the same personification.
Jung occasionally tried to clarify this difference between the animus and the anima by pointing out the compensatory function of these elements in relation to the conscious.
Masculine consciousness is known to have a polygamous tendency, to which
the unconscious, with the single anima figure, reacts monogamously.
Feminine consciousness, however, is monogamously orientated, with the
polygamous tendency being confined to the unconscious, and hence the animus can be perceived in plurality.
Once the shadow and the persona have been integrated, the woman’s next objective in the process of personality development is the integration of the animus.
We must repeat that it is not possible to make conscious the archetype of the animus.
What can be integrated are its effects, which must each be clearly distinguished, so that they are no longer autonomous, for here we come close to the “discrimination of the spirits” in I Cor. 12:10.[61]
On the other hand, there has to be a relationship to the images and the effects, for
only then is it possible to have some sort of check with a certain amount of “mutual respect.”
In this way, the animus gradually develops into a logos, which gives the feminine consciousness a sort of reflectiveness, meditativeness and perceptiveness; in other words, it will acquire new characteristics, the effects of which will be particularly beneficial in relation to the partner.
As in the integration of the anima, there is also a triad when the animus is
integrated.
It consists of:
1. the feminine subject,
2. the masculine object (in the partner, in the real man),
3. the animus as a consciousness-transcending factor.
As the process of individuation continues, a fourth figure usually appears:
4. the archetype of the “great mother.”[62]
In summary, the animus and anima are, generally speaking, the source of our empathy and antipathy.
These emotional phenomena are so spontaneous that we can neither repress them nor foster them; they are beyond our conscious control and we cannot attribute them to consciously known factors.
In short, they are contributions from the unconscious.
From his clinical experience,
Jung was able to ascertain that they are ideal images that fatally attract the sexes to each other.
Ideal images have little or no connection with reality, as the victims of such projections invariably find out, to their disappointment.
The projection itself usually takes place at first sight, which is why it is inexplicable.
A strange feeling of “old acquaintanceship” arises:
“Ah, you were in days gone by my sister or my wife” (Goethe).
This romantic feeling only adds to the fascination. So we can say that almost
everyone is possessed by these figures again and again, and is thus unable to see reality.
These effects of the animus and anima can be understood only if we bear in mind that our consciousness is still in the process of developing.
There will always be more conscious and less conscious individuals.
These differences frequently lead to misunderstandings or lack of understanding between people.
Emotions come into play whenever we are unable to adapt sufficiently to the situation.
The contributions from the unconscious, in this instance from the animus and the anima, can force their way through the weak spots in our persona and spoil the whole thing.
We are blinded by our emotions and discussion becomes impossible.
This is when our strongest prejudices thrive and flourish, and it can happen so quickly; one single experience is enough to trigger off the whole force of a priori negative judgments.
Conversely, one single good experience can make us see everything through rose-tinted spectacles.
The analogy becomes clear with the effects of the complexes, as discussed in Vol. 1 of this textbook series.
In the course of cultural development, however, certain collective forms of behavior have formed around the influential dominant factors of animus and anima.
The collective modus vivendi, however, does not exactly lead to reflection on and confrontation with the unconscious, which is essential if there is to be any personal cultural development (becoming conscious).
Rather it represents a prosthesis for the gaps in the persona.
This keeps the background primitive and under pressure.
It will then exert “grim power” in “changed form.”
There are still countries and continents in which, for example, the anima complex is on the first, primitive level of the mother complex, which leads to the men being totally inferior to the women.
Hence, it is not wise to wait until our relationship to the partner is distorted by our animus or anima projections.
It is far less disastrous to keep these affects to oneself and to think about them in all tranquility.
There will be no shortage of practice material, for night after night our dreams will keep up a steady supply.
We have already listed the criteria by which a dream figure is to be taken as an animus or anima personification.
In each case, the interpretation offered on the subject level (cf. Vol. 2 of this textbook series) means that we gain insight not only into our behavior in dealing with a partner of the opposite sex, but also into the constitution of our own oppositesex subject, our own femininity (in the man) or masculinity (in the woman).
Only when we know this – and it changes constantly in the process of becoming conscious – can we adjust to it properly and thus finally work out a meaningful relationship.
This gives a deeper meaning to the maxim “charity begins at home”!
For in psychological terms I can only really adjust and relate to the external feminine when I have really understood the internal feminine within myself.
The phenomenology of the two dominants is inexhaustible both intra- and inter-individually, so we shall stick to the common denominators (stages) given by Jung.
It is on that basis that the stage of analysis attained can be udged.
As the figures of anima and animus may be regarded as the actual dominant factors of the unconscious, they will always carry the hallmarks of this contamination, as defined in our typological observations in Chapter II; for example, they will bear the characteristics of the inferior attitude and functions.
This means that the task is not to be underrated and is certainly not everyone’s preference, for if I fail I can always ignore the psychological approach and blame the external objects; but I cannot do this when, as mentioned above, the problem lies with me and has not been solved.
We do not wish to encumber these figures of the unconscious with too
much mythology.
They certainly appear occasionally in every dream life.
Nevertheless, we are convinced that if dreams are studied systematically, as in the analytical situation, for example, then accumulations form at certain points and these accumulations have a sort of hierarchy, one that observes the order laid down in our earlier discussion.
Of course, this order is never absolute, but if the material is worked on consciously, then the whole thing becomes less diffuse.
It is possible to look on this phenomenon in terms of what we referred to before as the interaction of the conscious and the unconscious.
This hierarchy reminds us of the layer theory of the personality, which was discussed in Vol. 3 of this textbook series (Chapter III).
As we become conscious, we participate increasingly in ever broader layers of our
humanness, and this keeps us in touch with our ancestors.
“What you inherit from your forefathers, acquire it so that you can own it.”
Every stage of the path, and every figure that appears enables us to communicate with the sphere of the collective unconscious, as can be seen clearly in Figure 4, p. 22, and this sheds light on the historical and mythological elements of personification listed above.
In so far as the images typified in the expressions shadow, persona, anima, animus, wise old man, and great mother come up from the unconscious, they enable us to participate in the inferior aspects of our personality.
This is why these figures usually have characteristics that are relatively unfamiliar, alien, pleasant or unpleasant as the case may be, but which we have to acknowledge
in ourselves and accept their existence.
It is then up to our conscious to come to terms with them so that the new possibilities that are thus opened up can be meaningfully employed.
These characteristics make it possible for us to cross the threshold to the previously unconscious inferior functions (and the opposite attitude).
This is what we call becoming conscious.
The interaction with the unconscious means that its representatives (images) or, as Jung says, its dominant factors, gradually undergo a transformation.
They become less and less anthropomorphous and often emerge as more or less abstract symbols (cf. Chapter VII), which help us to integrate what had been alien
before.
This function of the symbols Jung called the “ transcendent function.”[63] ~C.A. Meier, Personality, Page 104-108
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