# Albedo, Anima And Animus In Jungian psychology, there is "psychological alchemy" called individualization. Why it is psychological alchemy is that alchemy is the exemplar of the theory. Individualization means achieving Self. The synthesis of the conscious and the unconscious. The One & The All. To do that, you have to go through the alchemical stages. 1. Nigredo: Shadow 2. Albedo: Anima & Animus 3. Citrinitas: Collective Unconscious 4. Rubedo: Self And I'm going to write about Albedo here. There are contrasexual unconscious archetypes in male and female. Anima and Animus. Anima is the unconscious feminine part of male. Animus is the unconscious masculine part of female. Those correspond to Eros and Logos. But also, by projection those are what people see or pursue from the opposite gender. Those also appear in dreams and imaginations. The development of Anima and Animus is Albedo. Psychologically. ## Development ### Anima 1. Eve: Desire. 2. Helen of Troy: Competency. 3. Virgin Mary: Virtue. Can't be unvirtuous. 4. Sophia: Wisdom. Has both virtues and flaws. No more an object. ### Animus Female has variations of Animus images compared to male. 1. Tarzan: Physical power. 2. Byron: Action & Romanticism. 3. Lloyd George: Professor. Reason. Logos. 4. Hermes: Spritual guide. Meaning. So for example, a female with a low developed Animus pursues mere physical power from men. But a female with highly developed one pursues the meaning of life from men. And a love at first sight occurs when a person see own Anima/Animus from a stranger. There are ways of development. And I think the best way is "identifying with people of the opposite gender's feelings". To be honest, I'm writing this post mostly because I wanted to write about this. People of the opposite gender are usually considered "Others". Both for male and female. And that's the same with Anima/Animus for the conscious. A goal of alchemy is The One meeting The All. The unity of the opposites. People of the opposite gender are just another "fellow sinful human beings suffered by life". Not only them though. Countless problems occur in this world because people don't realize this. Instead they do projection and fantasizing. Note that "sinful" doesn't mean that they lack of virtues. The sufferings do not mean that there can't be joy at all. And that existential sympathy was considered the foundation of the ethics by Schopenhauer. Will as thing-in-itself is the same for all. It is the same origin of the sufferings of life. Although I don't accept his ontology, I can truly understand what he meant. In the end, it will result in the unity of the inner self too. By the way, Anima has its Animus in it. And vice versa. Realizing that makes an alternative to the Wise old man & woman archetype of the next stage, Citrinitas.