(8) Projections - We encounter the world through the projections of our unconscious. A woman walks in the room and a man is struck. He is projecting his anima onto the woman. What is the active element within the woman? The projection of the anima within the man. A key dilemma within life is when we find we have married our projections. As we mature, the illusion of the projections fade and we encounter the distinct object of the other in the “real world.” Maturity is adjustment into relationship with the true object of the other, and integration of shadow projections into the individuated true self.
Anger or hatred toward another man or woman usually indicates an aspect within in ourselves that we hate or hold animosity toward. Do you have teachers that you remember and hold in high regard? More then likely, this is a self-projection onto the teacher/scholar. These were projections of your ideal self onto the instructor/mentor.
Let us now go through classic projections illustrated in the drawing, and describe characteristics of each in turn:
Nature = animal, seasonal, weather, vegetable, etc. associations with the human; endowing nature with agency and human qualities/characteristics
Sun = the light of illumination, seeing, revelation, insight, secret knowledge, gnosis, untimely revealed knowledge from a perceived source from “without”
Ideal Male (Father) = projections upon the “father” figure of abstracted ideal qualities; female projection onto the man; daughters often project this onto fathers (and like figures), male friends, and unto love interests; sons project this onto father (and like figures), companions, and possible love interests; IDEAL = King, Scholar, Warrior, King, Knight, Philosopher, Civic Servant for common good; SHADOW = Disinterested, Disconnected, Uninterested, Abandoning One, Cruel, Violent, Unsober, Dangerous, Fire-breather, Tyrant
Ideal Female (Mother) = projections upon the “mother” figure of abstracted ideal qualities; male projection onto the female; sons often project this onto mothers (and like figures), female friends, and unto love interests; daughters project this onto mothers (and like figures), companions, and possible love interests; IDEAL = Queen, Sophia, Muse, Courtesan, Erotic Lover, Self-Giving Domestic Servant, Nurturer, Caregiver, Madonna
The Family, the Tribe = tight closed community over against the “other,” strong association with commonly held values in a social group that offers identity, meaning and purpose; often oppositional in approach to those not in the tribe; the tribe enforces the boundary of the self; “folk ideas” are generated here, this is our primary school in provincial mythology
The Government/Political Identity = competency in organizing and creating desired change within society and city/state - identity and status in upward mobility
The Religious/Ritual Tradition (Spiritual Technology within Tradition/Society/Community) =
a process that produces meaning-making and allows for a transcendence in spiritual competence
The City = neighbors and society - “What will the Johnson’s think?”
The Lover = the ideal mind, body, spirit in a love/eros interest
Erotic Feminine - the man’s desire to be united with his anima projection acted out within the pleasure of enjoying the body of the woman
Erotic Masculine - the woman’s desire to be united with her animus projection acted out in enjoying and the pleasure of her body via the man
The Dragon/the Moon/Night-Energy = The danger of encounter with the repressed anger, hatred, resentment, unbridled desire, etc. hidden within the deep recesses of the Shadow. Will appear in dreams/art in many forms. Can be a very creative and energizing force. Can appear as the hairy man, or the witchy woman.
Tribe Warrior - shadow of the tribe projection which seeks murderous annihilation of the other - often tribe against tribe (nation state vs. nation state), sometime man (the men) against a woman (or the women), or woman against a woman or (the other women), or man against a man (or the other men)
The Transcendent/All Seeing Observer = transcendent, eternal goals, highest values, idealized nature, abstracted, omni-presence, omni-knowledge, omni-power, goodness, beauty, truth
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Two Kinds of Mythological Paths:
The Right Hand Path - keeps you in the fixed context of your world - living within the social roles as they have been given to you (the known). Aligned with the ideal projections of society and the tribe.
The Left Hand Path - you “flip out." Live a life that gets away from the roles out of a sensed incongruity of the self with the roles offered to you. This is a life of danger and courage (might not be respected by others), but it will be creative and an adventure! (A life lived into the unknown).
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