AI and the Antichrist
Some years ago, in the early days of my blogging, it became clear that the West was beginning to lose its grip on global dominance. The Eastern nations — India, China, Russia, Asia and the Middle East — were no longer the poor relations in terms of influence. Power was shifting. Now, the United States has recently experienced its Pluto return, a once-every-250-year event that speaks directly to themes of power, empire and transformation. Hot on its heels, in 2027, America will undergo a Uranus return — an 84-year cycle — which may well bring shocks and surprises of its own.
From a global perspective, we are moving away from a West-dominated system towards a more multipolar world. Western supremacy is being challenged as countries grouped loosely as “the East” have grown not only economically, but — perhaps more importantly — technologically. Because the East itself contains conflicting interests and cultures, this shift does not manifest as a unified uprising or rebellion. Instead, power is diffusing, fragmenting and rebalancing as the era of unquestioned Western dominance comes to an end and the world adjusts.
The historian Thucydides, writing about the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE), described a phenomenon now known as the Thucydides Trap: a situation in which a rising power threatens to displace an established one, and how the fear this provokes in the ruling power makes conflict more likely. We may be witnessing precisely this dynamic today in the China–Taiwan situation, played out between the United States and China. Here we see what has been called “closing window psychology”: neither side feels able to walk away, each believing that delay signals weakness that could prove fatal.
At its core, the Taiwan issue is about technology — chips, AI, energy and data. For China, it is bound up with national identity and regime legitimacy; for the USA, it is about credibility. Taiwan’s central role in producing advanced semiconductors means that any conflict would send shockwaves through the global economy on an unprecedented scale.
We have also recently witnessed the USA’s removal of the President of Venezuela, followed almost immediately by President Trump’s declaration that America would “do something on Greenland whether they (NATO) like it or not”. According to Trump, it can be done “the easy way or the hard way”. Are we seeing a shift from the pursuit of power into an outright desire for global dominance? And what planetary symbolism underpins these developments?
I have probably described every year since 2020 as pivotal — and each one has been — because 2020 itself was so pivotal. Astrologically, this was marked by the Jupiter/Saturn/Pluto conjunction just before Jupiter and Saturn mutated into the element of Air, signalling the beginning of a new 200-year phase. Jupiter/Saturn cycles reflect socio-economic structures, which is why this shift was so significant. The previous mutation into Earth in the mid-1800s coincided with the Industrial Revolution. Did 2020 herald a technological industrial revolution? I would argue that it did.
2020 began with Covid, which altered daily life dramatically. We became more isolated, working from home rather than commuting to offices — a transformation made possible only through technology. The advantages of time saving and convenience have been celebrated, yet humans are social animals, and this shift runs counter to our natural instincts.
The outer planets — Pluto, Neptune and Uranus — move slowly and therefore reflect long-term societal evolution. All three have either recently entered, or are about to enter, new signs. It is rare for this to happen simultaneously, and it marks a profound civilisational shift. Saturn and Neptune both enter Aries in February — the first sign of the zodiac — signalling the start of a new global cycle. Pluto’s presence in Aquarius points to transformation through technology, while Uranus, poised to enter Gemini, suggests innovation diffusing rapidly through society, education and networks.
The year 2026 has a distinctly transitional feel. On February 17th we see both the Chinese New Year shift into the Fire Horse (replacing the Wood Snake) and a Solar Eclipse at the anaretic 29th degree of Aquarius — on the same day. Just three days later, on February 20th, Saturn and Neptune meet exactly at 0° Aries. Will Saturn attempt to ground Neptune’s mysticism and longing for spiritual connection? Will this be a moment of stark realism about humanity’s place in the world? Or will boundaries dissolve altogether, leaving reality blurred? This Solar Eclipse forms a square to Uranus, archetype of disruption and innovation. It will be felt — deeply. Disruption is rarely experienced as positive while it is happening, even if it ultimately proves beneficial.
Uranus, the planet most associated with innovation and the birth of new societies, moves into Gemini in April, leaving behind the dense, slow-moving earth of Taurus for fast, airy exchange. This marks the activation of a powerful triangle between Saturn/Neptune, Pluto and Uranus — an energy pattern that suggests nothing less than a fundamental transformation of society and humanity, perhaps even of civilisation itself. Uranus shocks with electric force, and the transition into a technologically governed society — shaped by the rise of AI — may come more easily than we expect.
Even the Bible speaks symbolically of a transition from snake to horse energy. In Genesis, the patriarch Jacob describes the future of his son Dan:
“Dan shall be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.”[1]
Dan’s tribe would employ surprise and guerrilla tactics rather than direct confrontation, striking at the foundations of an enemy’s strength. The snake represents cunning and stealth; the horse and rider symbolise conventional power. Just when society believes the snake has gone and the horse reigns supreme, the snake emerges and brings the system crashing down. The lesson is clear: snakes are quiet and wily, and we should never celebrate too early.
Perhaps AI embodies this same snake energy. Many have likened it to the Antichrist or the “mark of the beast” described in Revelation. Could this be so? Interestingly, when I asked ChatGPT itself, it replied that AI is not the Antichrist because it is merely a tool, incapable of choosing good or evil. Instead, the moral responsibility lies with the humans who create and use it. However, it also noted that AI could be used harmfully by future leaders or systems — “like any powerful tool”. As I wrote this, I couldn’t help but note that Keir Starmer is proud of his roots as the “son of a toolmaker”!
Revelation tells us that the dragon “gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority … and the whole earth marvelled and followed the beast”.[2] One can easily imagine a future in which AI coordinates governance, economics and warfare, with the world following a single system. Authority is handed to the Beast — political power set against God. We are also told of an image of the Beast that “speaks”, evoking the idea of non-living images that appear animated — perhaps even humanoid robots — while the notion of an “image” suggests enforced ideological loyalty rather than true intelligence.[3] Revelation also warns that “no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark”.[4] Some associated this with Covid vaccinations; others see QR codes, digital IDs, biometrics and surveillance. All remain possibilities.
None of this proves that AI is the Antichrist. Yet, just as good walks alongside evil, we are entering a new paradigm marked by the sign changes of all the outer planets and Saturn. Saturn is our great teacher — but will Neptune cloud his vision, leading humanity blindly into moral confusion? With AI, we will soon be able to create images and videos so convincing that reality itself becomes questionable. The upcoming Saturn/Neptune conjunction captures this perfectly. Psychologically, what does this mean for a society already saturated with misinformation and disinformation? Will we learn to distrust our own eyes? And where does that lead — into perpetual suspicion, or into a deeper apathy where nothing feels real enough to matter?
With Pluto in Aquarius and Uranus entering Gemini, this may well be the dawn of the first true technocratic society. AI is advancing rapidly, and technocrats already represent the new elite. The question remains: what does this mean for society — and for civilisation itself?
[1] [1] Genesis 49:17
[2] Revelation 13: 11-15
[3] Revelation 13: 11-15
[4] Revelation 13:16-17