The Dry and the Wet Burn Together

‘The dry and the wet burn together’ [1]  is a Persian expression used to describe what happens when a fire spreads. Once the blaze begins, it makes no distinction between what is dry and combustible and what is damp. The analogy extends beyond fire to all forms of destruction, including war and dictatorship, where freedoms of every kind can be threatened.  Everything in destruction’s path is consumed, whether guilty or innocent, perpetrator or victim. Truths and freedoms burn together with evils.

This saying came to mind recently during a conversation with a friend. We were discussing illness, cancer in particular, when she remarked, "Well, of course, we don't want to talk about any of those conspiracy theories." Her comment made me reflect on the uncertain path we have travelled over the past six years. Gradually, in the name of "trusted information" and combating "misinformation," we seem to have lost confidence that we are ever being told the truth or, indeed can say the truth. Many people have become so fearful of being ridiculed as conspiracy theorists that they have learned it is easier to remain silent.

Today, our Black Mirror increasingly resembles the Ministry of Truth and the ‘Wrongthink’ of George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984. And this is happening in what was once Great Britain, long regarded as the bastion of free speech.

I am well aware that some of the subjects I discuss may be labelled as conspiracy theories. However, I prefer to think of myself as a truth seeker and a critical thinker. Better, I believe, to encourage discussion than to practise self-censorship.

Naturally, I am drawn to the astrological cycles, which never fail to awe-inspire. Looking back to early 2020, a time when censorship began to intensify, we find the Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto conjunction in Saturn's own sign of Capricorn. This was followed by the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction at 0° Aquarius, marking the beginning of the Air era within our civilisation. 

The Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto conjunction heralded a profound period of change that would prove both harsh and deeply transformational. Saturn symbolises government, authority, law, structure and control. The Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto conjunction introduced a form of control born of arrogance and hubris (Jupiter), operating largely beneath the surface through Pluto's covert influence.

The Earth era Jupiter-Saturn cycle gave rise to the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century. Earth is heavy, contained and tangible. Air, by contrast, moves freely and rapidly, carried effortlessly on the wind. It speaks of global change, unfolding everywhere and all at once.

As this Jupiter-Saturn cycle unfolds, I believe we are now witnessing the harsher expression of Saturn in Aries, where Saturn is in its fall. Ordinarily cold and restrained, Saturn becomes hot and fiery in this sign. Through the Aries archetype, it fights to preserve control, particularly through governments and institutions, both of which fall under Saturn's domain.

We must also consider the new Saturn-Neptune cycle that began in March 2026. Saturn-Neptune meetings often carry what might be described as a distinctly communistic flavour, with previous conjunctions coinciding with significant developments involving Russia or the broader evolution of communism.

Saturn governs institutions, governments, law, structure, authority and ethics, while Neptune embodies ideologies, visions and dreams. Saturn seeks the fences, limits and boundaries that Neptune seeks to dissolve.

Saturn also represents duty, often requiring sacrifice, a theme closely associated with Neptune. This has been especially evident within the British Royal Family and embodied so clearly by Queen Elizabeth II.

This Saturn-Neptune conjunction, however, is unlike any that we, or indeed anyone for centuries, have experienced. It occurred at 0° Aries - a point of global significance. The exact conjunction establishes the tone for this new phase, but we also need to pay close attention to the period during which the two planets remain in orb, extending until almost mid-2027 using a wide range. During this time, we should watch for the dissolution of existing systems, competing social visions and the emergence of increasingly totalitarian or communistic tendencies. In many respects, George Orwell's 1984 bears striking similarities to aspects of today's world.

As we enter an increasingly AI-influenced world of surveillance systems that include vast stores of personal data, we can already see the potential for more and more technological forms of totalitarian control. Just as in 1984, where Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia exist in a state of perpetual war, we too live against a backdrop of constant conflict. The enemy changes, but the war remains. In 1984 it served largely as a continuing justification for rationing, surveillance, propaganda and social control. Control exercised through fear.

When destructive forces rise up, everything in their path burns. The Dry and the Wet.  No discrimination.  Democratic principles and the fundamental freedoms that generations fought so hard to secure are no exception. Truths and freedoms burn alongside evils. We would do well to remember the saying: "the dry and the wet burn together," before allowing harsh controls to take hold.

So what am I?    Conspiracy theorist or truth seeker?

[1] Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi.  The dry and the wet burn together 3/3/2026.