“Free will is the ability to do gladly that which I must do” C. Jung

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate” Carl Jung

The question of Fate or Free Will is an eternal one.  I continuously move through the nuances of relationships and life experiences through others with the astrology readings I do for them, watching the unfolding of energies, actually anticipating how the stars present their magic.  I have lived through the hindsight mentality of 20/20 vision before I knew enough about the intricacies of astrology including transits, where events and fate came to pass as the transits foretold.  With knowledge and awareness, preparing for what I see coming,  events continue to occur but with a game plan to be prepared for the worst.

In many cases, when I see a challenging transit on its way and plan for it,  its typical to still get drawn in to the impact like a deer in headlights.  It brings to mind the classical story of meeting with the grim reaper where someone tries to dodge their fate by taking another path only to meet fate at the other turn. In most cases fate will present itself,  confirming that one can’t avoid the inevitable however some ability to plan as well as prepare helps to mitigate the effects as well as transform them.  It behooves me to be the messenger of potential but not deter anyone from an experience they may need to have, despite any challenge. No matter how prepared, one does have a date with destiny however some even wonder if its a blessing or a curse to see what’s ahead where we can spin tails and myriad beliefs around self fulfilling prophecies concentrating on that which we really want to avoid.

Many organized religions consider any fortune telling as against or trying to alter God’s plan by playing God. Growing up in a Catholic environment, I have been subjected to this religious influence to not tamper with God’s plan, however I can’t see any logic with not using the tools available to help make life easier to understand and plan for.  From my perspective and deep experience reading the stars, I feel like I have tapped into God’s consciousness and computer program code:). The ability to read the stars is a gift from God, IMHO (in my humble opinion), as a tool that helped me to dodge many bullets for myself and others, especially those with a very unforgiving chart and the many very challenging charts I have worked with.

Life is not fair, even from an astrological perspective as some are born with luckier stars than others and while some who have a blessed chart, come out of any situation smelling like a rose, others with difficult charts, have to continually deal with trouble and challenge.  I have seen countless “easy” charts of those who have gotten away with really poor character, poor diet, bad behavior and actions, been addicts, abusers and users who thought it was their right and entitlement. On the flip side, I have seen those with “difficult”charts who have had to overcome very trying circumstances no matter how hard they tried but who have also reached very successful stations in life. Free will is much easier for someone that isn’t challenged or thwarted at their every turn.  It’s hard to argue free will with someone who no matter how well they take care of themselves, have health issues, or become handicapped or disabled, or get shot down and killed while shopping or going to a movie, while someone else who drinks, smokes to oblivion, lives to a ripe old age.

One way or another the chart must be confronted, owned and dealt with.  The astrology chart is a raw form of the unconscious. Having foresight will help to mitigate, deflect and integrate the chart factors and bring them to consciousness.  The knowledge helps prepare and build the necessary plan with a thick skin and armor to ward off and fight the worst battles and challenges. When I see two people with the exact same chart with very different experiences, I know it’s because of their awareness, choices and free will, however in many of those experiences, there were parallels (both had difficult father relations or both married at the same time or both had difficult marriages). Both will be experiencing the same transits but how they respond has much to do about their beliefs, their culture, environment, genetics, learned behavior, upbringing and their awareness and their conscious choices. Essentially the chart points out potential with a base line of determination depending on how one understands the patterns.  Inner thus meets outer. 

One can take the high road or the low road or work toward the higher octave of the energy. A Saturn transit may have one buckle down and work extra hard where another will be in despair and suffer with depression, frustration and bitterness, all while Saturn is teaching a vital lesson in patience and perseverance. Seeing a transit of Saturn through the house of finances, one can anticipate that income may be thwarted or strained where one can prepare to be frugal and save as opposed to going on a spending spree.

Historically fate and free will and our destiny were much more predominant themes living in times of less choice and being at the mercy of unseen forces and chaos, relying on instinct with knee jerk response with limited outside support and guidance.  In modern times, we have more resources at our disposal giving more opportunity to tune into our own ability to control and alter our fate.  The process of the stages of evolution is to move closer to “God’s” consciousness.  This takes you to a level of participation with the cosmos, the co-creating with the creator or God.  Higher consciousness opens up the channels of communication with your inner “God”.

Anyone who understands the theory with the chakras knows the power of the life force energies and energy centers.  The lower chakras are in tune with instinctual, survival drives up to the higher chakras,  working with the ethereal and spiritual centers with the blocks and balancing encountered along the way.  The crux of the theory of fate vs destiny is at an instinctual level,  we are unconscious, and thus more reactive, responding to fated events while at a spiritual level, we have more latitude to be proactive, due to more awareness and consciousness. When in tune with intuition, a higher self, there is a deeper access to a power source and more control and choice to be in the driver seat to create and envision one’s destiny.

Free will in essence is every action we take or choice we make creates a ripple effect. Cause and effect is the natural progression. Where you cast your stone into the pond will carry the resonating wave or vibration that carries through to every next link in the chain of your life. The butterfly effect in Chaos Theory portends that the future depends on the initial action. There is always a base point that begins any eventuality.  The sensitive  matter of any action or thought has its momentum of reach where everything is linked and tied together.  The chart demonstrates innate intentions and desires for action and how one extends themselves.  An ability to alter this plan is critical in changing pathways and one’s destiny.

Current cycles and transits in the stars uncover the ongoing cyclical and changing landscape essentially as cosmic weather pointing to timing of key events.  Change and growth is inevitable.  The twists and turns, the forks in the road where fate may be waiting to alter your course and due to its consequences, moves one again toward a new horizon.  With these shifts of fate, we move toward our destiny.   In looking at Karma, the basic premise is balance.  Fateful encounters beckon us toward our ultimate recourse.  In a chart, one learns lessons and obstacles to overcome and understands their own habits and motives as they continue to work out challenges and define a purpose.

All planetary cycles signal various change and growth opportunity.   Modern astrology has evolved to a place of using the chart as a psychological and inner consciousness raising process.   Although prediction and forecasting is still a strong quality in a reading, we have more freedom because of the grasp of having choice and free will.  Because of the raising of consciousness, with more spiritual enlightenment, being proactive as opposed to reactive, from instinctual to reason, visualization and using the will creates an opportunity to have a greater impact interfacing an influence from a cosmic cycle.  An individual’s level of consciousness and evolution will determine the impact of the changes occurring. The current level of higher consciousness raising and its exponential uplifting growth and momentum now in the new millennium has created the powerful push toward a higher level awareness and consciousness  using meditation, alternative healing and visualization.

Character is destiny.  What you don’t own or what is unknown, comes at you as fate.  In a chart where one is very aware of the given energies whether negative or positive,  one can choose to use them constructively however what is more common, especially with lack of awareness is cases such as abandonment (evident in the chart often with Neptune),  yet the chart owner perpetuates this state over and over again by alienating behaviors (learned behavior) or cases of abuse where a chart owner is not aware of the potency of an energy that is magnified or used destructively instead of constructively or relationship challenges with a difficult Venus where someone continually neglects relationships yet does not understand when this neglect is returned in kind.

With a strong aspect of Mars Saturn, focus on some very task oriented project helps channel the energy.  With a Mars transit approaching,  one can anticipate experiencing some frustration, anger and annoyance and instead prepare for how to be proactive with the energy as opposed to reactive, by being active and assertive.  Potential is there to use  and apply the energies for all they are worth, especially the challenging energies, as these energies have the most punch.  Those aspects that are strongest need to be used otherwise they get stored as negative accumulated energy that gets projected. All energies are powerful and don’t need to be taken or seen as negative.  It’s a very conscious effort that most of us fall out of habitually especially in times of stress.

Looking at the Secret is a good testimonial regarding Fate and Free Will.  The chart may indicate tendencies but how one wills them to life is their choice. The “Secret” validates the quantum leap of astrology from fate to free will where instead of passive mercy to an inevitable outcome, one has the power to transform energy into  deliberate willful intent, belief and action to create outcomes. Knowing what energies you have before you really helps to harness them powerfully by keeping thoughts clear with positive, loving, clear, direct affirmations, being careful what you wish for or focus on.  Neptune Jupiter are very key planets as inherently they are very helpful with faith, hope and abundance.  Saturn, Uranus and Pluto and somewhat Mars are typically more formidable energies to manage due to their powerful force however knowing  how to realign these energies or reformat them gives good direction needed for right, focused, disciplined thoughts and actions.

Thoughts are things and I focus on Mercury points specifically to what your mind does or is going to do.  Just watching your thoughts, it’s amazing the extent of thoughts  pushed through in a matter of seconds.  Mindfulness and meditation  has proven how powerful our thought patterns are in creating our outcomes. Eventually and usually after being through a few cycles in life, understanding patterns and reaching some level of maturity, to a certain degree, one can rise above their fate and chart.  Once  aware enough and not as enslaved by knee jerk, negative reactions, one learns it’s not what happens to us but how we react to our circumstances that flushes out much of how we determine the outcome.  Having a heads up of the conditions in front of us never hurts in helping to control or at least mitigate and avoid anything major.