“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate”  Carl Gustav Jung

A student of mine recently asked me what the difference is between Fate and Destiny.  It is my experience that when somebody asks a question of this nature, there are often others who have the same question in mind or who would be interested to know the answer.

In this message I thought I would share that answer with you. 

I hope you enjoy reading it!

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FATE AND DESTINY

Fate and destiny are words that are often used interchangeably however they mean two very different things.

Fate implies circumstances or situations arising in the life which are perceived as being fixed, unchangeable and that appear to happen as if by chance. Fate is being subject to events beyond or outside of one’s control.

Fate is an outworking of the forces of karma at work in the life that causes events, situations and outcomes to happen seemingly outside of one’s control. To be at the mercy of one’s fate is to be at the mercy of one’s own karmic creations. These cannot be controlled in the sense that they have to be expiated.

The word destiny is from the Latin destinare which means “to make firm” or “to establish.” When we take full responsibility for what we create in our lives and we create that which aligns with divine will and desire we are in that sense controlling what happens. By aligning with the one will we work to establish true order and balance and in so doing we are aligning with, and living in accordance with our destiny.

To live in accordance with our destiny is to have a conscious, co-creative relationship with life or to be in what the ancient Egyptians described as Maat. To be in Maat is to be in alignment with true cosmic order and the law-lore of nature.

To be able to return to the exalted divine state and fulfil our ultimate destiny, each person has to acquire the discipline of responsible creation.

When we shift from having a fatalistic relationship with life to an enlightened co-creative, cooperative relationship with life we are taking conscious control of the way we live instead of being moved around like a pawn on the great chessboard of life as a result of the outworking of previous reactions to life and life circumstances.

We step into our destiny when we identify with the chess player and not with the pieces on the board that are being used to play the game of life.

THE SPINNERS AND WEAVERS OF FATE

In Anglo Saxon mythology there are three sisters, known as the Wyrd sisters who are the spinners and weavers of fate. The word Wyrd is an Old English word that means ‘come to pass’ or ‘become’. In Nordic and Germanic traditions, these three sisters are known as the Norns and represent the past, present and future. In Greek mythology they are the three Fates who control the mother thread of life from birth to death. According to Greek mythology one of the sisters spins the thread of life, one measures the thread allotted to each person and another cuts the thread choosing the moment of each person’s passing.

THE THREE FACES OF THE GODDESS

These three sisters of mythology are a reference to the three faces of the goddess – Maiden, Mother and Crone. As the spinner and weaver of creation, the Goddess is the ultimate creatrix who spins our life, weaves it into the fabric of life itself, and eventually ends it.

When we align our personal will with the one will and consciously work with the powers of the Wyrd, the three Norns or three Fates we are aware of what we are spinning and weaving into being. We are consciously working with the three faces of the Goddess to co-create our reality which is really a divine reality.

HOW YOU CAN AWAKEN THE ‘SPINNER AND WEAVER’ WITHIN YOU

You can begin to awaken the ‘spinner and weaver’ within you so that you can spin and weave into existence ‘that which is in perfect accordance with your destiny’ when you work with a very special flower essence, First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand® No 0 Black Orchid

No 0 Black Orchid is specifically associated with creation, the powers of creation and perfect order. It also upholds and aligns us with the forces of order, truth, harmony, balance and natural evolutionary progress at the level of the personality, soul, spirit and cosmic selves.  It can support you to consciously create your reality so that you can live your destiny.