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What the Book Explores

In The Astrology of Fate, Liz Greene undertakes an extensive examination of the concept of destiny, moving away from the predictive nature of traditional horoscopy toward a depth-psychological and mythological exploration. The work focuses on the ancient Greek concept of Moira—the inescapable fate that governs both gods and mortals—and how this idea persists in the modern psyche as psychological necessity. Greene suggests that what humans often experience as external ‘fate’ is frequently the manifestation of unconscious patterns, ancestral legacies, and the inherent structures of the individual character.

The Three Fates and the Spindle of Necessity

A significant portion of the work is dedicated to the mythology of the Moirae: Clotho, the spinner of the thread of life; Lachesis, the allotter who determines its length and quality; and Atropos, the ‘inflexible’ one who severs it. Greene contextualizes these figures within the Platonic ‘Myth of Er,’ where the Spindle of Necessity serves as the axis of the universe. Through this lens, the author explores how specific planetary configurations in a birth chart act as symbolic maps of these mythic forces. The planet Pluto, in particular, is examined as a primary agent of fate, representing the impersonal, collective, and often destructive processes that lead to transformation and the renewal of the soul.

Character as Destiny

Drawing on the Heraclitean dictum that ‘character is destiny,’ Greene explores the intersection of depth psychology and symbolic systems. She examines how the family ‘curse’ or inherited psychological complexes—symbolized by the mythic House of Atreus—function as a form of fate that the individual must confront. The book explores the idea that by bringing these unconscious patterns into consciousness, the individual does not necessarily ‘change’ their fate, but rather changes their relationship to it, moving from a state of victimhood to one of participation in a larger cosmic or psychological drama.

Historical and Cultural Context

First published in 1984, The Astrology of Fate arrived during a significant shift in the study of symbolic traditions. While the early 20th century had seen a decline in the cultural relevance of astrology, the mid-to-late century saw its revival through the lens of humanistic and transpersonal psychology. Greene, a Jungian analyst as well as an astrologer, was a central figure in this movement, which sought to strip astrology of its fatalistic, fortune-telling reputation and re-establish it as a tool for self-understanding and mythological inquiry.

The work reflects the cultural zeitgeist of the 1980s, where there was an increasing scholarly and public interest in archetypal psychology and the works of C.G. Jung and James Hillman. By grounding her analysis in classical Greek philosophy and mythology, Greene provided a bridge between ancient traditions and modern psychological theory, arguing that the ancient Greeks’ understanding of the ‘daimon’ and the ‘fates’ remains a vital way of describing the human experience of internal and external compulsion.

Who This Book Is For

This work is primarily intended for readers interested in the intersection of mythology, depth psychology, and symbolic systems. It appeals to students of Jungian thought who wish to see archetypal concepts applied to the structure of the birth chart. Cultural historians and mythologists may find value in Greene’s detailed synthesis of the Greek Fates and their evolution through Hellenistic and Platonic thought. While the book uses astrological terminology, its focus on the universal human questions of suffering, necessity, and the search for meaning makes it accessible to those interested in the broader history of ideas and the psychology of belief.

Further Reading

For those interested in exploring these themes further, the following works are recommended as complementary studies:

• The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling by James Hillman, which explores the concept of the ‘daimon’ and the innate pattern of the soul.
• The Mythic Astrology by Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke, focusing more specifically on the narrative myths associated with the zodiacal signs.
• Man and His Symbols by C.G. Jung, for a foundational understanding of archetypes and the unconscious.

Summary
An in-depth exploration of the Greek concept of Fate (Moira) and its relationship to psychological patterns and symbolic maps. The work examines how ancient mythic structures continue to shape the modern human experience of necessity and character.

Relevant Subsections
Mythology & Symbolic Narratives; Historical Belief Systems; Psychology of Belief; Western Zodiac Systems.

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