Anima and animus

The anima and animus are a pair of twin concepts developed by Carl Jung which inform the human psyche in Jungian psychology. Jung described the animus as the unconscious masculine side of a woman, and the anima as the unconscious feminine side of a man.

Anima and animus are described in analytical psychology and archetypal psychology under the umbrella of transpersonal psychology. They are considered animistic parts within the Self, with Jung viewing parts of the self as part of the infinite set of archetypes within the collective unconscious. Modern Jungian clinical theory under these frameworks considers a syzygy-without-its-partner to be like yin without yang. The goal is to become integrated over time into a well-functioning whole, similar to positive psychology's understanding of a well-tuned personality through something like a Goldilocks principle. For men, this involves accepting eros, or desire for connection; for women, this means developing logos, or reason and rationality. A therapist's empathetic countertransference can reveal that logos and/or eros are in need of repair through a psychopomp guide to mediate between the unconscious and conscious of the identified patient's Self.