Thank you for sharing Psyche (and thanks again for pointing out this thread Windmill Knight). I think this is an important topic for me right now.
I read Unholy Hungers, but the concept of the Anima didn't click with me until I read this. I've been thinking about this off and on for the past few days.
The poem and painting that you posted today are very similar to a fantasy I had when I was just entering adolescence. I used to fantasize about girls who were in trouble, captives of some evil power, locked in a tower or a dungeon, etc. In my fantasies I would fight the "bad guys" and defeat them, free the grateful princess from her shackles and take her away with me. Then we would "live happily ever after", as king and queen, or as characters of whatever book I was reading at the time.
Sometimes I would imagine that my family moved to a new school, or a new girl came to my school and we were "perfect for each other". In this scenario the girl would get into some kind of trouble with other boys and I would rescue her.
Several girlfriends of mine have mentioned my "hero complex". I often try to "come to the rescue". I think this hero complex assumes that women need me to save them somehow, and it prevents me from opening up to them. Sometimes I project my vulnerability, kindness, gentleness, and other "soft" qualities onto women while trying to assume all "strong" qualities. Usually this has played out with the relationship kind of petering out because I feel unable to open up to her, and she ends up feeling hurt.
At other times I try to "open up" to a women and I think I end up projecting "strong" qualities onto her. If she is already independent I create a sort of "Amazon" or "warrior woman" who doesn't need or care about me (in my mind), and I end up acting extra needy. This dynamic ends with the women getting annoyed with me and telling me to shove off, and then I feel rejected, betrayed, unloved, sad, etc.
Its late here now, so I'm not going to write any more now. I put Women Who Run with the Wolves on order, and I think I'll review Unholy Hungers in light of this discussion. I'll try to write more later. Thanks again. :)
I read Unholy Hungers, but the concept of the Anima didn't click with me until I read this. I've been thinking about this off and on for the past few days.
The poem and painting that you posted today are very similar to a fantasy I had when I was just entering adolescence. I used to fantasize about girls who were in trouble, captives of some evil power, locked in a tower or a dungeon, etc. In my fantasies I would fight the "bad guys" and defeat them, free the grateful princess from her shackles and take her away with me. Then we would "live happily ever after", as king and queen, or as characters of whatever book I was reading at the time.
Sometimes I would imagine that my family moved to a new school, or a new girl came to my school and we were "perfect for each other". In this scenario the girl would get into some kind of trouble with other boys and I would rescue her.
Several girlfriends of mine have mentioned my "hero complex". I often try to "come to the rescue". I think this hero complex assumes that women need me to save them somehow, and it prevents me from opening up to them. Sometimes I project my vulnerability, kindness, gentleness, and other "soft" qualities onto women while trying to assume all "strong" qualities. Usually this has played out with the relationship kind of petering out because I feel unable to open up to her, and she ends up feeling hurt.
At other times I try to "open up" to a women and I think I end up projecting "strong" qualities onto her. If she is already independent I create a sort of "Amazon" or "warrior woman" who doesn't need or care about me (in my mind), and I end up acting extra needy. This dynamic ends with the women getting annoyed with me and telling me to shove off, and then I feel rejected, betrayed, unloved, sad, etc.
Its late here now, so I'm not going to write any more now. I put Women Who Run with the Wolves on order, and I think I'll review Unholy Hungers in light of this discussion. I'll try to write more later. Thanks again. :)