The Love of One's Fate— Amor Fati

The latin phrase Amor Fati guides us to accept all the events that make up our lives with grace & gratitude. And to cherish the present moment however it shows up— as a gift toward our becoming.

Life is a miraculous unfoldment of experiences— some we directly conspire to cultivate, whilst others cross our paths from places seemingly beyond our field of control.

Whilst the happenings of the last few years (still ongoing) maybe perceived as the stuff of nightmares, through the guidance of Amor Fati we have the capacity grow & transform through our experiences.

Origins & development of Amor Fati

Amor Fati is a Latin phrase that translates to love of fate or love of one's fate.

It is a concept closely associated with Stoicism— a philosophy that originated in ancient Greece and was later developed by Roman thinkers such as Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius.

[On a side note, I adore the book The Daily Stoic— will talk much more about Stoicism in a future post!]

19th-century German philosopher, cultural critic, and philologist Friedrich Nietzsche further explored the concept of Amor Fati, using this exact term in his many writings. Nietzsche’s works continue to have a profound impact on Western philosophy, literature, and cultural theory to this day.

And Nietzsche even had a profound effect on American mythologist & writer Joseph Campbell, who commended Nietzsche in his book Reflections on the Art of Living. And in more recent times American author Robert Greene [I do love his book The Laws of Human Nature], had this to say:

“Through Nietzsche, I discovered amor fati. I just fell in love with the concept because the power that you can have in life of accepting your fate is so immense that it’s almost hard to fathom. You feel that everything happens for a purpose, and that it is up to you to make this purpose something positive and active.”

Meaning of Amor Fati

The idea behind Amor Fati is to embrace and accept everything that happens in your life, including both the positive and negative experiences. It is about cultivating a mindset of gratitude and contentment with the present moment and the circumstances you find yourself within. Rather than resisting or resenting the events of life, Amor Fati is about developing a deep appreciation for them, seeing them as necessary and part of a greater plan.

Amor Fati encourages individuals to see adversity as an opportunity for growth and self-improvement. It suggests that by fully accepting and embracing one's fate, one can find inner peace and tranquility. It is about focusing on what is within our control and letting go of attachment to external outcomes.

Roman philospher Marcus Aurelius in his personal writings called Meditations, reflected deeply on the concept of Amor Fati. Marcus guided people to align their will with the natural order of the universe and to accept whatever comes their way, knowing that it is all part of a larger cosmic design.

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.”

Living the life that is waiting for us

I have been reflecting deeply on my life this Solstice week, through the lens of Amor Fati. When I look back to the rhythm & flow of my life in 2019 and compare it to 2023 it is vastly different. I am a different person. The world is a different place. YET… I am exactly where I am meant to be within the grander plan of life.

Whilst I am still embracing the virtue of patience that is espoused through Amor Fati, I have come to a warm & nourishing space of embodied acceptance. By accepting the current state of the world my back is strong, and my heart remains soft and open to the unfoldment of beauty through me. No-thing, no-person, no-immoral politician or dictatorial ‘health’ agency can corrupt my peace of mind or destabilise my heartful wellbeing.

Rather than reacting or being caught up within the whir of chaos around me, through Amor Fati I walk a path of LIGHT. Chaos then becomes the fuel that grants me the opportunity to learn more about myself, and transform knowledge into wisdom. And the greater unravelling & crumbling of society becomes the compost in which I can plant my seeds— seeds that blossom the becoming of our World more Beautiful.

I will leave you with these words from Joseph Campbell, a sweet taste of Amor Fati—

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

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This Article is also published on Simone’s— Radiantly Human Journal.

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