fate vs. free will

Sunday inspiration: The Divine Fires of Wisdom

artist unknown

I am regularly asked to predict when something will occur in someone’s life, or when their problems will be over. There are certainly astrological tools which are used to attempt this kind of prediction, and occasionally they are correct. The question whether we have free or will or whether or future is already decided for us is a vibrant argument among astrologers, and I fall on the side of the power of choice and decisions. Naturally, the ability to think clearly and listen to one’s own instincts varies from person […]

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By |2024-05-11T07:33:36-04:00May 11th, 2024|Astrology, Inspiration|1 Comment

The responsibility of karma and free will

art by Raxstar

This article was originally posted in 2019 and very appropriate this week in light of the Mars-ruled Aries Full Moon opposite the Sun/Mars conjunction, squared by Pluto.  Mars represents our idea that we have Free Will and Pluto represents Fate so this question is very relevant right now. 

Sometimes people write me asking for a reading, saying they want to know what their karmic lessons are in this lifetime. One gentleman wrote me saying he wanted a “straight” reading, with no attempt to frame the difficult […]

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By |2021-10-08T14:32:12-04:00October 21st, 2021|Fate|1 Comment

6.15.21 – Finding joy in the Leo Moon

Tao Porchon Lynch just before her death at 101

I talked to a lovely client today who like so many of us is having trouble identifying what she wants.  So here we are in this Saturn/Uranus cycle of change – how do we get off the hamster wheel of same-ness and participate in the creation of our next moment?  Today we have the end of the Leo Moon (The Moon moves into Virgo at 11 pm EDT tonight) – the Moon which more than any other asks us to […]

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By |2023-11-19T10:08:55-05:00June 15th, 2021|Planetary news this week|4 Comments

Weekly update for February 22-March 1, 2021: Virgo Full Moon and the end of Mercury retrograde

In this week’s video I begin with some philosophy about fate and the astrological chart, a question I was asked by a viewer recently. Mercury just turned direct, but its motion won’t return to normal for another week or so and I explain why.  We’ll explore why the Virgo Full Moon comes at the perfect time for the changes that are formulating under the ongoing square from Saturn to Uranus.  There’s a lot packed into this video and I hope you enjoy it!

For the astrology of current events, follow me on Twitter, and for  video updates follow […]

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By |2021-02-21T19:09:13-05:00February 22nd, 2021|Planetary news this week|3 Comments

Friday repost: Spirit and Fate in the astrological chart

Every Friday I dig into the archives for something interesting to share with you. This post has been updated from an earlier article.

Art by Willow Arlenea Art by Willow Arlenea

The ancient Greek term “daemon” has come a long way from its original meaning as guardian, guide or higher self,.  The term “demon” gained a malevolent bent in the early books of the Old Testament as nasty creatures who caused disease and plagues, and in the New Testament, they were considered to be angels who had fallen from grace […]

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By |2020-01-16T18:29:33-05:00January 10th, 2020|Life|1 Comment

Pluto: A Case Study

This article has been updated from an earlier post. 

Last week I saw a client (let’s call her Sylvia) whose birthchart demonstrates the power of Pluto. Sylvia’s Sun is in the hard-working sign of Capricorn: Capricorns typically have a difficult life when they’re young but because they’re such hard workers (ruled by the Celestial Taskmaster himself, Saturn) they can be quite powerful as they age and incorporate life’s lessons. She also has a Grand Trine including Mars, Jupiter and her Moon, bestowing a sense of inner trust (Jupiter/Moon) that life has […]

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By |2019-06-09T14:29:23-04:00June 12th, 2019|Astrology|Comments Off on Pluto: A Case Study

Sunday musings: Pondering the Free Will question

Astrologer Ray Grasse posed this question on his Facebook page:

How much free will do we have in dealing with our horoscopes? It’s a complex question, but here’s one way to answer that question.

I had two individuals come to me separately who were born within days of each other, who had extremely similar charts. As it so happened, they both experienced the effects of transiting Saturn over their natal Neptunes around the same time, just one week apart, right before meeting me.

I asked each of them […]

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By |2019-08-27T10:49:02-04:00June 9th, 2019|Fate, Inspiration|4 Comments

Fate vs Free Will in Astrology: Part II, the modern debate

Three Fates by Emily Balivet

Catch up with Part I, a History, here. 

The question of whether humans are controlled by their fate or have a part to play in their own destiny is as old as time.  Much of our western philosophy comes from the ancient Greeks for whom the gods controlled human destinies despite great efforts of men and women to escape the fates accorded to them.  The Greek concept of hubris is applied to ordinary mortals who attempt to challenge the gods, and therefore their fate.

It’s no […]

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By |2019-06-09T14:19:36-04:00January 16th, 2018|Astrology, Fate, Featured posts, Predictions|0 Comments

Fate vs free will in astrology: Part I, a history involving Pluto

modern astrologyEven though Pluto was not discovered until 1930, its influence is evident in the evolution of modern astrology. The renaissance of astrology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries began with Alan Leo and the birth of the publication “Modern Astrology” in 1895 when Pluto was in the information gathering sign of Gemini.  Gemini is more concerned with the sharing of information than finding any kind of ultimate truth, and Alan Leo, who was a Theosophist, was primarily concerned with spreading the language of astrology to the masses via what […]

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By |2019-11-10T19:20:13-05:00January 11th, 2018|Astrology, Fate|2 Comments

Fate and the progressed chart

fate or free willThe question of fate vs. free will is a thorny debate among astrologers.  Traditional astrologers, such as those who practice Hellenistic, Vedic or Medieval astrologers, tend to believe more firmly in the concept that the unfolding of our lives occurs in a predestined pattern and that we as humans have very little choice in the process.

It’s clear when you learn to read the astrological symbols that fate and destiny are tightly interwoven.  We are born with certain planets in certain placements which enables someone like me to be […]

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By |2013-12-14T17:52:16-05:00December 14th, 2013|Fate, Favorite posts|4 Comments
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