Every once in a while, I skim through the list of known asteroids or asteroid-like bodies in astrology to see if there’s anything interesting for my work as an astrologer. This is how I found the asteroid Eros, asteroid of sexual love and preferences, as well as his mate Psyche, who talks about soul-relationships like soul mates, twin flames, and also, psychology and psychic gifts. She’s one of my all-time favorites.
Recently, I skimmed the list again and found something interesting: an asteroid called Destinn. That looked a lot like Destiny, even though the name refers to something different. By sheer boredom (corona lockdown), I started to put her into Astro.com and look through the charts I already had on hand – and I made a fascinating discovery.
Although Destinn was named after a Czech opera singer (who was said to be one of the best sopranos of her time), Destinn actually does correlate with our idea of destiny. And not just that! Where Destinn falls, people choose to go.
A chart of a person who studied fashion and had nothing in Libra? Destinn sat in Libra. A chart of a person who studied sexology before she ever had sex herself? Destinn in Scorpio. Even if nothing else in the chart indicated the themes Destinn did, the people involved had track records in trying to live into their Destinn.
On purpose.
And when I’d asked them why they went in that direction, they almost unanimously said the same thing: 1) It felt like their calling. 2), it felt like the universe conspired to get them where they needed to be, including seriously weird, miracle-type incidents that pushed them in the area of their Destinn, and/or helped them be successful there.
A scholarship arriving out of the blue.
A call of a 16-year-old to a newspaper that led to her Christmas story being published: Destinn in aspect to Mercury.
And so on, and so forth.
So who is Destinn? Destinn is the asteroid of the fate we pick for ourselves. Of the intersection between what we’re predestined for, and our own free will. It also has to do with the Vedic concept of dharma… and in the following article, we’ll look into each of those concepts, and more.
But first… does destiny even exist? Is there a predetermined fate for anyone? And what’s astrology’s role in it? We’re going to cover those questions in depth later, but to make it quick: what you believe in when it comes to predestined fate and so on is completely up to you. Astrologically speaking, destiny is represented in various different places, BUT ONLY in the context of your free will and your choices of living into it. A.k.a.: some things are represented in astrology, but you get many different expressions per symbolism that you can pick from. So, you’re never stuck as per astrology, you always have options.
What you’ll find in this article:
Astronomy of Destinn
What is dharma?
What are fate, destiny, and free will?
Is astrology predetermined? How astrology and "fate" work together
When your destiny includes other people
And: Conclusion: the meaning of asteroid Destinn.
So, let’s dive in.
The astronomical asteroid Destinn
Asteroid Destinn is an actual asteroid for a change (as opposed to Juno, Chiron, Ceres, and so on who are classified differently in astronomy). It takes about 4 years to circle the zodiac and is found in the large asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The name “Destinn” comes from opera singer Ema Destinn who was one of the most famous soprano opera stars of the 19th century. Destinn was also discovered in 1981 by Czech astronomer, Antonín Mrkos.
Now that we’ve established that, what is fate? Let’s do a deep dive into different cultural views on fate, destiny, and so on: starting with dharma.
What is Dharma?
(Warning: I am not attempting to convince anyone of the following philosophical, spiritual, mythological, and/or religious principles – nor am I an expert on the belief systems mentioned. Please take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and know that any potential misrepresentation is an honest mistake on my end.)
To quote Sahara Rose in Discovering your Dharma, it’s: “[…] your divine purpose on this planet, your soul’s essence, the unique vibration only you can carry out in the world.” (emphasis from em.)
Dharma, a concept from Eastern spirituality, is part of who you are. It’s your soul’s calling in this world and requires you to be in touch with your soul. To not just do something, but to embody a connection with the deepest part of your being. To continue the quote from Sahara Rose’s book: “To discover your dharma is to realize the truth of who you are. You cannot know your truth and not shift your life to be in alignment with your dharma.”
Dharma is more a way of life than a job you fulfill, though that way of life ultimately leads to you taking some sort of action. Dharma means being connected to a purpose that comes from the inside, from the deepest part of who you are, and that stretches outwards through many areas of your life. It’s not someone else telling you “You were born for this!” It’s something that you feel and expresses through you.
What does that look like?
According to the book I quoted and the work by Deepak Chopra, dharma speaks to us through excitement, passion, joy, curiosity, and flow. Not following it leads to pain and suffering as the universe tries to get you back on your path, but following it leads to a feeling of aliveness and living with purpose.
It’s also not always quite straightforward: Dharma usually consists of a broader soul intention that trickles into many different experiences that you’re called to and avenues of expression. To give an example, your broader dharma may be teaching languages. Teaching languages can be something you do as a literal teacher (say, in the educational system), or through writing “Chinese for Beginners!”-style books with little stories and word definitions on every second page. You could start a YouTube channel where you explain language idioms, or you could fulfill your dharma by working with people who struggle with processing language or speaking due to medical reasons. You could also live your dharma at home, so to speak, by teaching younger generations in your family or educating your friends on proper grammar and your favorite word of the day. There are thousands of different ways – and you may live into one or more of them in your lifetime.
As you can see, your dharma may not be 100% career-related or monetizable. In some cases, it’s not monetizable at all in your culture or in general – and that’s okay. Some people’s purpose may be more in the private area of life or with helping their friends or families. That’s just as valuable as being the founder of a non-profit, it’s just different.
This leads me to the next point: your purpose may not be fancy, public, or anything you feel positively impacts the world. But regardless of how many people are or aren’t directly affected by your dharma, you are making a key difference by living into it. When you live into who you truly are, you naturally inspire other people to do the same (even if they don’t actually see what the heck you’re doing as a life purpose). This then has ripple effects throughout their lives that may even lead to them stepping into their own dharma – which again, impacts others. No matter how personal your dharma is or how small the audience / visible benefits: dharma is never selfish, and it’s never just for you. The world always benefits, even in ways that you don’t see.
Lastly, dharma is something we’re born knowing, then forget, and then strive to remember. The entire process of remembering (and any and all obstacles on our path to living our dharma) are the universe’s preparation for embodying what you’re meant to do. According to Eastern philosophies, your entire life is full of giant breadcrumbs that lead you to your dharma.
Destinn’s role in dharma:
In the context of asteroid Destinn, dharma plays an interesting role. Destinn is the starting point for your journey. It’s part of your overall purpose, and most importantly: the relationship you have towards your purpose, and the real-world avenues you may pick to embody it.
Much about fate and dharma is found in the lunar nodes, two points in astrology that indicate the axes of soul growth and fate in your life. Destinn adds information by telling you how that soul growth and fate expresses through your choice. This includes a career path (if applicable) and paths that have nothing to do with a career.
By looking at Destinn, we can see how you feel about what you’re meant to do and what avenues work well to realize it. It’s a key to manifesting your fate and destiny in ways that serve you, rather than in ways that feel nebulous or uncontrollable to you (the lunar nodes can feel like that, though you do have control over them. Astrology is always 50% fate, 50% free will.) Like dharma, Destinn shows where you make an impact on others, even if you only focus on yourself and don’t impact an audience. That’s because your actions when living Destinn affect others directly and indirectly.
Which leads me to my next point: what are fate and free will? And what’s destiny?
Fate, Destiny, and Free Will
According to online dictionaries, “fate” is a predetermined path that’s said to have been forged for us, without our consent (probably) by a supernatural force such as God/Spirit/gods/you name it. It’s something we can’t avoid, no matter how hard we try. And it may not be something we’re happy about. While dharma was a soul intention you can choose to live into (which makes you feel good) or ignore (which makes you feel bad), fate gives no such choice.
Just look at Greek tragedies: fate was that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother. Even though his parents did everything in their power to keep that from happening, Oedipus ended up doing exactly as fate decreed: he accidentally killed his dad, not knowing who he was (or intending to murder him). And then he won his mother’s hand in marriage, not knowing he was related to her and vice versa. Fate made it happen, regardless of individual choice.
“Free will” then is the counter-concept. It says that we have all choices and can do with our lives whatever we want, whenever we want – and that includes ignoring the fate made for us and rewriting the stars. Usually, people who believe in free will also believe that there is no plan, no purpose, just your choice. Which is also a valid approach to life.
Enter “destiny,” the intersection between both concepts. Wait, how can fate and free will interact? Let’s look at mythology to demonstrate an example, or rather: let’s break down Norse mythology.
Norse Mythology: The Web of Wyrd
I’m a big believer in sourcing astrology from as many different cultures and other types of backgrounds as possible. That way, we get closer to a “universal truth” (not that such a thing would be conceivable for a human being) than just sticking to one perspective or way of life.
So in order to do research, I looked at many different mythological worldviews and philosophies, and – one stuck out: ancient Norse slash Germanic folklore (which I’m shortening to “Norse” for brevity purposes).
In Norse mythology, fate is constantly created by the Norns through the casting of runes and weaving the tapestry of the world. Fate here is a fixed series of events that eventually leads to Ragnarök or death… but it’s also something that’s to some extent changeable. The magic of seidr, an ancient shamanic practice that involves weaving, and personal choice are said to influence the Norns.
The interesting thing here is two concepts: one, some things just aren’t changeable. Ragnarök for instance, the death of the gods and the end of Asgard, is unavoidable. But the second concept is very interesting.
According to some myths, the Norns weave the tapestry of the world in part based on what they see in the well Mimmirgard… but the water from that well derives from people’s individual choices. According to those myths, a single drop of water is generated per choice you make. It then travels down the world tree and into the well. Now, one drop does not change the entire well’s makeup, but multiple drops can influence the overall picture. In those instances, it’s said that the Norns react by weaving the tapestry in such a way that either a) the future changes, which can happen f.e. if seidr is used, or b) things are rewoven in such a way that your choices don’t impact the fate that was meant for you. Let’s explore those options.
Let’s say part of your fate is to meet a guy called Jeff. But your choice is to move to a deserted island and become a hermit. Obviously, meeting someone on a completely deserted island is an oxymoron. So either, your overall future changes – bye, Jeff, hello loneliness. Or, something compels you off or Jeff on the island and you guys meet.
Obviously, most of us don’t believe in Norse mythology. (If you do, all the power to you though!) Some of us don’t even believe in fate or some force of our choice that guides people or makes stuff happen. (If you do: again, all the power to you! If you don’t, also cool.) I merely try to explain different types of belief in a pre-existing fate interfacing with human choice – since it’s important for astrology.
Anyway, the general idea is that fate that you can to some little extent control is your destiny. And while all destiny leads to the fate you’re meant for, there are many different roads to the fate laid out for you. This is the meaning of the Web of Wyrd, the rune I suggest should be the symbol of Destinn.
Destinn and Fate/Free will.
In my opinion, Destinn seems to have a triple role. One, it shows you where you try to make your own destiny or rewrite whatever it is you consider your fate. Two, it’s the choices you make that eventually (accidentally or intentionally) lead you to your fate. And three, it’s your overall relationship with fate or destiny.
As interesting as that is, many of you probably wonder about something I’ve only superficially grazed on: how do destiny and astrology work together? Time for further explanation.
Destiny and Astrology
Part of why I did such a deep dive here is the fact that every time astrology pops up, people ask the same question: “Does this mean my life is already predetermined?” The answer is “No.” But as simple as that no is, it is also complicated.
Like the general concept of Norse mythology, there are overall influences that we can’t quite explain but that work in some way. If you have a birth chart with the North Node in Virgo in the fourth, you will be guided into the fourth house and the Virgo archetype in some way – since the North Node has to do with “fate.” How you do that depends largely on you: that’s your agency or destiny.
Let’s play around and see what that looks like.
Virgo, for instance, is the archetype of wanting and needing to amass skills and tools and grow as an individual. Virgo is the part of us capable of seeing something’s potential and what said potential needs to come into fruition. The shadow side of this part is to become so focused on what is still needed that you can’t see the beauty that’s already there. A.k.a., you become a naggy perfectionist. Nothing is ever good enough, and you can criticize yourself and others to death. The bright side is that without Virgo, nothing would ever improve or reach its inherent potential. Virgo also has the capacity of seeing something in its core (f.e.: a religion) and dedicating itself to that core, stripping away everything that’s out of alignment with it, and nurturing everything that is. This is why Virgo is often associated with healing, purity, and alignment.
Again, the shadow side is dire: fanaticism, values so specific no one human can reach them, no room for fuck-ups, a dedication that borders on obsession, martyrdom, the ever-lasting server. The light side is high personal integrity and accountability to values you care about that positively impact the world around you and the people you meet. It’s the priestess archetype, and the part of us capable of setting our egos aside to heal, grow and become better versions of ourselves. The part of us capable of seeing the world wholistically and putting our own comfort aside to better the collective (which also serves us individually). It’s associated with our physical bodies and health, too.
The fourth house then has to do with family, homeland, our roots, the place we live in, land or buildings we own, and where we come from physically, culturally, and psychologically. Our hearts, or origin story, so to speak, the family we found, the people we live with, our womb, our parents, ourselves as parents, the most private parts of ourselves, our private lives. This house’s meanings and symbolisms are more extensive than that, but we’ll keep it short.
If someone has their North Node in Virgo in the fourth, they have to live into both these categories in some way. But how they do that is anyone’s guess – so many different things are possible.
To just name a few options of how those two sectors can be combined, someone with this combination can:
be a server of their family and put the good of the family over their own health
a dedicated parent
preserve the environment or home country
clean houses for a living
be very dedicated to a specific lifestyle at home
be almost religious about privacy
become a psychologist
become a social worker
work from home
become a fertility expert, dietician, cardiologist, or gynecologist
look into and connect with their ancestry
do ancestry healing work with others
work to preserve your culture’s traditions
foster or adopt children
take care of elderly or sick relatives
be someone’s live-in nurse or medical staff
serve their country in various ways: military, politics, environmental action, preserver of culture or language, community work, etc.
be a stay-at-home parent, caretaker, or spouse
shake up the family system for more accountability etc.
environmental inspectors
experts that gauge whether a house is a healthy place to live in, or the health of a piece of land, whether things can be built there, etc.
be involved in religion or spirituality in ways that impact their family/home space/culture/country of residence, and/or center on values around family, the home, dedication, etc. “Mother” church or “Our Father” etc. or similar language can be soothing for people like this
design spaces to be most efficient, clean, easy to maintain, and practical
be keen on great organization and order in the home and family
deal with or help treat severe health issues that tie people to their homes
world environmental work
you may work for your family or with people you live with
… On top of thousands upon thousands of different other combinations. What you do here is your agency. That you have to live into it in some way is “fate.” Obviously, the aspects of the nodes and the other parts of your chart specify and expand the meaning of this placement.
The rest of the birth chart essentially works the same way: it’s your amassed potential you can step into in whichever way you choose – but you’re gonna have to live into it somehow. How, again, your choice. Because the chart can get very specific, a skilled astrologer can really help you figure out your unique gifts, needs, challenges, and ways to solve them.
This brings us to…
Your fate/destiny with other people
Please note one thing: astrology doesn’t talk about “Jeff John Johnson-Butzelberger in Apartment 1.773452 Wishing Street in InYourDreamsTown; brown hair, blue eyes, wants three kids and a dog” – ever. What astrology does talk about is types of people. “Types” as in people with certain personality traits, and “types” as in people who fulfill specific roles in your life.
The North Node in Virgo in the fourth for instance can speak to meaningful interactions that feel like fate/destiny with health care practitioners, parents, co-parents to your child, co-workers, and so on who are dedicated to what they’re doing, family-oriented, more of a private person… and so on and so forth. You get the gist of things. We can also advise you which types of people would be healthiest for you in the roles of, f.e., your future kid’s parent, your roommate, etc., and what challenges or red flags to look out for. Let’s give you another example of this.
Let’s look at love: with a Juno (marriage/spouse asteroid) in Libra in the tenth, part of what is best compatible with you is someone fair, social, appreciative of arts, capable of holding paradoxes and multiple points of view in their minds, relationship-oriented by nature, and polite (Libra)… as well as someone who is focused on their role in the community or career, their social standing, role as an authority figure/boss, and potentially someone who wants to be a parent. You’d need to look out for the shadow sides of an indecisive partner, a people-pleaser, passive-aggressive codependent, superficial, or capable of sweeping problems under the rug to preserve a surface-level peace/someone who never says what they really mean to “protect your feelings.” Your career and this person’s career and social standing/role as an authority figure would have a huge impact on your relationship: you may choose to be a business partner or one person changes course significantly to back the other’s social ambitions or standing, career, or work. There needs to be support for each other’s creative pursuits and artistic endeavors, a shared community role or co-parenting, and work put in to create a balanced, mutual, respectful relationship where both people schedule in (literally) time for one another to keep the romance alive. You may meet a partner at work (theirs or yours) or when you step into the spotlight or public eye in some way.
Obviously, we didn’t indicate the aspects of Juno in this interpretation or any of the other significators important for marriage/spouses, so we’re still pretty unspecific. If Juno interests you, here’s a list of articles I’ve written about this asteroid: Juno-Pluto, Juno-Neptune, Juno-Uranus aspects. And you can always book a session with me.
Now, when other people are indicated to us through astrology like this, especially if “fate points” are involved, it’s important to remember something. As specific as we can get (and we can get so much more specific than the above example), we’re still talking about types of people. Even if we narrow it down to about 10-20 people in the whole wide world, there are still going to be options out there.
So, if being married is part of your destiny and you’re currently going through a divorce, you’re not doing anything wrong. Someone else will come and fit better with you.
Let me repeat: if your “destiny”/“fate” has to do with other people and you’re alone? You’ll find somebody. You know you have to leave the partner who seems to fit your fate? Walk off, you’ll be fine. There will be someone better for you out there who also fits into your “fate.” As a matter of fact, staying may be what gets you out of alignment, not leaving. TL;DR: Losing someone does not mean that your life purpose is on the line.
Conclusion: Asteroid Destinn
Now, let’s bring it back to our asteroid in question. The reason I did such a deep dive on fate, free will, dharma, and astrology is to equip you with the knowledge necessary to put the information the asteroid gives you into a healthy, workable context.
While astrology does talk about fate, it does so in terms of indicating broad themes you have to live into, while the how remains up to you. This gives you many, many options and the opportunity to build the life of your dreams regardless of your chart.
Fate can feel restrictive and many people who talk about fate do so in abusive or toxic ways. These types of interpretations are not compatible with the core of astrology. Please remember: your purpose, destiny, dharma, or whatever else you call it is something you feel is true, not something somebody else puts on you that you know doesn’t fit. That includes a reading on Destinn.
Now that we’ve talked about all of that… let’s recap the asteroid’s meaning.
Asteroid Destinn talks about your relationship to fate vs. free will. It’s the starting point to your journey of remembering your dharma, a.k.a. your soul’s purpose. It’s also your calling, what you wish your destiny to be and how you choose to live into your fate. This also goes for people who don’t actually believe in fate: where Destinn lies, you may get those “fancy, empty words” out of the closet (not my words, but words of a person I know who’s very anti-fate, and – once we talked about their Destinn placement – used those words). Or you may use different words that carry the same feelings for you that other people associate with destiny and such.
The key to Destinn is that you want to go there yourself. No one forces you. But things do get remarkably easy as it feels like opportunities flow to you with remarkable ease. You also naturally – almost accidentally – impact more people than just yourself.
No matter how personal the purpose of your choosing, living into your Destinn has ripple effects on others. These effects may not be as obvious or direct depending on what you do, but are still powerful and noticeable, like inspiring someone who needs it or helping them in some manner.
Lastly, Destinn is where you manifest your fate/destiny of choice and try to realize a broader purpose in real-world steps. The world seems to conspire in your favor, especially when it comes to helping you reach success. Here, you find many opportunities and even career pathways. However, Destinn doesn’t just express through your work or public life. Destinn can talk about your relationships or family as well and may talk about things that aren’t monetizable.
If your Destinn includes other people, know that you can leave a “fate-approved” relationship for any and every reason. As a matter of fact, leaving a relationship that isn’t good for you is always the right action and in alignment with Destinn. Likewise, if you lose a relationship important to you, it is not, I repeat, not a failure on your end or a problem in the “grand scheme of things,” if such a thing exists. You’ll find other people to fulfill the role indicated. Often, the loss or choice to walk away is an important part of the destiny you try to manifest.
Wanna know what Destinn means in its signs and houses? Here are further articles: Destinn in Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo Destinn in Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
Until then,
Alexandra.