Stars & Strategies: Chinese Astrology, AI, and National Security

I can’t promise this will be the weirdest thing you read this week related to China and National Security, but let’s hope it’s near the top!

Over the weekend, a couple of acquaintances were talking about AI and, yep, Chinese astrology.  My ears perked up at that.  I love researching Dark Age history, medieval astrology, alchemy, and all sorts of esoterica for my novels, but those rarely come up in conjunction (pardon the pun) with AI and forecasted (pardon the pun) technology for the next 20 years.

This post isn’t meant to be an argument for or against the validity of astrology but to make you think about how other people think and what they believe and how those beliefs influence them. Should you care about Chinese astrology?  Maybe not, but I ‘m all Sun Tzu on knowing your adversaries and we’re sure Tik-tokking our way to letting them know how we think. See, certain things might not have personal or cultural significance to you, but they do to others.  Think about past ”random” attacks by other countries on anniversaries of something significant to them.  Shoot, think about Miley Cyrus releasing a hit song about her failed marriage on her ex’s birthday.  That date might not mean anything to you, but I’m guessing it does to her.

Chinese astrology is something I have only a light-hearted knowledge of, having been born in the Year of the Tiger.  For example, I know 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, but I didn’t understand the different longer-term cycles or the more mathematical calculations, and I’ll read up more on this.  Modern astrology in the West tends more toward cycles and patterns and is certainly not considered a science—though it is fun to see how an asteroid was granted certain symbolism because it was discovered during particular events or global changes.  No, the stars don’t drive what’s happening on Earth—in my opinion—but represent older patterns longer than a single generation or lifetime.  Medieval astrology, which I’ve been researching for a fantasy novel, is more calculated and mathematical, in my opinion, with some calculations that are not considered ethical in the last century, such as calculating death dates.  Weird?  Yeah, but trying to figure out how long a king would live was a big deal in the Middle Ages.  So was whether his reign would be plentiful or full of turbulence.  So was whether the calculations supported the king’s plans for domination or aggression. 

Which brings us to Chinese astrology and the new twenty-year era it just entered.  Understanding how your adversary views the world is important, regardless of whether you believe their views or not. I’ve read plenty of material on China’s long-term plan, and there’s definitely some overlap. 

Here’s what I learned from my acquaintance, who has a far better understanding of Chinese astrology than I do. He was speaking specifically of applying Chinese astrology beliefs to AI.  (Yes, I move in unusual circles.) Meanwhile, I was thinking of the other ways it could be applied and could influence decisions and courses of action among those who follow Chinese astrology.

-Real Chinese Astrology involves critical thinking and analysis, not superstition or purchasing items for luck. The focus is on taking action in a particular cycle.

- 2024 marks the beginning of Period 9 in Chinese Astrology, associated with the fire element Li, lasting until 2044. This period focuses on technology, AI, entertainment, mature women, mental and physical health, and attention retention. Period 9 is the last of the 9 periods before the cycle restarts and is a time of high energy, innovation, and achieving prominence.

- Period 9 is contrasted with the previous Period 8 (earth element), which emphasized structured entities like governments, corporations, real estate, and young men.

- The transition from Period 8 to 9 signifies a shift away from these areas, except for father figure-type men who remain influential.

- The Bazi Chart for 2024 indicates instability, with conflicts and clashes predicted in various sectors, suggesting significant changes, restructuring, and the potential crumbling of established structures.

- There's a notable clash between traditional and futuristic forces, with futuristic (AI?) expected to emerge stronger, despite visible conflicts.

- The presence of aggressive energy (7 Killing)—a term used to describe a specific type of influence in a Bazi chart—indicates potential for riots or arguments for the traditional vs futuristic, but the futuristic (AI?) is seen as having strong support and is expected to remain influential.

- The conflicts are specific to 2024, with a hint that 2025 will bring a different Bazi chart, but the overarching theme  applied to AI is that AI's role and influence are here to stay, likened to revolutionary technologies of the past.

Just for grins, I did a quick search of what was happening in China the last time they were in Period 9:

Between 1844 and 1863, China experienced significant historical events, most notably within the Qing Dynasty period. This era was marked by internal strife, external pressures, and significant social and political challenges. Key events include:

1. End of the First Opium War (1839–1842): Although slightly before 1844, the Treaty of Nanking that concluded the First Opium War in 1842 had lasting impacts into this period, including the cession of Hong Kong to Britain and the opening of five treaty ports to foreign merchants, which significantly influenced China's subsequent interactions with Western powers.

2. Treaty of Wanghia (1844): This was the first diplomatic agreement between the United States and China. Signed in July 1844, it addressed trade regulations, the status of U.S. citizens in China, and established the United States' most-favored-nation status, which granted them privileges in trade and legal matters.

3. The Second Opium War (Arrow War) (1856–1860): This conflict further weakened the Qing Dynasty, leading to more unequal treaties, increased foreign influence, and the cession of the Kowloon Peninsula to Britain in 1860.

4. Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864): One of the deadliest civil wars in history, led by Hong Xiuquan, who claimed to be the brother of Jesus Christ and sought to establish a "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace" with radical social reforms. The rebellion significantly weakened the Qing Dynasty, causing millions of deaths and massive destruction.

5. The Nian Rebellion (1851–1868): Overlapping with the Taiping Rebellion, the Nian Rebellion was another significant uprising that further challenged Qing authority, primarily in northern China.

6. Self-Strengthening Movement (Begins 1861): Although starting just outside the period in question, this movement aimed to modernize China's military, economy, and technology by adopting Western methods, in response to the weaknesses exposed by the Opium Wars and internal rebellions.

7. The beginning of the Tongzhi Restoration (1860s): Named after the Tongzhi Emperor, this was a series of attempts to stabilize China, revitalize the economy, and reform the military and governmental structures, following the immense turmoil of the Taiping and Nian rebellions.

These events collectively marked a period of great turmoil and transformation in China, leading to significant changes in its social structure, economy, and interactions with foreign powers. The impact of these events set the stage for further reforms and conflicts in the latter part of the 19th century.

I don’t expect you to adopt Chinese astrology as part of your daily practice, but how an awareness of what influences adversaries is interesting and possibly important.  People who follow Western Astrology seriously believe that the first “degree” of a new sign has a lot of power to manifest the rest of the sign or period.  I have no idea if the same applies to Chinese astrology. If so, and 2024 is the first year of the 20-year period and it’s the Year of Dragon, well, that’s a lot of symbolism for believers to set intentions and take action.

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