Are Tragedies Fated?

 

February 17, 2006

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/feb17.html

 

Dear Eric,

 

Hello, I am hoping you remember who I am. My name is Robin; I used to live in New Paltz. I have been reading your monthly horoscopes since the days of the 'little' Chronogram. When I moved away from the Hudson Valley I started going to your website and reading. You have for the most part always been right on with my life as an Aries.

 

So I would like to ask you for a favor, advice, or some astrological wisdom. As of right now I am just desperately searching for some peace in every possible place I know of and, with all of these years of reading pretty right on the money horoscopes, you fit in my search.

 

What I am trying to understand is if there really is 'a plan'. Do things really happen for a reason? Are they really supposed to happen? I mean horrible things, things more horrible than we could have ever imagined happening to ourselves. And if one horrible thing doesn't happen or is avoided would some other unimaginable equally horrible event take its place? Because in the plan no matter what, something f**ked up was supposed to happen in our own cosmic timeline?

 

I need to know if what has happened in my life was really unavoidable. If on the day I was born it was already 'written' in the stars that in the year 2005 tragedy and grief would have new meaning for me and the world around me and my relationship with it was supposed to become so different.

 

Yours,

 

Robin

 

 

Dear Robin,

 

I do remember you, and I'll see what I can offer in the way of help; at least a little insight into your chart. I am sorry to hear of these difficult (it sounds like tragic) circumstances.

 

You ask one of the great philosophical questions of all time: whether there is 'a plan'.

 

Life sometimes does seem to have this quality; it seems like everything is choreographed and the events of our lives possess a poetic quality, as if they are being written by some kind of cosmic author, or were pre-ordained at our birth. At other times, there is an opposite effect and everything seems 'meaningless' and chaotic. Then we can look back on those times and see the meaning, in context.

 

I feel pretty strongly that we are the ones who give the events of our life meaning, and this is a creative process. The search for meaning is inherent in human consciousness; and I feel that it's equally a part of human consciousness, and does not really exist outside of it.

 

Our charts are a kind of setup. When we are born, the planets are in a certain position, and it is indeed predestined that in certain years and on certain days there will be different very specific and totally predictable planetary events: transits and progressions that are in the lifelong pattern of our lives, which is a simple fact of science.

 

Some astrologers can read these patterns and make predictions about events that seem accurate. This gives us the idea that the events themselves, rather than the planetary movements, are what is fated. But I have wondered out loud, and will do so again: When an astrologer makes a prediction with a client, and for a client, is this not a co-creation? It seems eminently possible that when two minds join around a goal, and faith, belief and creativity are devoted to that goal, it's pretty much going to happen.

 

So, I will say that no, I do not believe that the events themselves are predictable. Much like a map tells you where you can go, but not where you must go, an astrology chart is a map to the landscape of time and shows us the options. Often, however, those options involve how we respond to a particular influence.

 

You asked about 2005. What happened to you last year was, as far as I can see, the culmination of events going back to December 2001, or perhaps a little bit before. Events at that point seemed to involve a very intense personal relationship (Aries, ruled by Mars, is your relationship sign; and Pluto in Sagittarius made a long conjunction to Mars in Sagittarius at this time). So that seems to begin the story of the current chapter -- but it's not the end.

 

[While I was writing this paragraph, an email came in asking the following, which I think may state what you are getting at a little differently: "I was wondering whether when interpreting personal charts, you can foresee bereavement. How does it usually show up; sudden change in circumstance? New chapter of someone's (the bereaved person's) life? And if so, how can you tell that loss is involved? Also, if you do see bereavement in someone's future, do you tell people or lie through your teeth like most people involved in gazing into the future would? Best, C"]

 

Here is your natal chart.

 

Notice the cluster of planets and points on the right side of your chart. Those are seven things in Aries (just using a basic chart). When we have a lot of points clustered together, we get a chart where there are concentrated periods of events in our lives; achievements, struggles, changes, or a combination. Life is never dull. There is also a focus of purpose or mission possible, and when we are not fulfilling that mission, transits can come along and trigger events that shift the path of our lives. Indeed, even when we are perfectly in line with our objectives and deeper sense of purpose, transits can have this influence.

 

In December 2001, Chiron went into Capricorn. Chiron is a planet with the theme "transformation through awareness." Capricorn is 90 degrees away from Aries, so Chiron began a process of making a long series of squares to your Aries planets shortly after Sept. 11. By any standard, such a Chiron transit is a pretty big deal, and it's going to represent a turning point -- a long turning point, as Chiron took four years to complete its trip through Capricorn.

 

At the end of that journey, it wrapped things up with a square to Saturn, which has a rather solid and final feeling to it. Then, early in 2006, Chiron completed its transit into Aquarius -- which was a transition that began in May 2005. So May 2005 through winter 2006 was a transitional time, and as part of that I see something involving children.

 

I would not be surprised at all if your father or a female member of his family was directly involved. At this time, it seems you were cut off from these people and were set on a path of extreme independence, unlike any you had experienced before. I can see this story in Chiron crossing the bottom of your chart; it really has been a 'bottom line' time in your history the past year. You have a planet there: Ceres, which speaks of the condition of mothers and children. This directly brings moms and children into the equation and makes me wonder what was going on with your child or children at the time.

 

For whatever reason, this has not been an easy time for your mother either, and it's indeed quite possible that you have had something quite serious going on with your children. I do see the potential for rather enormous loss. In any event, it is a challenging time for anyone in your family who is a mother, with children being the focus.

 

But what has also begun is your personal healing process. You have many planets in the 6th house, and Chiron has made potent aspects to all of them, raising your self-awareness and pretty much ensuring that you're going to find out who you are. How was it possible that you took that for granted? With seven points in Aries, it's pretty easy.

 

Now, you ask whether this was predictable, and I would say to some extent, yes; though for example, had we done a chart session in 2001, I would have seen the process in motion and I would have done a thorough check of your past Chiron transits to get an indication of how you respond when these kinds of transits come. A time frame I would have looked at carefully with you was late 1995 through mid-1997, when Chiron opposed all these planets.

 

I also would have checked summer 1988 through summer 1991, when Chiron, then in Cancer squared, all these planets the last time around. These two time frames are directly connected with what has happened the past four years and with what occurred in 2005. The connection may be intuitive, but if you look closely at the events of these eras and how you responded to them, you will get a lot of information you can work with to fit the events of 2005 into the context of your life.

 

When I have the chance to look at critical time frames with a client before a major transit, I feel that it can shift the experience of the transit to a more workable level and possibly help avert serious difficulty. While there is no gainsaying our own will, our own path or what seems to be actual destiny, I feel that we can exercise choice at any point of our lives. It is not always the right choice; that is the bottom line in the world of free will.

 

If you have any other questions or need to respond to these comments, please write to me directly -- you have my email. I wish you well, and my prayers and I am sure those of many thousands of readers are with you, Robin.