(c) John, Rekesh 2004-2008. No part of this work may be copied or reproduced without the author's permission
Free will and Predetermination
An understanding of free will vs predetermination can follow
naturally if it is considered that
Life is purposeful. Purposes beget plans. Plans follow schedules. Schedules require calendars and clocks. Notions of synchronicity and beliefs in astrological systems are
various attempts to characterize these calendars, clocks, events and
other happenstances.
Life, as experienced by physical man, may therefore be compared to a project in execution. It has its schedules, deadlines, events and so on - planned by Being. Predetermination and free will in this context are no different from predetermination and free will operating in the execution of any project. A project member is
willfully subordinate to the rules of the project, yet the exertion of free will to change course is never precluded. Nor is a project always successful, always on time, or always sticking to the original plan.
When it comes to the human race, like any large project, there are sub-projects at various levels of complexity and scope, all the way down to that of an individual human being. Each manifested human has his or her personal project, which may provide different levels of latitude or freedom (this is not the same as free will) within the scope of that project. The freedom referred to here is the individual's ways and means of self expression that is 'allowed' by the guidelines of a personal project. This is different from free will, and may be compared to the freedom of an employee in a corporate setting where there are policies to be followed. There is willful subordination, but nothing really prevents an employee from acting outside of those policies. There can of course be unexpected consequences, as policies are usually in place for good reason.
The astrological system is often seen as the height of predetermination. But it is only meant to represent, at best, a solar clock and calendar that is useful in mapping schedules and plans of Being. That is, the planets
do not control or manipulate the project, rather
they function as a cosmic calendar and clock that is looked up for the purpose of
synchronization of various tasks or milestones of the project. From this apparent synchronization of tasks comes new age notions of synchronicity, but there is nothing magical to it. And at no time does a clock or calendar
cause events; rather events are timed to complete and synchronize with the calendar and thus to follow a project schedule. For a given project, a clock or calendar is in
no way infallible, or necessarily even applicable. Therefore astrological systems are prone to error and also inapplicability. For a better appreciation of how astrological systems
do or do not work, see chapter 'Rhythm'.