Determinism within the Practice of Astrology A survey conducted by Bernadette Brady as part of her doctoral studies  at Bath Spa University.   These are short notes on the graphed results of your answers to the survey. Please be aware that there are no right or wrong answers and therefore no good or bad graphs. The survey and the resulting graphs are an attempt to capture your thinking on determinism and place it into categories, which of course does have limitations.  Nevertheless, it allows for both a comparison between astrologers and a compiling of all results to form a larger view of determinism within Western Astrology in the 21st century. Figure 1 Example report generated from your survey results   Graph 1 and Graph 2 and Table 8 – Origin and Application Graph 1 represents your views on the origin of fate or determinism. One’s thinking on the source of determinism can have a strong influence on the role that determinism will fill in one’s life, and the combination of these two ideas is reflected in Table 8. The top line of Table 8 represents the different sources of determinism while the rows represent the application of determinism.  If you have a solid blue box (labelled 4) in Table 8 then this stands for a combined origin and application with which you strongly agreed. If you have a solid red box (labelled -4) then this is a combination of origin and application with which you strongly disagreed. For example, Dane Rudhyar’s Table 8, based on his writings, would probably look like this:   This table (left) indicates that in his philosophy the source of determinism was twofold, firstly the Will of God (column 1) and secondly the result of one’s soul seeking to evolve by dealing with past life issues (Soul and Karma in column 3 and 4). To Rudhyar determinism is used to comply with God’s Will, in order to be able to transcend mortality and the deterministic world (Work with God’s Will and Soul to Transcend in rows 1 and 2 ).     Rudhyar also strongly disagrees (red boxes) with the idea that determinism in life is the same as the determinism of science  (Science in column 5) in which case astrology would be used to predict in a black and white way as in science (Predictive like science in row 4). The columns list the origins of determinism as: God’s Will – Determinism from God (monotheistic); Divine nature – Determinism from gods or spirits (a divine world); Soul – Determinism from the soul’s desire for evolution; Karma – Determinism from past lives;  Science – Total material determinism; Psych – Psychological or Jungian determinism (coming from our family and culture); Patterns – Determinism coming from the adherence to patterns (divine or not); Human need – Determinism just an illusion. The rows list the application of determinism as: Work with God/s – Helps you know the will of God (or gods) and thus work with it; Soul to Transcend – Your soul using determinism to learn how to move away from it; Reach Full Potential – You accept determinism and seek to make the most of what has been given to you in life; Predict like Science – You consider that determinism can be used in your life to consistently and accurately predict; Harmony in Life – You accept determinism and seek to flow with it in a harmonious manner. Dictate – You totally accept determinism and use it to dictate to your life. Graph 3 – Application of Determinism This graph is divided into rings; each ring is an application of determinism in daily life. Rings 1 to 4 are positions that one takes if one feels that the source of determinism has more power than the self, and that one has no ability to change, alter or vary the expression of determinism in one’s life. With this philosophical position one may:  (Ring 1) accept it; (Ring 2) blame the planets for the events in one’s life; (Ring 3) fear or avoid knowing the forthcoming events; (Ring 4) brace and take some kind of action designed to minimise the effect of determinism in one’s life. Ring 5 is a conditional position where one still feels that the source of determinism is greater than the self but one can alter its expression in life by negotiation, for example via a spiritual practice. Ring 6 represents a position where determinism is not fixed and one co-creates the future with the rest of the living world. This position is non- hierarchic, that is to say the entire living world, including oneself, is equal in the co-creative process.   In the Rudhyar example (left) his writing suggests that he is consistent in his application of determinism to many areas of his life, as most of his graph is on the 5th ring. This is consistent with his belief in God’s Will and the soul’s journey as the sources of determinism.  Most people have a “dent” in this graph. In Rudhyar’s I am suggesting that in the area of Practice - low emotional situation, his determinism changes to a form of bracing oneself for the events. You may also have a “dent” in this graph and if so think about this area, as it can offer insights into your more instinctual practice of determinism in your life. Graph 4 – Cycles with no emotional content It has been found by other researchers that the more abstract and minor a situation is, the more people expect the determinism of science – known as “hard determinism”, where events are totally predictable and there is no freewill involved.  Look at this graph and compare it with the rings in Graph 3.   Is it consistent or do you lean towards a harder version of determinism in abstract situations? Graph 5 – Patterns The perception and use of patterns is a strong feature of many astrologers’ work and Graph 5 seeks to show the extent of your use of patterns.  This graph shows whether you think that you are an “island” and your chart is just yours, or whether you see your chart as part of a family of charts; and if you do, whether you consider that astrology is meant for humans only, or for all of life, and/or for all of the known world, living and non-living.   It is interesting to think about this combined with your results from Table 8.  If, for example, you have selected “God’s Will” in Table 8 and no animals in this graph then you see humanity in a unique position separate to the rest of creation.  Graph 6 – Time and Events Many astrologers have a hybrid form of determinism where the element of time follows a different form of determinism to the element of event. This graph shows whether you have this hybrid concept. The zones labelled with red writing are those where there is no hybrid thinking, and the blue shows the presence of hybrid determinism.  One bar is for your theory and the other is for your actual practice. Graph 7 – Astrology and the Divine This graph simply shows your thinking regarding the non-secular or secular nature of astrology and one would expect this to match with your results in Table 8. In Summary Think about each graph in relation to the others. You may have selected determinism originating from a divine cosmos, if so explore your application of this in your life. Then consider whether it applies only to humans or to all of life.  Do you use this to simply accept divine cosmic determinism, or do you seek to negotiate with determinism or maybe to co-create? These are the sorts of questions that your survey graphs can help you unpack.