ANIMA AND ANIMUS IN RELATIONSHIPS

Friday, December 5, 7:30 pm 
at St. George's Church, 4600 St Charles Ave 

Charlene Henry, LCSW, Jungian Analyst
 
“...In the unconscious of every man, there is a hidden feminine personality (anima) and in that of every woman a masculine personality.        -C G Jung, Vol. 9i, par. 511 
 
As simple as Jung’s statement sounds, when one begins to explore the contrasexual concepts of anima in the man and animus in the woman, one begins to discover the importance of these “soul figures.” On an inner level this “opposite” figure within helps us to connect to a deeper experience of the Self. While on an outer level, these soul figures can either create disturbances in communication and connection with the other or bring us to a greater understanding and acceptance of the other. 
 
Through examples, we will primarily focus on how these two inherited inner figures appear in outer relationships. The source of many conflicts in marriages, partnerships, or friendships is often a lack of awareness of these elements within ourselves. A growing awareness of these inner figures can also result in our seeing another person more clearly, which helps us to bring together “the opposites” with which we struggle today in the collective realm. 

Objectives: Participants will: 1) be able to describe what roles the anima and animus play in the psyche; 2) learn various ways that anima or animus projections affect male-female relationships; and 3) be able to recognize the negative anima in a man and the negative animus in a woman.
 
Bio: Charlene M Henry is in private practice in Lafayette, LA. She was one of
the founders of the C.G. Jung Society of Lafayette, serving as president for
ten years. She graduated from the Research and Training Center in Depth
Psychology According to C.G. Jung and Marie Louise von Franz in Zurich. Her
thesis was “Searching for Evangeline, the Quest for the Acadian/Cajun
Psyche.” She has lectured on various topics including alchemy, basic
concepts in Jungian psychology, and archetypal subjects. She has led small
groups in dream and fairy tale interpretation and in the study of The Red
Book.