http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anima_and_animus
The
anima and animus, in
Carl Jung's school of
analytical psychology, are the two primary
anthropomorphic archetypes of the
unconscious mind, as opposed to both the
theriomorphic and
inferior-function of the
shadow archetypes, as well as the abstract symbol sets that formulate the archetype of the Self. The anima and animus are described by Jung as elements of his theory of the
collective unconscious, a domain of the unconscious that transcends the personal
psyche. In the
unconscious of the male, this archetype finds expression as a feminine inner personality:
anima; equivalently, in the unconscious of the female it is expressed as a
masculine inner personality:
animus.
The anima and animus can be identified as the totality of the unconscious
feminine psychological qualities that a male possesses or the
masculine ones possessed by the female, respectively. It is an archetype of the collective unconscious and not an aggregate of father or mother, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles or teachers, though these aspects of the personal unconscious can influence the person for good or ill.
Because a man's sensitivity must often be repressed, the anima is one of the most significant autonomous
complexes of all. It is said to manifest itself by appearing in dreams. It also influences a man's interactions with women and his attitudes toward them and vice versa for females and the animus. Jung said that "the encounter with the
shadow is the 'apprentice-piece' in the individual's development...that with the anima is the 'masterpiece'".
[1] Jung viewed the anima process as being one of the sources of creative ability.