The inner self (not the external persona) of a person as opposed to the persons that is in touch with the unconscious ; also the unconscious feminine aspect in the male
the feminine component of the unconscious male psyche and inner counterpart to the persona Possibly she reflects a man's smaller number of female genes Ultimately an archetype of Eros and of life itself, this "woman within" functions as a filter, bridge, guide, and mediator between the ego and the deeper layers of the unconscious As long as she's not differentiated she stands for the unconscious; later, she stands apart, a daughter to the Wise Old Man who compensates her and sometimes mate of the shadow Because she carries a man's "soul" and his "relatedness," she can be fully realized only with a female partner "If a man cannot project his anima, then he is cut off from women" (Analytical Psychology)