Anima-Animus

The anima represents the inner femininity of man and the animus, the inner masculinity of women.

First coined by famous psychiatrist Carl Jung, the terms “Anima” and “Animus” refer to the indwelling masculine and feminine energies that we all possess. 

Specifically, the anima is thought to be the feminine part of a man’s Soul, and the animus refers to the masculine part of a female’s Soul. Both the anima and animus are ancient archetypes (or raw forms of energy) that every being contains.

As it’s generally considered taboo to embrace one’s inner female side as a man in patriarchal society, men often fail to fully embody and embrace this fundamental energy within their Souls. Sadly, if a male does embrace his Anima, he is often criticized as being “a wimp,” “a sissy,” “a pussy,” and other derogatory names.

However, in the perspective of psychology, in order to fully step into a mature masculine role, a man must go on a quest to explore this inner Divine Feminine energy. In other words, he must unite with the other half of his Soul. Often, this quest results in some sort of projection, that is, trying to find the ideal lover or soulmate in the form of another idealized person. But he can never embody the Anima through another person – only through his own concerted efforts.

The key realization here is that he must find this force within himself, rather than disown it onto another.

As described by Jungian Psychologist Dan Johnston, the man who has connected with his feminine Anima displays “tenderness, patience, consideration and compassion.” 

However, repression of the female element within males often results in a negative Anima that emerges as personality traits such as “vanity, moodiness, bitchiness, and sensitivity to hurt feelings.”

Indeed, a man who has failed to embody his Anima also tends to fall prey to emotional numbness and toxic masculine traits such as aggression, ruthlessness, coldness, and a purely rational approach to life.

What is the Animus? 

The Animus, which is a Latin word that means “the rational soul; life; the mental powers, intelligence,” is the unconscious male dimension in the female psyche. 

Due to societal, parental, and cultural conditioning, the Animus, or male element within the woman, is often inhibited, restrained, and suppressed (just as the Anima is within men). 

However, the Animus isn’t always repressed – sometimes, it is actually over-emphasized and forcefully imposed upon women. Take Western society for example. Here we have a culture that ruthlessly imposes toxic masculine ideals such as workaholism, productivity, emotional numbness, and ruthlessness as ways to excel and succeed in life.

All of these external elements can contribute towards a negative Animus, which can reveal itself in a woman’s personality through argumentative tendencies, brutishness, destructiveness, and insensitivity. 

However, integrating a positive Animus into the female psyche can result in assertiveness, levelheadedness, objectivity, and rationality.

Becoming whole and reclaiming the inner feminine and masculine

"Becoming an “individual,” and, in so far as “individuality” embraces our innermost, last, and incomparable uniqueness, it also implies becoming one’s own self. We could therefore translate individuation as “coming to selfhood,” or “self-realization.” - Carl Jung.

Connecting with our inner male or female energy – the “other half” of our Soul – is essential for the development of self-awareness and understanding, which are important components of inner work and deep spiritual growth.

Connecting to your inner Anima or Animus does not require you to become homosexual, lesbian, or possess a non-binary/trans identity, as some might think. And if you identify with either of these sexual orientations or identities, it doesn’t require you to become heterosexual or cisgender/binary either. The Anima and Animus energy within us has nothing to do with sexuality or gender identity. Instead, it’s all about creating balance.

In essence, what we’re striving for is to balance the opposites within us to create a sense of Wholeness. In other words, what we’re practicing is a living form of spiritual alchemy. The point isn’t to give up your sexual preference or identity, but to become a more mature human being.