Astro-Analysis: Fate, Free Will, and Life Cycles

Fate and Free Will

Look back at your life—what occupied your thoughts a year ago? And five years ago? Even when life feels still, it's always in motion. Each year carries about nine significant turning points that, much like the butterfly effect, subtly or dramatically shift our path.

Last year, for instance, if you reflect, you'll likely uncover small, perhaps seemingly random events that ended up changing everything. That’s the irony: life’s major plot twists are often triggered by the tiniest details.

Fate begins at birth—it’s tightly woven with your character. Astrology teaches us that both the timing and nature of major life events are broadly prewritten. The themes are sketched, the timing is stamped. But here’s the catch: how we experience those events depends on our inner readiness.

Let me give you a personal example.

Years ago, I was living in Prague and had to relocate to Brno. Before the move, I had an unshakable sense that a big love story was waiting for me—right in that new apartment. And I was right. My future husband turned out to be my flatmate. Everything about that relationship surprised me—even though I knew “something” was coming. The timing was fixed, but I still had to live it in my own way: learning to trust, navigating uncertainty, choosing again and again to open up. So yes, it was written… but I still had to walk it.

In this way, fate and free will aren’t enemies—they’re partners. Fate sets the scene. Free will decides how the play unfolds.

Character and the Level of Being

In astrology, we can read both fate and character in a person’s birth chart. These two elements are interwoven. Your character is your fate’s scriptwriter, and your “level of being” is what shapes how that script is acted out.

The term level of being, borrowed from Stefano Elio D’Anna’s School of Gods, refers to your degree of self-awareness, emotional maturity, and internal mastery. It’s about how close you are to what the book calls a “god-state”—someone who lives with purpose, integrity, and calm precision.

There’s a Turkish proverb that fits beautifully here: “Even if he meets a dervish, the thief will have his eye on his pockets.” In other words, it doesn't matter how sacred the opportunity—if your mindset isn’t ready, you won’t recognize it, let alone benefit from it.

Let’s say someone finally earns a long-awaited promotion. That event—the promotion—is fated. It’s on the map. But how they respond? That’s their level of being. Will they spiral into ego inflation or step up with humility and wisdom? The nature of the event may be fixed, but its quality is shaped by the person experiencing it.

Everyone has gifts encoded in their chart—genuine, powerful ones. And everyone also has their own set of traps. These “chart potholes” are especially easy to fall into in our youth, when we know ourselves less. With age and self-work, we learn to avoid those traps and use our talents more wisely. But those pitfalls don’t disappear. They evolve, showing up in new costumes over time.

That’s why growth matters. As your level of being increases, so does the quality of your decisions. And over time, that’s what transforms a life.

Of course, this is the best-case scenario. Not everyone is ready—or willing—to know themselves. Some resist learning, blame others, and abandon effort at the first stumble. In such cases, the script still unfolds—but more like a tragicomedy than an epic.

Life Cycles

Astrology teaches us that no life path is linear. Instead, it unfolds in cycles—waves of rise, plateau, fall, and rebirth. Two major cycles help us understand where a person is in their evolutionary story.

The first is the Saturn return cycle, which spans about 29–30 years and signals major shifts in responsibility, identity, and maturity. The second involves secondary progressions, particularly the Moon and the Sun, which also unfold over similar timeframes. (In this system, we look at how fast-moving personal planets “progress” a day for each year of your life, offering insights into emotional and developmental phases.)

Let’s say someone hits the pinnacle of their Saturn cycle—career success, social status, peak visibility—while their progressed Moon is in its First Quarter Phase (a time typically associated with fresh efforts and learning curves). They may find themselves thrust into a leadership role while still feeling emotionally green. This tension creates both growth and challenge.

Later, as they move into the Last Quarter Phase, the cracks start to show. Priorities shift. There’s a call to retreat, reflect, and rebuild. But now, experience is on their side.

No life is one endless climb—or a permanent fall. Even the biggest setbacks often precede breakthroughs. Whether you’re a rock legend or a quiet soul living an ordinary life, the truth remains: life is a spiral, not a straight line.