"Le Destin", painting by Henry Siddons Mowbray, 1896****

Yes, you read that right: ever so many humans rely on the invisible forces of Destiny, fate, and luck. We would not be where we are today without our continuous intrigue with mythologized or even theologized paradigms. These formative designers of life are far from ethereal ideations.

This article is a preview on scheduled Destinosophy Stories to come. My articles are going to shine some light on the veiled origins of humanity’s deep relationship with spiritual creeds like Destiny, fate, providence, the many forms of luck, and, of course, free will.

Phenomenal forces as powerful allies

If you wish to find out more quickly instead of waiting until I publish more stories on phenomenal powers, please consider my comprehensive guide to those non-codified, unseen powers we humans do not want to be without by following below link to Amazon USA:

The Destiny Book: Rediscovering the Mother of Spirituality (History and Mystery of the All-Connecting Cosmic Thread)*

Cosmic godmothers of purpose

Just like us today, our ancestors craved narratives, mythology, and truth.

The difference? Their plateau wasn’t as softly cushioned as ours. Compared to them, we moderns have access to explanations they could only dream of. But do we know that much more, though? Likely not. But at least we can use philosophy and science to better understand the world. Still, our expectations and egos are a little different: those oversized chips of entitlement perched on the shoulders of individuals and nations are growing steadily, especially in the so-called Global North. Self-declared exceptionalism, whether personal or national, does not lead anywhere in the end. I always saw vapid vainglory as the silly sister of hubris (generally defined as excessive pride and self-regard). Never a good idea. And futile. Dragons, backlash, and then some.

Let's not forget that dealing with hubris is a storied interest field of a certain extended department of ancient Greek Destiny's special agency, run by Nemesis & Associates. But there is another, even worse angle to hubris.

"Hubris consists in doing and saying things that cause shame to the victim, simply for the pleasure of it. Retaliation is not hubris, but revenge. Young men and the rich are hubristic because they think they are better than other people."
-Aristotle, Rhetoric

Looks, sounds, feels familiar? Exactly.

More on hubris soon.

Returning to our central topic, our existential questions, conflicts, and hopes haven’t changed much. I dare say our fears are much the same as those of our foremothers. What’s changed is our ability to do something about them through greater understanding, more choices, and an abundance of opportunities for direct agency. But many in our modern societies end up too distracted to rise and explore any destinal options, even if just for extra moral courage, let alone multilaterally beneficial consequences. We’re too preoccupied with too much stuff. And we’re increasingly worried and afraid.

Too many listen to those who impose fear, or know how to lift it. Fear is a colossal impediment and ruthless enabler, a terrifying, yet also healthy, response of the amygdala region in our brains. These fear-wielding experts, dogmatic organizations, and tyrannical forces play both their trepidation-mongering as well as the deliberately dread-relieving parts to rule supreme. Why? Because societies allow them to pull grandiose quantities of wool over our collective eyes. No matter how daft or outlandish their promises, they’re still welcomed as comforting poultices for the scraped-raw skin of the human soul.

That can, must, and will change.

What exactly is the paradigm of Destiny?

Destiny is a seminal metaphysical and phenomenal force. Even in their earliest days, our ancestors showed a deep affinity for divine personifications overseeing the ever-unfolding human path. That yearning gave rise to powerful, often feminine, cosmic principles that brought direction, order, and purpose to human life. And attention. This powerful spiritual phenomenon and, arguably, the original conceptual framework for meaning and purpose answers an intrinsic human need. It helps us transform a massive void into horizon-opening reality, strengthening our sense of meaning and purpose. We experience this grand sense-maker beyond the unproven realms of religious belief, linking cosmic and mental realities with our inner and outer worlds.

Before we examine the significance of spiritual powers like Destiny, Fate, and Luck, let’s take a nano trip down History Lane.

When it came to Destiny and fate, the people of our international past trusted a good many splendid deities, of which I'm naming just a few here.

• Ancient Greece knew Destiny Goddesses such as Ananke, the primordial top goddess of Necessity and Destiny personified and the still famous Moirai, Destiny's three thread-spinning, -measuring, and -cutting leading ladies.

• Their Roman reflections were Necessitas and the three Parcae or Fates, as well as the embodied principle Providentia, the Imperial face of foresight and wisdom.

• The Nile kingdoms of Egypt gave us the formidable Shai or Shait, the both male and female determiner of the path of life.

• From Mesopotamia hailed the continuously notorious council of the Anunnaki, those mighty divisors of all Destiny between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris.

• The Scandinavian realms listened to their three Norns Urd, Verdani and Skuld, the Vikings' awe-inspiring weavers of past, presence, and future.

These mythological incarnations** designated, spun, and managed the threads of both divine and human existence, also instilling ethics and higher justice.

Even all other Gods had to bow to the cosmic decree.

Destiny's divine representatives never really asked for worship. There never existed material interest, nor greed for constant validation through pomp and circumstance in its name. Submission, adoration, and prayers weren’t particularly popular with Destiny's deployers. Why? Little point in haggling or seeking appeasement with the arch- mothership, right?

Is Destiny even real today?

Absolutely. Excuse my hopping on the ad populum bandwagon here, but international researchers point to the fact that over half of the world's population cherishes a connection to the philosophical or religious expressions of Destiny. It works for them through its cosmic order, natural, and even atheistical options, given many names by different global worldviews:

• Fatum : Latin for inevitable Destiny/fate

• Kismet : Turkish/Arabic for one's lot in life

• Tian Ming : Class. Chinese for Confucianism's Heavenly Mandate

• Ming : Chinese for celestial individual Destiny as experienced by Confucianism and Daoism thought worlds

• Yuan Fen : Mandarin/Chinese for Dao and Buddhist stance on destined relationships in all areas

• Rta/Rita : Sanskrit/Indian for the Vedic philosophy of cosmic truth as foundation for Karma and Dharma

• Karma : Sanskrit/Indian for self-induced law of cause and effect

• Dharma : Sanskrit/Indian for the dutiful moral path

• Fortune : orig. Latin Goddess Fortuna for life-changing luck

• Hashgacha : Hebrew for Jewish faith in Hashem's godly providence

• Divine Providence : orig. Latin for the Christian idea of God's actively processed will

• Al-Qadr : Arabic for the Islamic view on Allah's preordinance

• Predestination : orig. Latin for the Christian belief in God's plan for salvation or damnation)

• Hukam : Arabic/Punjabi for the Sikh notion of divine command

• Kami : Japanese for the Shinto credo of spirit beings' life design

• Avoš : Russian for the positive attitude that fate will work out well

Why should we explore this legendary power?

The more we understand Destiny, the more we understand ourselves and our place in the universe. That knowledge better equips us to shape the future, both personally and collectively. That way, our choices and actions will transport us to our destinies. Destinosophy invites you to the art of transforming choice and determination into powerful gifts in concert with your Destiny.

Connecting the dots and synthesizing the invisible

Did you know that the ancient notion of a guiding supra-power and the first teleological concept we now call Destiny once sparked global spirituality, including the revered faith systems still with us today? Across beliefs and philosophies, people continue to relate to Destiny as a transcendent and transformative metaphor. Destiny remains profoundly significant. Since its inception, this arch-metaphysical force has answered humanity’s need for order and meaning. Destiny and its related principles continue to play a central role across cultures. We may not always define it, but we can feel its invisible presence.

This ancient principle is in the world's water supply, necessary, subtle, yet all-permeating, and of impressive historical and modern relevance. With so much to discover about this singular supra-force, about its origins, evolution, and enduring presence, the time is now to update our awareness for a meaningful journey.

We are living through a time of rapid existential trials and collapsing paradigms, some of unknown, potentially unmanageable proportions. Since our shared global Destiny has to be at the heart of the future agenda, it’s high time we get up close with its genesis and continued influence on the human experience.

And that’s why I write about Destiny*** and all connected realms.

In my next article, Spiritual Phenomena: A Gentle Prelude, I will continue the story by exploring the origins of my subject and its nuances in philosophical interpretations.

Story by Helena Lind, author of The Destiny Book

*The Destiny Book: Rediscovering the Mother of Spirituality by Helena Lind invites readers on a sweeping journey from Antiquity to Modernity, across Destiny's mythical beginnings to today’s significance as a major guiding phenomenal force. The Destiny Book offers a vivid, engaging history of humanity’s relationship with the wellspring of international spirituality.

** Find more information on the many celestial emmanations in The Destiny Book's Chapter 2 Destiny and Mythology /Gods of Destiny.

***With a capital D for a proper noun

****Image credit: Le Destin, Henry Siddons Mowbray, public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Le_destin_Henry_Siddons_Mowbray.jpg

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/34304