Anima integration for hetero men
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I just this week had a long discussion with a friend who has been using a chastity device to do just that. Putting control of his libido in the hands of his partner effected, in his words, an alchemical change within that allowed his Anima to come forward, giving him the space to recognize it for what it is and to integrate it. This wasn't necessarily his intention when he started the practice, but he said it has been the most definite effect.
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@Gnosomai Emauton said
"I just this week had a long discussion with a friend who has been using a chastity device to do just that. Putting control of his libido in the hands of his partner effected, in his words, an alchemical change within that allowed his Anima to come forward, giving him the space to recognize it for what it is and to integrate it. This wasn't necessarily his intention when he started the practice, but he said it has been the most definite effect."
Libido control? Ok. I'll bear that in mind. Thanks. I see why this happened. He denied his heterosexual impulse to dominate his partner and in effect disidentified with a major part of his personality. More on this later.
Actually I forgot to add that I believe that the Anima will play the roll of the HGA for male magicians before they can handle the channel to the HGA. After KACHGA I guess that the Anima must therefore take a background position or even fade away? If we take the paths of the TOL as energy transformers from one grade to the next then I see that Tzaddi and especially Samekh involve reunion of inner opposites.
Also I believe that AC mentions this sexual reunion of opposites briefly in MITAP. I can't recall the exact reference but something about developing traits of the opposite sex.
Anyway I reviewed a podcast about this subject and it deals with formulating for yourself your own (conditioned or not) ideas about gender identity and (as AC stated in MITAP) develop the traits that you don't have and also, hold back the traits that you do already embody and live these unexpressed traits out, so it's in effect an echo of the Jugorum 1(b) task ;
*(b) By some device, such as the changing of thy ring from one finger to another, create in thyself two personalities, the thoughts of one being within entirely different limits from that of the other, the common ground being the necessities of life.2Of thine own Ingenium devise others.
*I've been making a list of what I deem to be traditionally masculine and/or feminine, it's not easy of course lol.
The article I initially quoted states that men will become "bitchy and sulky" if their Anima is repressed i.e. his Anima is a needy inner Woman and it obsesses him if denied. What sort of hetero man is "bitchy and sulky"?
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@Gnosomai Emauton said
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@gerry456 said
"I see why this happened. He denied his heterosexual impulse to dominate his partner and in effect disidentified with a major part of his personality."He's not heterosexual."
A gay man has an Anima or Animus?
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an·i·ma
ˈanəmə/
noun
PSYCHOLOGY
noun: anima; plural noun: animas
Jung's term for the feminine part of a man's personality.
the part of the psyche that is directed inward, and is in touch with the subconscious.
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@Gnosomai Emauton said
"an·i·ma
ˈanəmə/
noun
PSYCHOLOGY
noun: anima; plural noun: animas
Jung's term for the feminine part of a man's personality.
the part of the psyche that is directed inward, and is in touch with the subconscious."
I asked my question because (wiki) In the unconscious of a man, this archetype finds expression as a feminine inner personality: anima; equivalently, in the unconscious of a woman it is expressed as a masculine inner personality: animus. My point was I ask if a gay man is basically a woman in a man's body? If he is therefore a woman then he has an Animus to counterbalance his ego as oppose to what a hetero man has i.e an Anima.
I have adjusted the OP title slightly so as to avoid confusion.
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Wow. Maybe you should bone up on your Kinsey before attempting Jung. A gay man is a man who prefers sex with men. Gender identity has no necessary connection.
Then again, I don't think that my friend identifies as "gay". All I can confirm is that he's not heterosexual.
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93,
"I asked my question because (wiki) In the unconscious of a man, this archetype finds expression as a feminine inner personality: anima; equivalently, in the unconscious of a woman it is expressed as a masculine inner personality: animus. My point was I ask if a gay man is basically a woman in a man's body? If he is therefore a woman then he has an Animus to counterbalance his ego as oppose to what a hetero man has i.e an Anima."
As a gay man, I would lose the ideas of the anima being female, rather merely having qualities ascribed to the female. Just like water is a 'feminine' element. The idea is as Gnosomai posted above, the part of consciousness which connects to the subconscious.
The idea is essentially similar to the idea of the Angel. The aspirant seeks that which they are missing in other people, lovers etc. I personally ascribe the idea of the angel to the completion or union of everything that the aspirant is not, a complete union with the totality of the possible expressions of consciousness within the person. Of course, I am not an adept and so this is all speculative. I will say I find it helpful to identify that being/part of consciousness as male, simply because that's how it feels to me. However, I am also not all that feminine myself and certainly don't identify with females in any way.
As brilliant as Jung was, I wouldn't read everything as fact. Rather, remember the times he was writing in and how much our theories (or experience!) of gender and sexuality has changed over the years.
93, 93/93.
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Yeah I fvcked up, sexuality is irrelevant. From OP article;
** Making The Connection**
Connecting to your inner Anima or Animus does not require you to become homosexual or lesbian, as commonly thought. And if you identify with either of these sexual orientations, it doesn’t require you to become heterosexual either. Why? Because these dormant elements within us have nothing to do with sexuality, and everything to do with creating a balance on the scales of passive (female) and aggressive (male) energies within us.
In essence, what we are striving for is an androgynous state, the state that is often attributed to our Spirits which balance all opposites into one unified whole.
So how can we further complete the process of Individuation, how can we connect to that other hidden side of ourselves? Here are some suggestions.
For Males – Connecting to the Anima
Connecting to the Anima for males is about understanding feminine energy which manifests itself as passivity, sensitivity, and emotionality. Suggestions include the following:
•Practice the art of listening with concern and compassion.
•Rediscovering your passionate side through romantic gestures.
•Taking care of, or nurturing something.
•Practicing thoughtfulness and consideration of the needs of others.
•Expressing the inner Anima creatively, e.g. music, art, sculpture, poetry, dance.
•Practicing mindfulness, meditation and other ways to get in touch with, and understand, inner emotions.
•Expanding your hobbies or interests to incorporate feminine energies in your life.
•Practicing Self-Study in order to develop greater consideration of your internal needs for love and fulfillment.
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Masculine activities are generally thrusting forward to the material or to goals. See it, dominate it and fuck it a la the mating game; chasing women; go-getting (the passive feminine who waits.) I'd say a salesman exemplifies that and I used to know a lot of crazy salesmen who were heading for nervous breakdowns of some sort or another. Too much of an imbalance on the masculine side of their natures hence breakdown/meltdown. In fact Crowley, when he did his mock-advert for his Yoga book put that in precisely when he tried to appeal to salesmen who were suffering with their nerves.
How could such unbalanced characters bring in the feminine? Anything meditative that includes yoga meditation itself. This is related to creative play. Poets and painters are traditionally considered to be effeminate and weak as are "readers". It isn't weakness, of course but it is receptive or feminine.
However walking around the block for 20 minutes with no particular goal is meditation as is preparing a proper meal, gardening, bricklaying, completing a giant jigsaw, playing with a child. Anything that involves reflection and non frenzied application is feminine, even going for a drive. From Liber Librae.; "Be reflective to images like the undines and be patient and laborious as the gnomes" i.e. the passive elements of Water and Earth. If one is too passive and reflective this will probably lead to docility, desolation and emptiness and that's when some sort of masculine active pursuit needs to be brought in to restore balance; Fire strong and energetic like the salamanders and Air; prompt and active as the sylphs.