What is Kismet? And how does it Relate to my Personal Destiny?

Kismet is a word that means destiny or fate. It also refers to providence–the protective care of a supernatural power.  Astrology, with its emphasis on forecasting, is a practice that relies upon the notion of kismet. However, in this day and age, kismet gets a bad rap. Most people don’t like to believe that something like fate or destiny is operating in their lives. That’s because modern Western culture is big on free will, and the notion of kismet suggests a disturbing thing: that we are not completely in control of our lives and our future.

Kismet:  ˈkizmit,-ˌmet/  noun   1840-50; < Turkish < Persian qismat < Arabic qis mah portion, lot, fate

Western culture, with its emphasis on free will, encourages us to pursue control. And the New Age movement is quick to cater to this desire for control by offering us tons of philosophies that promise to give us more control over ourselves and the world around us eg. The Law of Attraction, the philosophy of creating your own reality, positive affirmations, and movies like The Secret etc.

“Guess What?” the New Age self-help books all seem to shout down from their shelves. “YOU are really in control of your life! And here is how to get everything you WANT.”  Well, that’s fine, I suppose. I have nothing against creating your own reality. Or free will, for that matter.  (I love practicing manifestation techniques).  However, Astrology presumes that something a lot bigger and a lot smarter is operating in our lives other than just our own individual wills and wants.

Kismet, Higher Intelligence, and the Soul

You and I are actually swimming around in a giant pool of Higher Intelligence. Call it God, Goddess, the Great Spirit, The Creator, The Higher Self, the Universe or whatever name you want to give it, something bigger than ourselves is looking after us, loving us and, yes, guiding our actions. Free will, and the Law of Attraction etc. do not operate in a vacuum. When it comes to creating your own reality, it isn’t a case of “anything goes!” There are rules involved. Free will is governed by Universal Law and part of that law involves– you guessed it – kismet.

You have a fate. A destiny. A mission. A purpose for being here. Call it whatever you like. Your soul has an agenda, and it involves growth. Souls love to evolve. It is what they do. It is their thing. A soul is like an evolution junkie. And kismet helps the soul evolve. Because without the help of kismet, we all might just get stuck in ego desires. Free will is heady stuff and if our ego desires had their way, we might just decide to do nothing ever again but lie on the couch all day, eating potato chips and watching reruns of Game of Thrones. Kismet, however, has a way of coming along and kicking our butts off the couch so that we can do things that feel way more fulfilling in the long run.  So we desperately need kismet because she helps the soul stay on track and achieve its goal of spiritual evolution. 

But if you are one of those control freaks who still hate the idea of fate or destiny or kismet or anything else that threatens to “control” you…relax. You can still operate your free will as much as you like. Free will and kismet are actually best buds. They work really well together. For example, if you want to have an Earthly incarnation that is exhilarating rather than depressing, you can use your free will to make choices about HOW to fulfill your destiny. (For more on free will and how it interacts with kismet, you can read my upcoming article titled, “Is it Possible to Miss Your True Destiny??”)

Astrology Charts: A Guide to Kismet

An Astrology chart is a map of kismet. A map of destiny. And an Astrologer helps you to decipher the map. Like a kind of Destiny Tour Guide.  By the way, any Astrologer worth their salt won’t try to tell you exactly what to do. That’s because astrologers believe in free will, too (and you thought they were all about kismet, right?).  Astrologers try to reveal things to you about yourself (kind of like holding up a mirror) so that you become more certain of which direction to choose to go. Good astrologers want to help you make your decisions, not make them for you.  They understand that there is always a beautiful cosmic dance going on between kismet and free will and through this dance, your soul is given the perfect opportunity to grow and evolve.