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(Archetypes) The Maiden, The Anima/Animus, The Self
Can someone help me define or describe, whatever, these archetypes? I’m nearly burnt out after doing 20 or so others, and sometimes I just get confused. Also, for The Maiden, I’ve only been able to find one site that had information (that isn’t twenty million paragraphs long) so…if someone can help me with that one… It’s my main concern, honestly. The Self and The Anima/Animus are just a bonus, kind of. I’m tired!
The Self
For Jung, the self is not just ‘me’ but God. It is the spirit that connects and is part of the universe. It is the coherent whole that unifies both consciousness and unconsciousness. It may be found elsewhere in such principles as nirvana and ecstatic harmony. It is perhaps what Jaques Lacan called ‘the real’.
Jung described creation of the self as a process of individuation, where all aspects are brought together as one. Thus ‘re-birth’ is returning to the wholeness of birth, before we start to split our selves into many parts.
(And also, straight from the assignment [so this is what I want it to look like…except lengthier if possible]–
“The Self: The Self is the ultimate unity of the personality. The personification that best represents self is Jesus Christ, who many believe achieved perfection.”)
The Anima and Animus
The second most prevalent pattern is that of the Anima (male), Animus (female), or, more simply, the Soul, and is the route to communication with the collective unconscious. The anima/animus represents our true self, as opposed to the masks we wear every day and is the source of our creativity.
The anima/animus may appear as someone exotic or unusual in some way, perhaps with amazing skills and powers. In fiction, heroes, super-heroes and gods may represent these powerful beings and awaken in us the sense of omnipotence that we knew in that very early neonatal phase.
Anima and animus are male and female principles that represent this deep difference. Whilst men have an fundamental anima and women an animus, each may also have the other, just as men have a feminine side and women a masculine. Jung saw men as having one dominant anima, contributed to by female members of his family, whilst women have a more complex, variable animus, perhaps made of several parts.
Jung theorized the development of the anima/animus as beginning with infant projection onto the mother, then projecting onto prospective partners until a lasting relationship can be found.
And if possible, I’d like Jung not to be mentioned. It’s about the simply about the archetype ): Doesn’t need to be really long, just informative about what it is.
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