The Moirai

Artemisia Apollonia wrote:To what degree do you think our fate is predetermined by the Moirai? Do you believe in fate, free will, or a balance of the two? I tend to think of the Fates as determining the basic "storyline" of our lives, but leaving the day to day things up to our own free will.

Destiny or Fate is under the dominion of Zeus, who is called by his epithet Ýpatos, supreme and highest; therefore, to understand Destiny, which is under the control of the highest deity, is most important in Hellenismos, the ancient Greek religion.

The Orphic hymn To the Fates states that destiny is known only to Zeus and the Moirai, even the other deathless Gods do not know it.

"In life Fate alone watches; the other Immortals
who dwell on the peaks of snowy Olympos do not,
except for Zeus' perfect eye. But Fate and Zeus' mind
know all things for all time."

The concept of Destiny in Hellenismos is very similar to the Buddhist or Hindu idea of karma, yet there are subtleties which make the Greek conception a bit different, more nuanced and complete. There are three Hellenic words, each of which can be translated as Destiny, but each of these words has a specific meaning:

1) Moira- Míra is defined as degree, like the degrees of a circle, one's current position in destiny; Míra can also mean part or portion. Therefore, Míra is one's allotted part or portion of life; it is where we sit in relationship to the whole.

2) Pepromene- refers to that which has already occurred and how it reflects on the present and the future.

3) Imarmene -the path one takes in life, the choices one makes, and how this reflects on the future. The nature of Eimarmǽni allows for a certain flexibility in Míra, that our character, will, and actions have the ability, to some degree, to alter our Fate.