Photo by Jemma
We have all had those weeks where life feels less like a journey and more like a script written by someone else. Maybe a project stalls, a relationship hits a familiar wall or an old habit resurfaces just when you thought you’d conquered it. In those moments, it’s easy to throw up your hands and call it “fate.” But if everything is predetermined, why does it feel so heavy? And if everything is a choice, why does change feel so hard?
The tension between fate and free will isn’t a riddle to be solved, it’s a landscape to be navigated. In this article, we explore how humanistic magick reframes this age-old debate, moving us away from passive resignation and towards practical, psychological agency that says: Whilst this situation may not be my fault, it is now my responsibility.
What Do We Mean By Fate and Free-Will?
Fate is the idea that events in your life are predetermined or influenced by forces beyond your control.
Free Will is your capacity to make choices, to take action and influence your direction in life.
Finding Your Power Within the Fate or Free-Will Tension: Some Key Ideas
The tension between fate and free will is something to work with rather than something to resolve. You may not be able to control what happens to you, but you always retain some degree of choice in how you respond.
Humanistic magick reframes “fate” as context and “free will” as agency within that context and personal transformation begins the moment you recognise this is my responsibility.
When Things Go “Wrong” Is It Fate?
There are moments in life where things don’t just feel difficult, they feel downright inevitable.
This can be when a relationship breaks down despite your effort, a career path stalls just as you were gaining momentum or even just when a pattern repeats itself, even though you thought you’d outgrown it.
It’s in these moments that the question arises “is this fate?”, and beneath that, a quieter, more unsettling question…“if this is meant to happen, do I actually have any control?”
This is where many people get stuck because if everything is fate, then why try? But if everything is a choice, then why does so much feel out of our control?
You don’t have to choose one side. Instead, think of it this way: What if fate describes the conditions you begin with, and then free will describes what you do next?
The Shift: From Blame to Agency
One of the most powerful turning points happens when you move from “why is this happening to me?” to “what is available to me here at this moment?”
This isn’t about bypassing pain or pretending difficult experiences are “meant to be.” It’s about recognising something far more grounded. That being that you may not have chosen your starting point, but you can choose your direction.
And that choice doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like choosing to respond instead of react, choosing to pause instead of to prove, choosing to reflect on patterns instead of repeat those patterns
This is where free will becomes practical, not philosophical.
What This Feels Like
The tension between fate and free will shows up differently depending on where you are in life, but the underlying experience is often the same: a sense of being caught between what is and what could be.
In your inner world you might feel like you’ve “always been this way.”That your patterns of self-doubt, overthinking and emotional overwhelm are fixed. Maybe this is how you learned to be, but it doesn’t have to be how you stay. That moment of recognition is the beginning of change.
In your work or creative practise it can feel like success depends on something outside of you such as timing, luck or visibility. Some days everything flows.
Other days, you feel blocked and unsure how to move forward. But over time, whilst you may not be able to control outcomes, you can choose how you show up, consistently and intentionally. And that’s where momentum builds.
In leadership, you may be navigating complexity, pressure and competing expectations. At times, it can feel like the system dictates everything leaving little room for genuine choice. But then there are moments where you realise you can choose how you communicate, you can choose how you hold boundaries and you can choose how you respond under pressure. So you may not be able to control the system, but you can influence the experience within it. That’s not small. That’s leadership.
Humanistic Magick: Where Fate Meets Choice
Humanistic magick sits exactly at this intersection. It acknowledges that your past shapes you and that your environment influences you. Some things are genuinely outside your control, but it also insists that you are not passive within your own life.
Through reflection, awareness and intentional action, you begin to shift from reacting to responding. This is not about controlling everything. It’s about working with what is, in a way that allows something new to emerge.
Practises to Reclaim Your Sense of Choice
These exercises are designed to meet you wherever you are whether you’re working through something personal, building something meaningful, or leading others.
1. The “What’s Mine to Choose?” Reflection
When something feels overwhelming or unfair, ask:
- What in this situation is outside my control?
- What is within my control?
- What would a considered response look like here?
This helps you separate fate (context) from choice (agency).
2. Pattern Interruption Journalling
Write about a recurring situation in your life, then explore:
- What usually happens?
- What do I typically feel and do?
- What is one small way I could respond differently next time?
You’re not trying to overhaul everything, just introduce choice into the pattern.
3. Future Self Visualisation
Imagine yourself 6–12 months from now, having navigated a current challenge well.
Ask your future self through a meditation:
- How did I respond differently?
- What did I choose, even when it was difficult?
- What became possible because of those choices?
This bridges intention with action.
4. The Leadership Pause (we say leadership, but this can work for any context)
Before responding in a challenging moment, pause and ask:
“What response aligns with the person I am becoming?”
This simple question shifts you from a gut reaction to considered authorship.
So… Is It Fate or Free Will?
It’s both. And more importantly, it’s neither on its own that defines you.
What matters is you are always in a relationship with your circumstances. And within that relationship, there is movement. Even if it’s small. Even if it’s uncomfortable. Even if it takes time.
Because the real transformation comes from recognising you still have a say in what happens next.
A Gentle Invitation
If you’re noticing where you’ve been feeling stuck, resigned to (or caught in) repetition, this may be your moment of awareness.
Remember, you don’t have to resolve everything at once. Just begin with the question:
What is one choice that feels available to you right now?
And if you’d like support in exploring that whether for personal growth, your work, or how you lead this is exactly the space Humanistic Magick was created to hold.
References
About Humanistic Magick
Humanistic Magick is a psychology-informed framework developed by Andie Brookes that integrates reflective and symbolic practises to support meaningful, lasting personal change. Explore the full reference guide here: https://magentaschoolofmagick.com/what-is-humanistic-magick/
Citing This Work
If you reference this article in your own writing, teaching, or research, please cite:
Brookes, A. (2023). Find the balance between fate and free will. Magenta School of Magick. (Updated 2026 for integration with the Humanistic Magick framework)
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