Free Will
A basic principle in Modern Astrology according to which the Natal Chart reflects innate potential and possibilities but there is no necessity to actualise them. The individual is therefore not completely at the mercy of fateful cosmic forces, inherited genes, upbringing or processes of socialisation. Instead, human beings are considered to have the ability to shape the multi-faceted potential present at birth and consequently their own fate.
In reality free will is always circumscribed to a greater or lesser extent by peoples' personal circumstances, such as any physical disabilities, the nation or culture into which they are born, and the laws of the land. If free will were absolute, few people would choose to grow old and die; and astrology itself would have little utility as a method for describing people's characters and predicting future events. Nevertheless, modern astrologers tend to affirm that most people do have considerable autonomy in their lives, and that the astrologer's role is not to predict their inevitable fate, but to help them gain in self awareness and the ability to make positive choices.
See also
Weblinks
- Must You Be the Victim of Your Stars? (Dane Rudhyar, 1967)
- Fate, and How to Avoid It (Skyscript)[2]
- Dennis Elwell on Freedom versus Determinism