Projection

A psychological term which refers to the idea that someone is confronted with unconscious aspects of their own personality in the external world. Both positive and negative traits can be projected, and not only onto actual people. It is equally possible to project onto an idea or other culture.

An example of projection would be the individual who finds it difficult to be self-assertive being very aware of others who are able to do so.

Projection is not necessarily negative: "A projected image is a hidden inner potential. When the time has come to develop this potential the first step is often to become aware of it in another person. In positive cases, we recognise that this has something to do with us." The aim is to actively integrate projections into our own lives and astrology can help us to do this because it shows all aspects of an individual's personality, whether a person is aware of them or considers them to be positive or negative (shadow).

The Descendant and any planets in the seventh house indicate the aspects of a person's personality that are most likely to be projected. [[Intercepted Sign|Intercepted signs]] or the lack of a particular element in the horoscope are also possible candidates for projection. The so-called shadow is another; one characteristic of the shadow is that it generally consists of personality traits which an individual vehemently denies belong to them, which leads to repeatedly being confronted with them in the external world.