AI and Big Data, Historical Cycles & What to Expect Next: An Astrologer's Take (Part 1)

Introduction – The Stress of Not Knowing

The sheer volume of content about AI, big data, and the challenge of separating truth from misinformation is unavoidable these days. And I’ll admit—the uncertainty can feel anxiety-provoking. Out of curiosity, I searched “anxiety and artificial intelligence” and was met with this AI-generated definition right at the top:

“AI anxiety refers to unease about artificial intelligence, driven by concerns over job displacement, loss of control, privacy, and the potential negative impacts of rapid technological advancement. This anxiety stems from uncertainty and information gaps about AI’s capabilities and societal implications. To manage AI anxiety, one can educate themselves on AI’s limitations, take breaks from technology, connect with nature and loved ones, and focus on human distinctiveness from machines.”

If you didn’t know “AI anxiety” was an actual term, now you do. Unless, of course, AI hallucinated it into existence—in which case, the irony speaks for itself. Either way, the point remains: there are many unknowns right now, and people are grasping for answers. But perhaps we actually know more than we realize. Let me explain.

Looking to the Past for Clues

Many professions rely on historical data to anticipate the future—economists, sports statisticians, pollsters, financial consultants, even clergy. While past data can’t guarantee future outcomes, it often points us in the right direction. This is why we may already have clues about where we’re headed with information technology and knowledge preservation, despite experts warning that we’ve “never seen change like this before.”

Astrology is another discipline that uses cycles of past data to interpret present circumstances and anticipate what comes next. On its own, a chart can suggest broad archetypal patterns. But with context—whether the chart is for a person, a nation, or an event—patterns gain precision. By examining how themes manifested in earlier cycles, we can better anticipate how they might play out now.

In the same way, we can look at humanity’s collective history—particularly how we’ve stored, organized, and shared knowledge in past cycles—to see where our choices led us, and whether we want to repeat them today.

Astrological “Ages”

Before the discovery of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, astrologers tracked larger cycles using the two slowest visible planets: Jupiter and Saturn. It takes Jupiter 19.86 years to run ahead of Saturn around the Zodiac and finally overtake it again. When two planets align like this it’s called a conjunction, and when Jupiter and Saturn align, astrologers call it a Great Conjunction.

Each of their conjunctions happens in a zodiac sign that belongs to one of four elements: Earth, Air, Water, or Fire. Fascinatingly, while these alignments occur every 20 years in a different sign, they remain in the same element for roughly 200 years. (You can see an excellent color-coded list of what this looks like here.) These long stretches are what astrologers refer to as Ages.

A shift from one element to another—say, from Earth to Air—is called a Great Mutation. Each elemental Age carries a collective focus. For example, Earth cycles emphasize resources and material security, while Air cycles highlight communication, innovation, and intellectual exchange.

It’s these 200-year Ages(1) that will be the focus of this series, particularly the Age of Air we’ve only recently entered. This shift brings heightened emphasis on technology, AI, knowledge-sharing, and information storage.

Our Collective History with Ages of Air

Air represents communication and the exchange of ideas. To make this theme concrete, I’ve focused my research on libraries, centers of knowledge, and how societies managed the collection of information during previous Air Ages.

Here are the periods I examined:

• 2052 – 1814 BCE

• 1238 – 960 BCE

• 463 – 165 BCE

• 332 – 690 CE

• 1185 – 1425 CE

• 1980 – 2219 CE (our current Age of Air)

From these cycles, three recurring themes emerge. I’ll explore them in three shorter articles(2) that follow. If you follow current events, you may notice how strongly these historical patterns resonate with today’s headlines.