In a Metal Snake month in a Metal Rat year, conspiracy theories abound. As Stewart Brand is credited with saying in 1984 (a Wood Rat year):

Information wants to be free.

This phrase in itself supports ideas about conspiracy, and since then people have used it to leverage various causes. For example, a librarian might see it as an egalitarian mandate: everyone is allowed to maintain privacy while still having equal access to information. Businesses that profit from selling information may see it as promoting a loss of income, hence the paywalls and “free if you provide your personal information” subscriptions.

In 1984, the idea that information wants to be free was related to the novelty of the internet, however, it wasn’t new. Politicians, protesters and propagandists have been leveraging this concept since the first graffito appeared on a stone wall. Ultimately, the real value of information relies on the source. Given the speed with which information travels these days we tend to disregard that. If only there was a paywall between us and Trump.

George Orwell’s 1984 was all about withholding information, or force feeding disinformation and fear, as a means of dividing and conquering. We can see the same kind of patterns in Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale. The ideas in these books resonate because we sense a possible truth in them. The source of any information, and the intention behind sharing it, is crucial in determining its usefulness. We will often be misinformed without considering that.

Craving Innocence vs. Craven Innocence

I find conspiracy theories more interesting than convincing. Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe. In my life, it’s always been the insights that go against what I thought I knew that allowed the experience of life changing magic. Believing opens possibilities I might normally reject out of hand; things that I want for myself and for the world. We’ve all heard the story of the mother who lifts the car off of her child. On the other hand, like Dana Scully, I don’t want to get duped. I don’t want to have to take responsibility for that. In excess that tendency might be called cowardice.

I’ve been thinking of George Dantzig who became a famous mathematician after he was late for a graduate school level statistics class and thought the two problems that were still on the board were homework. They were actually problems famous for being unsolved. George didn’t know that so he copied them down, went home, and solved them.

It would be counterproductive for us to accept every bit of information we come across at face value, but a little gullibility might be the secret ingredient to success. Like water, it’s only helpful in the proper proportion. If, like George, we let ourselves be easily persuaded at the right time, have done the required preparation or investigation, and are acting in accordance with those things, that’s when everything clicks into place. This is a principle of water placement in Feng Shui too; lessons from a Metal Rat year regarding the nature of Water.

5G : Is Language is a Virus From Outer Space?

Any good conspiracy theory rests upon human tendencies to look for patterns. Much of human survival and evolution is based on our perception of patterns and the innovations they inspire. We don’t just identify patterns, for better or worse we also create them. Maybe the difference between forecasting and gaslighting depends on the intention of the messenger.

This month, we’ll want to remember that patterns are sometimes presented in order to misdirect our attention; to spread disinformation or fear. Some of this may be done for political reasons, nefarious or not. We can’t let that take away our agency. There’s no value in second guessing ourselves into inertia. Let common sense rule unblind.

Speaking of misdirection, I’m still wondering about Bernie Sanders, 1941 Metal Snake, ending his campaign on April 8th, a Metal Snake day with Day Officer Remove. Is it his health? With the Sheep in his day branch is it some kind of strategic withdrawal? I’d like to think it’s the latter because that opens possibilities. We could use some options.

Metal Snake month opens tomorrow on an Earth Monkey day in a Fire Snake hour. There’s a Metal cycle in the first few days. The deception is in play right from the very first minute. There’s an emphasis on truths that are related to illness. What is the truth? How do you know? A certain kind of transparency can be a ruse too. And sometimes big efforts to hide something serve to draw more attention to it. Tricky stuff. All I can tell you for sure is that lies will be told. Be informed, enlightened and optimistic. Vet everything.