What are the motifs in The Tears of Autumn by Charles McCarry?

Fate is a motif in the book. Charles McCarry's novel The Tears of Autumn delves into Asian views of fate. Protagonist Paul Christopher learns that fate, revealed through horoscopy and geomancy predisposes an individual but does not predestine him or her. Assuming one knows one's auspicious or dangerous days and places, one can do something to avoid or embrace that fate.