Selene's Gateway: A Cover Letter
Fate, Fortune, or Free Will...
What follows is a cover letter that I’ll be sending out to people attached to the Astrological Essay’s that I’ll be writing. I decided it was important to talk about the relevance of how I see “Fate, Fortune, and Free Will”. As Astrologers I think we face this perspective often with out having a open conversation about it. I’m curious to see what other people think.
2nd day of June 2025
19:24 pdt Portland Oregon
Helios 12’47” Gemini
Day of Luna Hour of Mars
Luna 12”11” Virgo
Gateway #13 The Hand of The King
Fate, Fortune, and Free Will
I woke up today. Actually, I woke up twice this morning before the anxiety of obligation stirred me. The first time was from my wonderful yet obnoxious cat “Blue!” (His name is spelled with the exclamation mark). He tends to purr as he takes just a couple of his sharp claws and tugs at my lip to arouse me from the embrace of death's cousin. I love that little fur ball and part of that love comes with a price I’m apparently willing to pay every morning. Waking up about 2 to sometimes 1 hour before my alarm goes off. I get up, trying not to disturb my partner, feed Blue! and fiddle with my social apps for a moment and then head back to bed.
Now as you read this. Which of the three “F” words describe the events. I’m writing this because I think that it’s important as an Astrologer and especially as an Astrolater to present a clear message about what I think I’m doing. However, You’re also going to be reading this if I’ve sent you a Tarot reading, some Bibliomancy, or maybe you’re just on my substack. As you’re reading this, and I’m writing, I wonder what you think about the three “F” words.
Blue! Clearly made a choice of “Free Will” in the story above. Because he could, and can always, choose to wake up Katy instead of me. He doesn’t though. Even when I’ve been on vacation for a whole week. He patiently waits for “Mama” to wake up on her own time. How considerate of him. 😉
Also, I wake up at 4:50 in the morning (though I like the clock to say 5). I take a shower. I brush my teeth. I listen to the Haudenashaunee “Words we say before all else”. I feed our 3 chickens (Circe, Hestia, and Kiki Morai). I drink a protein shake and hustle my way out the door. I get to work a little over an hour before I have to clock in. I use that time to draw a Tarot Card and do a little writing.
I’m using a lot of “I”’s here. Oftentimes when writing I slip in and out of the “We/Us/Too” especially if I’m writing about someone's chart or cards.
I woke up. Was that Fate, fortune, or free will? One day my body won’t. If I’m lucky I’ll have gone to bed. A loooooong time from now. I won’t even notice. I’m just gone. My body decomposing. From my current perspective. My spirit will return the way from which it came. Discipating and returning its parts from which it borrowed from the layers of the eternal from which we come. Each piece returning to its source different then from which it came. A reflection of my life lived. Shared with the great nothing that we’re all apart of. I don’t know this for a fact. It hasn’t been shared with me by a cosmic being or an enchanted moment. It is simply a part of my internal knowing.
While I was riding my bicycle to work. Everyone followed the “Rules of the Road” and I didn’t get hit by a car. I didn’t fall off the bridge I crossed. An Earthquake didn’t shatter the road beneath me. Armageddon didn’t start and swallow all of Portland into hellfire.
My morning routine used to be a last minute mad dash for the door. Dreading every moment. We’ve also exploded into a panic attack and called out sick last minute while dealing with a hangover on a tuesday morning.
I’m writing all of this as my cover letter to you. Because as you read through the passages that follow. I want you to know that I’m human. That not everything that follows is a deadlock in place. There might be somethings that spooks you. Or maybe you were given this reading because your a sceptic and you think it’s all “woo nonsense” anyway.
I believe in Astrology and Tarot though. I believe in the interconnectedness of all things. Through that web of connections we can learn to communicate with the universe. Which is simply an extension of ourselves and everything around us. From our shoe laces, braces, and Spica shining above. Everything is woven like Grandmother Spider’s web. By watching and listening to her. We can feel the vibrations pulsing through us like morse code or maybe our own heartbeat.
This observation builds relationships. When we build relationships we find connections and also learn how to communicate. A long time ago all across the world. People have built Astrologies. Turning it into stories, methods, and mathematics.
Here’s a different story.
I was a couch surfing poet at the time. Really living my Jack Kerouac dream (Though I hadn’t read on the road and still haven’t). I had received word that my Uncle had rented out a whole RV set up and spot at a music festival known as Sasquatch up in George Washington. His plan was to rally as much of the family up there as possible for a reunion. Tickets were pre purchased and everything. We all just had to show up. What an awesome moment. I happened to be staying in Portland Oregon at the time. So honestly it wasn’t that far of a trip. It was a challenge though.
Fate, Fortune, or Free Will?
If you look up where George Washington is on a map (I mean Google it). You’ll see that it’s close to the middle of the high desert of Washington with no real major city nearby. It’s easier to hitchhike to cities because of the law of averages. There are a lot less people who want to pick up a stranger (even a clean one) on the side of the road. Of course unless they ordered it on a app 😜. I set out anyway and started thumbing along on the side of the road. Headed North was easy.
The I-5 is really busy everyday with people headed from Portland, to Vancouver, then Olympia, and Seattle. I needed to go east and then way north. People picked me up. They generally did. My sign read “Free Poetry Donations Accepted". I think poetry was what really helped me along the way. I’m a Taurus Sun and I have Venus in Taurus as well. My Mercury is in the 7th house. So talking to other people is usually pretty easy for me unless my Scorpio Moon gets in the way (This is what the language of astrology can sound like).
After a couple of cars I got picked up by a big semi truck. That was the ticket. He was going through about as close as I could get to George Washington. A town that my family had lived in a long time ago called Ellensbergh. We chatted it up for a while and got along really well. He owned his own truck and business and was a private contractor to help fight wild fires. He offered me a job then and there. I just had to ride with him the rest of the way. I had always wanted to help with fighting wild fires. Something always kinda lingered for me in that direction (I have a strong Mars in Scorpio).
I thought about it. I almost chose to stay along for the ride. My family would’ve understood and probably been proud of me for it too. We got to an Ellensbergh gas station and I said farewell to the nice guy. He drove off and I got ready to start throwing my thumb out. Luckily I was close enough that most of the people around were headed to the concert. I was sure to get a ride the rest of the way.
Fate, Fortune, or Free Will.
“Oh My GOD!!! DEVON IS THAT YOU!” My cousin screamed as she sprinted towards me. I had arrived at the same moment my family had. At the same gas station. I was smothered with hugs and we went the rest of the way together.
What follows is our interpretation of the moment when the sky kissed the earth and you took your first breath. We will use the tools of interpretation that have been passed down for thousands of years to best describe the boons and busts of your charted course. It’s your trip. We’re going to do our best to describe the territory that is set out before you. The tools you have access to. Some of the challenges along the way. Maybe even introduce you to some guides. We will proceed with caution and care.
At the end of the day though. It’s your life to live.
May The Fire Inside Guide You,
Devon Malone
Selene’s Initiate
The Esoteric Butcher
End: 20:39 pdt Hour of Helios
P.S. For the “Time Lord Nerds”
Here is the list of my time lords for the "Hitchhiking Sasquatch Story”
Age: 24
Profection: Libra
Venus activated in the 8th house of Taurus (other peoples resources)
Jupiter and Mercury are angular to the Asc (Jupiter aspecting with in a 3 degree orb)
ZR From Fortune
Fortune is in Pices (Mutable Axis is Peak Periods)
Level 1 Fortune May 23, 2008 Aries (contains Mercury conjunct Lot of Spirit)
Level 2 Fortune Capricorn (contains Jupiter)
Level 3 Fortune (Aries contains Mercury conjunct Lot of Spiritf)
Level 4 Fortune Libra (activates Venus in Taurus in the 8th)
ZR From Spirit
Spirit is in Aries conjunct Mercury
Level 1 Spirit May 23rd, 2008 Gemini (Contains Rahu is the 9th house)
Level 2 Spirit Gemini (Just started Level 1 period in 2007)
Level 3 Spirit Aries (Contains Mercury and Lot of Spirit)
Level 4 Scorpio (Contains, Mars, Moon, Saturn, Pluto, and is the 2nd house. The next day it moves into Sagittarius).
Fardar Period
Fardar Period: Mercury (7th house in Aries conjunct the Lot of Spirit Ruler of the 9th house)
Fardar helper: Jupiter ( 4th house of family in capricorn conjunct the IC)
Also the 24th year activates Jupiter and Venus combinations. In my chart they have a Trine by degree aspect connecting the 4th (Family) to the 8th (Other peoples resources).
Solar Return Chart:
Eclipses happening in the SR 1st and 7th.
Mercury in Gemini in the 11th.
Venus return in Taurus in the SR 10th
Also the Jupiter Return