We marvel at the resilient child who survives the most toxic parents and home environment and goes on to a life of success. Yet the converse — the notion that some children might be the bad seeds of more or less decent parents — is hard to take.
via Mind – Accepting That Good Parents May Plant Bad Seeds – NYTimes.com.
A few months ago my local astrology club had the pleasure having Demetra George speak at our monthly meeting. Demetra is considered a Hellenistic astrologer, which means she uses the techniques and applies the theories developed by the Greek astrologers during the early days of the last millennium.
Prior to the scientific revolution and certainly during the times of ancient Greece there was a much stronger belief in fate. Today, fate is sometimes seen as a dirty word- one that robs us of our free will and the infinite possibilities supposedly promised to us all. But ancient astrology sees the world as less open-ended and slightly more scripted (the script being the natal chart a person will live out). Demetra, in talking about natal charts and the good or bad aspects they might contain, stated that some people just have difficult lives.
I’ve thought a lot about that since she gave her talk and, while I am an advocate for setting your own course, it does appear to me that, to a certain degree, the influence of fate can’t be denied. The New York Times article referenced above seems to come to the same conclusion, albeit couched in modern psychological language.
What are your feelings about fate vs. free will? Can the existence of fate be denied completely? Or do the two co-exist?
