Jung described a contrasexual figure in the unconscious — the anima in a man, the animus in a woman — carrying soul, mood, and our relationship to the inner world. (Many today read these more fluidly than Jung did.)
We often meet this figure projected onto people we fall for or clash with. Recognizing the projection lets us reclaim the soulful qualities we’d outsourced to them.
Notice a strong fascination or irritation; ask what quality it carries for you.
Who have you projected your “inner partner” onto — and what did they carry?