Character is destiny. What about freedom from restriction?

[billy77]

On the idea that astrologically speaking, character is destiny.

I think it was Gurdjieff who proposed something like, humans are controlled by the Moon (and presumably the other planet transits) and that's not conducive to the building of a true civilization (dumb wars and dysfunctional relationships etc) . Therefore we must work to overcome these restrictions to live from our 'True Personality' etc. Wilhelm Reich also proposed that human miseries are caused by rigidity in body and psyche, he described these restrictions as 'character armour'. Armour which must be broken down.

With that said, we are not beasts. Cabalistically speaking, we are not just our Nephesh and /or Ruach, we are really also our Yechidah, Chiah and Neshamah. Hippos leave the water during a solar eclipse, the Moon's shadow is cast and they wrongly think that it's night time so they react mechanically. Presumably birds , likewise, stop singing at such a time. What I'm saying is, if character is destiny then we're imprisoned by fixed constraints like animals? I thought destiny was freeing ourselves of restrictions, of rising above our auto-pilot stupidities ?

The irony is, my impulse to instigate this discussion is probably down to planetary influence and character.

[Jim Eshelman]

What I'm saying is, if character is destiny then we're imprisoned by fixed constraints like animals? I thought destiny was freeing ourselves of restrictions, of rising above our auto-pilot stupidities?

As with many discussions, it matters how you define the words. The sentence is, of course, more likely or less likely to be true depending on exactly what one means by the word. I use "destiny" (based on history of the word and also its modern use) to mean destination. It's "where you're going." Your character - who you fundamentally are, how you choose to enact that, and the choices you make in the process - determine where you are headed.

And yes, absolutely, you can run this from several levels, from purely instinctual and reactive levels to very clear, pure levels. Character is complex and, for example, always includes context. (We are necessarily different in different contexts, in response to different kinds of external and internal "shaping.") And yes, as you infer (if I'm reading between the lines correctly), we have healthier, more joyous lives when we are able to enact who we fundamentally are.

Of course, not all restraints are "bad." We shape ourselves with them intentionally. Weights that someone might wear in exercise, discipline be which we constrain ourselves (or invite others to constrain us), contexts into which we want to "fit in," working rules we contrive for navigating our lives, etc. - these are all restrictions that we use constructively. (Ha! That word constructively was more of a duh! than I meant. The constructing needs in us are the Saturnian function that makes things or renders substance into constructive forms, so, of course, restriction is constructive.)

I wouldn't say that "rising above our auto-pilot stupidities" is what destiny is: You are, for sure, on a destination, headed somewhere, even when on auto-pilot. And auto-pilot is enormously useful (provided you can turn it on and off as you choose): One of the great values of subconsciousness is to let us create familiar, habitual patterns that run on their own without much conscious attention. (It's the old "aren't you glad you don't have to consciously beat your heart" sort of thing. It's also what talismans are in magick, the dedicating something - whether material or a few units of consciousness - to a process you define and then turn on automatic, to work without you ever having to pay attention to it again.) However, freeing yourself from entrapment in your automaticities, understanding that they are your tools and not who you are, gives you more freedom and, eventually, has you streaming more smoothly in your own line, headed in the direction of your own destination.

Ultimately, the momentum of your own destiny - your "destination" - is likely to drag you in the right direction anyway. You are a certain thing, a unique specific single point singled out of the entire universe, and everything in your experience will be the journey of unfolding exactly what that "certain thing" is. The difference in how it feels is the difference of being behind the steering wheel or dragged along behind the car on a crappy road.

And with this you have touched on the fundamental truth of astrology: Every unique intersection of time and space (every moment in space-time) has a unique character (exists in a unique, unduplicated position in the universe); and everything that arises out of that time-space intersection partakes of its nature. Being born at a specific time-space intersection (a particular moment in a particular place), you are a specific thing. This unique what you are is your destiny: Life is the process of embodying, disclosing, and fulfilling that.

Or, at least, those are the words I'd use this morning

Finally, this all loops back to that etymology of destiny I mentioned above. While "destination" is probably the best practical rendering, it literally traces back through another word that seems (until you think about it a bit) to be a different word. The word is destine (DES-tin), which means to set apart for a particular use or purpose, to design something to do or be a particular thing. That's an angle of it we don't always consciously get about the word: that distinction that something is set apart for a particular purpose.

Our journey is discovering what we were born to be and molding ourself to that - causing (which always means choosing) change that brings us into ever-stronger conformity to True Will (to who we fundamentally are, and the journey on which that sends us).

Or, at least, those are the words I'd use this morning

[Jim Eshelman]

Here is the short section I wrote on this sentence in my book Pearls of Wisdom.

“Do what thou wilt” is an elegant phrase that embodies profound teachings. However, as you perhaps have noticed, real understanding of these four simple words requires specialized knowledge – or at least some long explanations!

Another, more accessible phrase says substantially the same thing that we mean by, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” It is an older aphorism: Character is destiny. [FN: This phrase (popular with many 20th Century astrologers) traces back to the 6th Century BCE philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus.] In practice, it means:

The unfolding of your life is a direct consequence of WHO YOU ARE and THE CHOICES YOU MAKE.

“Character,” as used here, has both a being and doing component. Events arise out of who you are and the choices you make – especially the choices regarding whether to conform authentically to your own deep nature, i.e., whether to fully “be yourself.” Living at odds with your personal truth (at odds with the actuality of your nature) creates pain and conflict. Living in alignment with True Will brings joy.

How do you find your way to this truth? You must listen to your life. Let unfolding life mirror to you your inherent nature and path. Your life will lead you if you simply witness it and listen to it: if you approach living as an ongoing divination or conversation.

[Jim Eshelman]

A slightly later section is a section I don't quote often but I think it has one of the handiest guides to navigating all of this. I think they speak to some of the questions you raised. FWIW:

Will (the dynamic expression of our character) manifests most powerfully, freely, and joyfully when it is a pure, unwavering self-expression unmitigated by internal conflict. Will weakens and becomes distorted if we live divided against ourselves.

What divides us against ourselves?

• Ambivalence, doubt, fear, guilt, shame
• Errors about ourselves: Persisting in a false, inauthentic self-image that sabotages our success and happiness
• Errors about the world: Narrow, restricting, distorted images of how the world works, often held tenaciously as self-protection
• Errors of dichotomy: Failing to understand that there is no true division between ourselves and our world

These few items can take many forms. Here are a few common examples (any of which can be conscious or unconscious):

[*]Feelings of unworthiness
[*]Habits of self-punishment and sabotage (a need to fail)
[*]Holding onto anger, resentment, and blame
[*]Upholding a persistent myth of your helplessness (e.g., denying that your present circumstances were your idea)
[*]Avoiding full accountability (to yourself, others, the world)
[*]In general, valuing something untrue or inauthentic (“what isn’t so”) over something true (“what’s so”)
[*]Other hidden payoffs, rewards, or advantages for living at odds with yourself, and living as less than your full self

People work hard for their problems, and often treat their problems as if they were hard-earned cash. Just try to take someone’s problems away without their permission, and you will see! (They likely will act as if you are robbing them.) We often define ourselves (to ourselves and others) by our problems, and especially use them to sustain a myth of our helplessness or excuse us from being larger, happier, truer, and generally more effective.

Any of the above factors can have an immediate (in the moment) cause; or, our error can be an ingrained, long-term pattern arising from earlier life experiences and decisions.

Ceremonial magick [but also life all by itself] has the benefit of bringing us up against these resistant patterns so that we have the opportunity to confront and redecide them.

[billy77]

 I use "destiny" (based on history of the word and also its modern use) to mean destination. It's "where you're going." Your character - who you fundamentally are, how you choose to enact that, and the choices you make in the process - determine where you are headed.
............
And yes, as you infer (if I'm reading between the lines correctly), we have healthier, more joyous lives when we are able to enact who we fundamentally are.

A consultation with an astrologer then involves advice about choices? When to choose to do this or that because of the planets coming in a particular House transit?

Of course, not all restraints are "bad."

Yes the university student who stops partying to instead prepare for a big exam.

Another, more accessible phrase says substantially the same thing that we mean by, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” It is an older aphorism: Character is destiny. [FN: This phrase (popular with many 20th Century astrologers) traces back to the 6th Century BCE philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus.] In practice, it means:

The unfolding of your life is a direct consequence of WHO YOU ARE and THE CHOICES YOU MAKE.

“Character,” as used here, has both a being and doing component. Events arise out of who you are and the choices you make – especially the choices regarding whether to conform authentically to your own deep nature, i.e., whether to fully “be yourself.” Living at odds with your personal truth (at odds with the actuality of your nature) creates pain and conflict. Living in alignment with True Will brings joy.

Like a barometer. I think Bacon said "Nature is commanded by obeying Her". In other words astrologers can help us with the principle of 'Become who you are'? Are we talking whatever you do you are doing your True Will anyway? In other words, like the hawks who are perched on high on lamp posts , watching everything with their telescopic sights everything that's going on on the ground. This is like our True Nature,(Neshamah) it just observes our dumb choices and sometimes lets us make dumb choices. Those who get smart, get cosmic. They heed which planets are influencing them?

[Veronica]

In retrospect on my life choices, I can say some of my choices have been dumb, but at the time they seemed like the best or only choice I had based on the information I had at the time. When I learned new information, expanded my limited perspective I was able to see even better choices, which I imagine might look dumb again from retrospect, best at that moment were better then the really dumb dumb choices I originally made.

[SteveS]

We all make dumb choices in life. We have to in order to experience a-lot of out malefic life experieces. I guess though it is all part of our own learning experiences. "We learn by our life mistakes." There could be two ways to look at this issue: 1: Our destiny is wrapped-up in our Natals with its major life developmental events. If so: 2: Our only chances of at least partly altering some of our major life negative experiences is with the educational understanding of certain astrological methods which predicts and colors future things. But then, this opens another can of worms. Maybe we need to go through negative life events to get us to the positive life events. Life is a frigging mystery.