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Free Will and Fate

by Tzadd

I will start with a quote from a book, entitled Treaty on Esoteric Astrology. Lunar as-
trology, by Robert Ambelain.
The particularity of the selenology is to analyze the sky only through the relative passag-
es to the Moon, which play, in this system, a triple role:
a. capacitor of the astral energy (planets, fixed stars);
b. catalyst of this cosmic energy, meaning that it accelerates the effects of the sidereal
inflows without changing itself;
c. detonator through its path, real or symbolic, meaning that all its elements (renewals,
eclipses, aspects, transits, directions, ingresses etc.) cooperate mainly to achieve predic-
tions of the nativity.
On the contrary, if we prefer to remember only the esoteric role, we conclude then that
the Moon acts as a clock pin, as an indicator that, through its movement on the panoply
of the sky, provides us with a synthetic and kinetic performance of what will be. To offer
us this information, there are used symbols and images that have as repertoire the stars
and the entire Universe.

As you know, the ancients had a completely different concept from the modern, material-
istic one, meaning that anything that happens in Heaven has no material influence on the
human world.

Nothing happens to people by virtue of force or by the power of the stars, claims Plo-
tinus in his treaty entitled The Actions of the Stars. Even if, unfortunately, his treaty was
lost, some parts of his work were quoted by others, and such a quotation can be found in
Macrobius work, The Song of Scipio. But the stars are signs. Under a predetermined
harmony in creation and among all its parts, they allow certain predictions, but they are,
by no means, causes.

So how to understand the destiny?
Simply remembering the wise words from The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus:
As below, so above; and as above so below. And that happens only in order to achieve
the miracle of the One, the divine miracle of the Unity.

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[...]

One is the All and Everything is in One, claim the Hermetists.

With regard to small variations of an individual life (joys, sorrows and others), the nega-
tive side effects and reactions will be proportional to the balance between Spiritus and
Mens of each individual. Robert Fludd, in his work entitled De Astrologia, indicates the
relationship between these two poles:
SpiritusSolar metaphysical principlethe active pole, independent of the world and its
elements, residing in man.
MensLunar universal principleis the passive pole, depending on the world and its
elements, legally residing in man.

Where Mens prevails, the passivity of the individual will be so great, that the outside
world will influence him in a notable proportion, hence his servitude to the destiny. Mens
reflects contingencies and, when released, it aims to achieve them.
Where Spiritus prevails, the mental passivity is disciplined and channeled, and the free
will enables man to remain free in relation to external forces.

In some special cases, such as those of the saints, ascetics, the great wise men, the devel-
opment of the Spirit (the male principle, the creator) will not only allow the resistance to
external material forces, but also their domination and subjugation.

Therefore, the astrological charts where the Sun (reflecting the image of natives spirit)
is strong and beneficial, the free will would certainly play a special role and the possi-
bilities of natal chart will be accomplished only if the free will would be taken into con-
sideration.

Conversely, when we see the natal Sun weak and a strong Moon (reflecting Mens) domi-
nating the chart, we have to do with a man who is being under the domination of the fate,
for good or for bad.

This suggests that the Moon isbefore all othersthe significatrix of the fate, of the fa-
tality.

The Part of Fortune, called the Lunar Horoscope by the Arabs, is the synthesis of this
theory, since it lies in the terrestrial world (the nativity theme) and represents the com-
bined influence of the two Luminaries. Basically, the calculation of the Part of Fortune
represents the reference to the Microcosm (symbolized by the 12 Houses) of this influ-
ence from the Macrocosm (symbolized by the 12 Signs of the zodiac) and its materializa-
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tion through an archthe distance between the Luminaries, hence the horoscopic role,
very revealing.

From the above it is clear that the destiny can be classified into four general categories,
as follows:

Benefic Moon: happy destiny, chance of success. In combination with:
- benefic Sun: the native accomplishes the destinys promises, or at least contributes to
their fulfillment;
- malefic Sun: the native diminishes his positive life chances or delays them by his mis-
takes.

Malefic Moon: bad luck, shortages, failure. In combination with:
- malefic Sun: the native worsen his/her own personal mischance through his/her mis-
takes;
- benefic Sun: the native decreases, through his actions, the hostile fate and avoids many
of the shortcomings.

The Lunar astrology had repercussions on both cults dedicated to Venus as well as those
worshiping the Moon. In both cases we deal with the feminine hypostasis of God, that
metaphysical Mens.

In the fragment that I will not quote here, the author refers to the old Babylonian, Assyri-
an, Egyptian, Arab traditions, which are thousands of years old, presenting areas, roads
and cities, all with names difficult to pronounce and all dated centuries before Christ.

Therefore, it is easy to understand that the exceptional geographical position of these
cities allowed them to preserve their selenological traditions that were received from
Egypt, Iran or from the country of Assur. They emphasized the Lunar nature of the reli-
gions of those countries (cults of Isis, Astarte, Ishtar, Tanit, Anaitis, Sin, etc.).

Then he talks about an Assyro-Babylonian astrology treaty, consisting of plates with a
detailed index.

In a similar treaty I found the zodiacal law that determines the division of the day in
Babylonian hours (equal planetary hours), which allowed us to establish one of the
tablets of the volume on the Ascendant (The Babylon Nychtemer).

Not only that these traditions were preserved and put into practice, but in them has been
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codified the science of the Heaven, put up patiently and thoroughly, in Al Mahanaah,
The Book of Moon, from which it derives the popular word almanac.

I will jump over two more pages, where the author contemplates the idea of astrology
with sixteen Houses, specific to the Chinese geomancy, but admits that this would be too
much for a book that aims to study the Western Astrology. Finally, he says that 18 years
of experience allows him to say that nobody is an astrologer in a few weeks in response
to potential criticism of his book that his astrology is fast. True, much of the book is
made up of aphorisms culled from past astrology, over time. The author points out that
this shows the errors that the modern astrologers, mostly beginners, are making. He said
only beginners, being polite and belonging to the old school (the book was written in
the first half of 20
th
century France), but I see what happens today...

The old augurs, both from Babylon, and from Assur [Assyria's capital], wrote down on
numerous tablets all their comments. Documents deciphered will allow, in this respect, to
be asserted, that they were getting their prophecies not through the study of the laws, but
through the observation of the phenomena. Before seeking the motivation of a prophecy,
the main aim was to write it down! And, rather than to establish their own supposed
rules, they preferredmore modestlyto observe, to record and then to refer to these
findings and notations.

Does the explanation we give to the influence of the stars is the right one? We doubt*.
However, if we state, we have an annoying tendency to present it as law.

* I think that instead of we doubt it should have been written I doubt, but I left it this
way.

Finally, the author continued to hope that future generations would benefit from the
teachings of the old masters both to improve their performance and to make a better life
for themselves.

*** *** ***

As you know, the Part of Fortune has the same formula as the Part of Spirit, calculating
in different directions the distance between the Sun and the Moon.

The night belongs to the Moon and from here she starts the calculation which leads to the
Part of Fortune.
The day belongs to the Sun and from here he starts the calculation which leads to the Part
of Spirit.
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We can see that the Part of Fortune, being nocturnal, is of the Moon, so fatality has a big-
ger impact than free will.
The same way, the Spirit is diurnal and therefore belongs to the Sun, which focuses more
on free will than on fate.

However, there are nuances which show how much freedom a man has in front of fate.
Those nuances are calculated according to the coefficient of the two parts. Just like the
two sides of same coin, they always have the same coefficient in a chart, which will differ
from that of another chart. This means that everyone will have a different level of free
will.

We understand that, from the accidental dignities of the Luminaries (which make them
beneficial) results the coefficient of the two Parts. The more beneficial are these, the
greater the coefficient of the two sides. The irony is that, the more free will we have, we
also have a destiny more clearly defined, which is less malleable. Or so it seems, if we do
not take into consideration the sect of the chart and the dignities of the Luminaries, to see
which of the two prevails.

For example, Bill Gates has a very low coefficient of both Parts that we cannot say much
about his free will. In fact, the coefficient is so low that can be said something only about
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the working fatality, and even this to a very small degree. And then can we say that he
has escaped from the nets of life? Not really that is why we talk about The Spirit con-
verted into PoF.

We have a nocturnal chart, with the Rising Sign being Cancer, the Moon being its ruler in
conjunction with the MC. The PoF is in the degree of the winter solstice, when the sun-
light lasts lowest (probably proportional to Solar power). The Sun is in the fourth House,
which is a nocturnal one, and in Scorpio, also nocturnal.

Of the three things (oneSolar Parts coefficient is so low that this Part is converted into
the Lunar one, twothe same Part is in the degree where the night triumphs, threethe
Sun is in two nocturnal places) we conclude that this chart does not show that this man
has his own free will, but a favorable destiny by the Moon (signifying the native, is in the
highest place of Heaven, MC), who rose him to heights accessible only to the chosen
ones.

Also, wealth can be partially indicated by the second House, of incomes, where resides
Jupiter. The PoF is in sextile with the Sun and in square with the Moon, precisely those
which make up its existence, which strengthens it. We know about Jupiter that he is the
Great Benefic, who can bring royal riches, if he has dignities and is not afflicted.

Although a square with Saturn could affect him, it is easy to see that Jupiter in Leo is in
advantage, due to the triplicity provided by Leo, while Saturn in Scorpio gets nothing. In
return it gets some support and reconciliation from Jupiter, being on his term (or limit, or
bound), which smoothes the square aspect. Therefore, Jupiter is not afflicted by Saturn.

In other words, the native escapes the poverty that Saturn would have promised at first
sight. Since the PoF is in a Sign ruled by the Great Malefic Saturn, Capricorn, it respects
the Jupiterian influences. Hence, the hierarchy is clearly observed: Jupiter > Saturn >
PoF. If Saturn would not have been in a PoF Sign aspect, probably the Part would have
behaved in an austere, lean way. It is also worth noting that Saturn is in 11th Sign after
the PoF, which is another clue for wealth.

So allow me the question: if a man has no free will in order to have wealth, was it worth?
Only he can answer us.

Lets see someone with a chart which indicates more free will, Matt Damon, whose chart
you can see below.

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According to his biography, he should have become a graduate of the Harvard University
to become a lawyer, but decidedshortly before graduationthat is better to become
actor. Frankly speaking, he had all the resources to become a successful lawyer, but is not
bad at all to be a successful actor, either.

I dont want to get into astrological details discussing the success he could have had in
both areas, since it would waste the time and space of this article. I can only say that he
knew that he had to make a choice and so he realized that he had options and acted as
such. This means to use your free will

The chart is clearly a diurnal one: the Sun is above the horizon, in his joy and is also in a
diurnal Sign (Libra), with a diurnal Ascendant Sign (Aquarius) and the Moon in an ob-
scure, cadent House. The Part of Fortune is under the horizon, and the Spirit is in a diur-
nal Sign, the same with the Sun, only that is closer to Scorpio, in the penultimate degree.

Who wants to see an analysis made by myself on another occasion, on the subject of the
Part of Fortune and on the same chart, please click on this link (here you should insert the
link to the Applied Technique).

Now the really fascinating thing is thatalthough the coefficient of both Parts is a very
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large onethe astrological chart points out that God has arranged things so that natives
destiny is subordinated to his free will Nothing can compel him. He is what some of us
call free spirit, and here is a clear case of one.

We have shown how fate works for everyone. To some it plays tricks, to others it
smoothen the path The three Moirs never cease to amaze mankind, the three ones of
which even the gods fear, but for God Himself, since He created them... :) And since God
is absolute, He also has the power to set a man free from the toils of fate, even if the birth
does not show it, because He frees even the saints from the material conditionings. God
gives and God takes, in His own dispensation.