What is Anima?

What is Anima?

DESCRIPTION

Anima is a Latin word meaning spirit or soul (1).

It embraces the idea of breathing life (2) into something and is found in words like animate, animation, animism and animal.

The famous Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung (1875 – 1961); claimed that every individual had both masculine and feminine aspects within their psyche – the combination of which formed a whole character. He suggested that an integral part of human development was this mixture of masculine and feminine energies.

Like the yin (feminine) / yang (masculine) symbol of Chinese Taoism, Jung saw men as being predominately masculine but with a feminine aspect.

Jung used the term anima to describe that part of the male psyche which he saw as feminine in nature; the aspect closely connected to the emotional feeling side of his character. A man’s anima determines how he perceives the opposite gender and is reflected in traditional stories and myths such as the hero rescuing a woman in distress.

Jung interpreted these stories as symbolising the male desire to rescue the female in himself, that is, to reconcile both aspects of his character.

FUNCTION

The anima part of a man’s psyche is not a concept, but a living reality that provides a positive and practical influence in his life.

This may involve the development of such attributes as tenderness, compassion, commitment, fidelity, intuition and creativity. By consciously recognising and encouraging the anima part of his psyche, a man can integrate these qualities into his character. Giving expression to his anima can help a man achieve wholeness.

On the other hand, if a man is unaware of his anima or denies its existence, his character may be affected in negative ways. A man with a repressed anima may appear overly masculine (macho), domineering, competitive or power-hungry.

Repressing part of our nature can cause an equal and opposite reaction. In such cases the anima can demand expression by forcing itself into existence. Some men, who experience extreme masculine environments (military service, prison) during their youth, may become more aware of their anima in later years.

RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMEN

Embracing his anima can help a man to better recognise and accept the influence and contribution of women in close relationships or within the wider community.

In many cases a woman’s intuition and power can accomplish things which a man cannot (3). The common denial of this fact is one of the great failings of patriarchal society and the cause of much disharmony worldwide.

Traditional patriarchal values encourage women and men to adopt gender specific roles. This gender-based model reserves a leadership role for men, while at the same time encouraging women into supportive or minor positions within the family and the community (4).

Embracing his anima can help a man to avoid the shortcomings of patriarchal society by establishing an alternative set of values, involving a greater respect for the rights of women and an increased willingness to learn from the things women do well.

Harmonising the masculine and feminine aspects of his character allows a man to retain his gender identity, while at the same time learning from the many things woman have to offer. This can assist a man in becoming a more rounded and balanced person.

WHAT IS THE ANIMA SERIES?

The Anima Series is the name I give to my collective work as a writer and artist.

It is a series of artworks comprising drawings, photographs, poems, books, card sets, letters and designs, united by a single theme. This theme is inspired by the experience of my own anima and by my interest in spirituality.

The artistic expression of my anima has developed with predominately female figures; giving my anima a female face has allowed me to express that part of me that would otherwise remain hidden. To achieve this I have enlisted the help of female friends to act as models.

In some cases these women have collaborated with me for many years and contributed extensively to the ideas and emotions depicted in my visual work.

Without their help and guidance I could not achieve the same results.

Much of my visual art is symbolic in nature. Colour, props and various symbolic devices have been used to express the spiritual ideals and values which guide me in life. These values are inspired by the esoteric traditions of the ancient Middle East (Hermeticism) and the cultural legacy of the Celtic peoples.

Coming to terms with my own anima has been a journey of some twenty-four years and has been expressed primarily in photographic images.

Please take the time to view some of the galleries on the IMAGE page. You may also read from the word page by clicking on the WORD button at the bottom of this screen.

NOTES

(1) The Catholic prayer in Latin, Anima Christi, begins with the words ‘Anima Christi sanctifica me’ - Soul of Christ, sanctify me. In the traditional Latin version of the Bible, the Catholic Vulgat, we read – ‘Creavitque Deus cete grandia, et omnem animam viventem atque motabilem’ – ‘And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth.’

(2) The Latin word for spirit – spiritus - originally meant 'breath' and derives from the verb spirare 'breathe'. Likewise the Greek word for soul derives from the verb ‘to cool, or to blow’ and refers to the vital breath. The modern medical term ANEMIA refers to a shortness of breath.

(3) This statement should not suggest that all women have a higher emotional intelligence than all men. Rather it is based on the overall skills and attributes of men and women and seeks to recognise that women (on average) have talents and understandings peculiar to their gender.

(4) This subject has been written about on a global scale by many Feminist writers over the last fifty years. While workplace changes taken place in some cases, the overwhelming majority of the highest positions in both the public and private sectors remain occupied by men.

‘Despite the number of women in management positions, we constitute fewer than 2 percent of the Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 CEOs. Women’s presence in technology companies is particularly weak. Only 9.3 percent of the board seats in technology companies are held by women, whereas they make up 12.4 percent among Fortune 500 companies.

Only 11 percent of women are corporate officers in tech firms versus 15.7 percent in Fortune 500 firms. The pay gap between men and women has narrowed, but on average women still earn less than men. A recent study coming out of the Olin School of Business at Washington University found that when participants were given resumes identical except for the names and gender of the CEO, people would pay a female CEO only 86 percent of the amount they would pay a male.’

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