Aspects of anima and animus in Oedipal development

This paper aims to insert the contrasexual archetype into the dynamic narrative of the Oedipus complex. Jung used the terms 'anima' and 'animus' to classify observed phenomena but did not explore the developmental origins of these phenomena in terms of personal history and experience. Some typical manifestations of anima and animus are described and shown to be rooted in the vicissitudes of Oedipal development. The contrasexual archetype is initially mediated by the oedipally loved parent and subsequent manifestations bear the imprint not only of the parent himself or herself but of the entire complex of object relationships in which Oedipal love is embedded. Successful resolution of the Oedipus complex depends on freeing the anima/animus from its Oedipal bonds so that its function as a bridge to the unconscious can be realized. This function is connected with the emergence of a symbolic capacity through which anima and animus can be recognized and valued as imaginal rather than external realities. The clinical material explores the damaging impact of a split parental couple on this process and the positive role of idealization as a stimulus to psychic development.