Projection

Oracle of Love Hexagram 16

The hexagram describes an artful projection of imagination into a show that is larger than life and therefore very seductive. This is the power of theatre and art to create an artificial reality to which an audience will willingly surrender.

There are benefits to participating in such artificiality, not least of which is the enjoyment of splendours beyond those of everyday experience. And a great artist can lead an audience into a disclosure of deep truth and self-knowledge.

However, there is a danger that awareness of the pretence can be lost and the audience assumes the make-believe for reality, or they fail to return to their normal sensibilities after the show. There is even greater danger that the enchantment will enthuse people to real-life action when it is used as propaganda or advertising. It is necessary to balance the joy of being carried away with alertness to the possibility of being manipulated.

We are particularly foolish when we believe the false realities that we ourselves project and subsequently bear the load of having false expectations from real life. We need to be able to step back from our own fantasies and those of others.

The hexagram can also be seen as a parable for the material world as theatre, in which we have lost awareness of our spiritual reality. Our challenge in this theatre is to remember who we are while continuing to be dazzled by the show.

The hexagram is most likely indicating that your enthusiasm for an expression of imagination is excessive at this time.

Perhaps you have come to believe a projection of your own or have been overly enthused by another’s projection; or you have become too engrossed in the task of materializing an idea. The hexagram is a wake-up call to examine the reality of your expectations.

Alternatively, there may be an artistic spectacle to be enjoyed with enthusiasm. As an artist you have a responsibility to be sincere in your projections and then return the audience to their lives without abusing their enthusiasm. As an audience, you have the responsibility of not replacing your reality with an illusion beyond the enjoyment of the spectacle itself.