Different archetypes for the Anima
The anima can take on different forms. It corresponds to the various archetypes which in turn represent the diverse manifestations of the goddess and the feminine (see Feminine wholeness - the goddess, White / Red / Black):
The anima as virgin, princess and her kingdom
She appears as a light or dark maiden, as the goddess of love or the queen of the night, like Lilith. Teasing and playful, she touches the young man's heart as a princess (as in Der Eisenhans or Aladdin and the Magic Lamp). Or she tempts us to forget all wisdom and caution. In the tale, the maiden inspires the noble knight George to a lifetime of good deeds and thus leads him to wholeness.
The maiden princess is also the hero's ultimate goal, because with the wedding he also wins an entire kingdom. This stands for kingship in one's own life.
As the inner woman, the Anima connects the man with his feminine personality traits, i.e. with his soul (his feelings) and with his spirit (devoted love). In this way, he attains wholeness and eternal life (symbolized by gold; see The Holy Wedding and Alchemy - Gold for eternity).
Serpent tongue as the evil advisor of the king
In a negative form, however, the anima appears as a "serpent's tongue", for example. The scheming advisor blocks and paralyzes "King Consciousness" through fear and lies and puts him out of action through intrigue. (See The Third Eye and the King's Treasure.)
Angry femininity and the inner woman as dragon or raging bull
If femininity is not integrated, it can rage as full-blown negativity in the form of a raging bull or a dragon or lead to greed and violence. The raging celestial bull also plays a role in the Gilgamesh epic, as well as in myths (such as the Greek Minotaur) or in fairy tales and stories such as "The Last Unicorn" (see The bull as a female symbol and the bull cult).
Positive femininity and security in the womb of mother nature
But strong, wise femininity also has its place in the lore, albeit often in a hidden form. Thus it is the old, wise woman who shows the hero or heroine the way (as in George, the dragon slayer or in the Snow Queen). She also appears as a fairy godmother (in Cinderella) or Mother Hulda, who rewards the faithful daughter.
On the other hand, strong femininity also appears as an oracle or sphinx who undermines male supremacy by speaking in riddles. Only the hero with a sincere heart can understand her message. For the great mother is a deity of fate and mistress of life and death.
The egotistical ruler fights against the latter in vain and fails. But the true hero as the searching wanderer finds a new sense of security and living abundance, not least in the grandiosity of nature, which corresponds to the womb of the great mother deity.