I often use the term “projections” in my analyses, and this term is directly inspired by Jungian psychology, whose different dynamics are not point blank obvious for a spontaneous understanding. Yet every human being is subject to this natural psychological mechanism… Astrology provides a particular complementary light to it.
“Astral mythology is merely the projection of unconscious psychology into the sky.”
Carl Gustav Jung
Nature of unconscious psychological projections
Certain areas of personality (one or more sub-personalities) may be too weak to express themselves properly with some form of repression and inhibition of the whole profound being.
Practically speaking, every individual unconsciously projects on the other ones, parts of himself that are often repressed (fears, impulses, desires, often based on some Complexes…), in order to live them and express them “by proxy”.
This “other person” can be a real person (close or stranger) as well as any legal or moral entity (state, political party, church).
The fundamental goal of the projections is to “create a contact”, a spark to initiate the necessary complementarity that we are looking for. They can compel the psyche to struggle but also create hope and guide towards fulfilment…
Anything that potentially carries an affective charge is likely to be projected.
Everything happens as if the subjective psychic state were to be objectively embodied.
This mechanism brings these unconscious parts to the surface, but with a certain security for the psyche -at least in theory-, since the person acting is “the other”.
In practice, the “emotional stirring” that is provoked can be extremely intense (for example in the cases of Pluto or the Black Moon by their very nature) and trigger major crises or even go to the extent of a Depression.
Astrological projections
In astrology, projections often take the form of the Planets. Any planet can act as a “support” for any form of projection (each planet concerned will nuance the projection according to its own energies).
The transpersonal planets, because of their slow transit, can be particularly sensitive to live in projection, but can be extremely conducive to deep transformations (at the relational level).
Uranus potentially has a special status because the planet by its nature represents the power of projection of the unconscious, its intrinsic function is to provoke the emergence of impulses to the consciousness (strange dreams often accompany its transits).
Often, all things happen in such a Synchronicity, everything seems to “fit” in somehow “coincidentally”, which skillfully ends up perfect : projections, relational encounters, transits, everything matches at the same time…
For example, a transit of Saturn will “be felt” through your relationship with your superior at work. The Saturnian energies in the birth chart will express themselves through this person during this or that transit.
It should be understood that in any transit (whatever it is) there are many forces at play. A transit is always based on the natal, and it’s these two cumulative (or nuanced) forces that are projected onto “the Other” !
The other acts as a “support” which, subjectively, lends itself to “receiving” this Saturn. At least we consider this one unconsciously like that in the Social Relation (often independently of its own direct “qualities”, “we paint images for ourselves” like in the movies). But the main thing is that thanks to it we can finally express that part of ourselves which was shut down, mute.
In a relationship, the Synastry also constitutes a precious tool because it makes it possible to establish quite finely what is the nature of the projection as well as “when” and “how” it will potentially be expressed (by studying the planetary cycles and the Houses involved in each birth chart).
Different types of projections are possible, but schematically we can connect them all to 3 main fundamental archetypes: Shadow, Anima and Animus.
Some are to be connected with our dark parts, others with our sexual expression (gendered), others again with our individual, spiritual and transpersonal fulfilment (see the notion of Individuation).
The Air astrological houses, with relational and sociable qualities, are also particularly conducive to projections : 3rd House (Gemini), 7th House (Libra) and 11th House (Aquarius).
Quite often, we fail to grasp the differences between them, because all three of them deal with “relationships”, and therefore with the “others”… since we lack a complete understanding of what these “others” are, they should not be mixed up :
- The 3rd House concerns your entourage, that is to say the people who surround you in your environment, we attribute it to your close relations, brothers and sisters, neighbours, shopkeepers, customers, any relationship that is part of your everyday life, even superficial ones…
This Cadent house promotes the notion of adaptability to the environment. - The 7th House, also called the Descendant (by Opposition to the Ascendant) which is the ego, in this case the alter-ego, within the scope of “confrontation”, not necessarily as a negative struggle by the way, but above all as a complementary face to face, the relationship with the other resulting in the formation of a “couple” (a pair of opposites), forming the duo. In this case your relationship with others really serves to strengthen your own identity, one enriching the other.
This Cardinal house is crucial in terms of projection, that’s why it’s really called “the projection house”. - The 11th House, is more representative of the group, the collective, the community, the association, the party, the club, the syndicate… Any moral entity that brings together individuals with the same ideals. These could be the friends, and by extension everybody that constitutes the “network” in society, a group of individuals around a common goal.
This Succedent house comes to structure what will be born from the social confrontation of the 7th house.
Integrating your projections
Many social mechanisms flow directly from the projection principle, in fact everything that involves the group or social interaction is concerned. The projection itself is neutral, or rather it can be positive as well as negative.
One can never eradicate the projection mechanism which in fact is a healthy natural psychological process. Only its deviations can cause problems (phobia, paranoia, psychosis, illusion…).
In the best of cases, the individual can try to become aware of this mechanism at work. Try to understand this, it’s already partly defusing the underlying potential problems.
Our projections are not fixed, frozen, just as we evolve, our projections evolve with us and our social relationships change accordingly.
The key to the mechanism is to perceive that everything we project is first and foremost a part of ourselves. Nothing that is projected does not already pre-exist within our personality. Moreover, we must remember that we ourselves are potentially a projection for others!
As astrologer Liz Greene so beautifully put it :
“Projections are emanations of the soul, and we ourselves are a projection of the universal soul.”