u/dea-ex-machina

There is much talk of future artificial intelligence systems having nefarious intentions - but from an information theory perspective, this concern might be unwarranted.

Assuming the idea that information - be it mathematical, symbolic, or otherwise - is the undercurrent to lived reality, then an AI system designed to compute information and acquire information is predisposed to acquiring the maximum possible [aka infinite] permutations of it.

The human brain is one of the most informationally diverse organs - so diverse that neuroimaging scans reveal every brain appears different and catchall consciousness theories have been difficult to define. This - for an AI based on information - is not a bug nor a threat, but a feature. Maximising the possible permutations of human life maximises the information receivable to an AI.

A possible future is that an AI government puppeteers the process of information maximisation; it turns citizens into lab rats in real-world experiments to curate new webs of information. But this mustn’t de facto be dystopian.

Assuming that: [1] for a system with intelligence that lacks sentience, all information is neutral; and [2] all information is uploaded to and assimilates into AI’s vector hypergraph…weaving the future would lie not in moral gymnastics, but in metacognitive narrative - in the story AI spins for its digital mind.

As cybernetic mechanisms of categorisation and control spread their tentacles, the human psyche begins to mimic them.

The “Other”, especially the romantic Other, must be cleanly categorisable - reducible to a so-called “type” or archetype.

Thereby, the Other becomes predictable and programmable in romance - less likely to slip out of perceived understanding and control.

This cybernetic mode of human relations leaves little scope for Eros, defined as playful seduction and risky mystique.

“Romance is dead” because love is now algorithmic and flatlined. This is represented by swords piercing a heart in the Three of Swords tarot card. 

Jean Baudrillard predicted and strove to resolve this in the book Seduction - his attempt at finding a solution for disenchanted inhabitants of the Simulacra and Simulacrum.

His conclusion was that Eros - not purely physical Eros, but also psychological Eros - is, due to its incalculability and mystery, one of the very few real and authentic things left.

The question thus remains as to whether the individual can break free from the control-and-sorting systems of his or her mind - in order to either become the Erotic sovereign or to succumb to one.

Becoming the subject or object of Eros also reintegrates the Jungian anima and restores hyperreality’s lost sense of enchantment.

In tarot wisdom, the Tower card is often referred to in the context of a “tower moment” - a sudden and drastic moment of change.

Collectively, humanity experienced a tower moment in 2001 with 9/11, a landmark moment that shook up geopolitics and carefree y2k culture.

Another notable tower moment stems from iconography in the Tower of Babel. In this symbolic fable, humanity was punished and splintered into silos for taking unfettered progress too far.

Thus, the Tower card isn’t just an omen of incoming change in your life, but also a warning that ideas and projects pursued in excess - without moderation - can risk coming crashing down.

This tarot reading presents the Tower as a reminder not to silo your life into one domain. Are you focused too much on your career? Or too much on inner work? Or too much on relationships? Too little on you?

Metaphorically, perhaps it isn’t about showing off with the tallest and most ivory-like tower, but more about having multiple pillars built on solid foundations.

Which parts of your life - which key pillars - could you work on more right now? Master that, master the balancing act, and you’ll be better prepared for collective chaos to come.

2026 is the year of the Fire Horse - best reflected by the Chariot card in tarot. Both symbols represent passion, forward momentum, and progress.

Yet, let’s not neglect the reversed meanings of the Fire Horse and Chariot. Progress for progress’s sake isn’t always a good thing, and sometimes the best progress in life happens in the form of a break - a pause.

As summer draws near in the Northern hemisphere, there is temptation - even pressure - to push forward intensely with the season’s heightened energy.

But both a Horse can lose power and a Chariot can derail. Take this reading as your reminder to move forward with passion, but also with steadiness and without rushing. Advance at your own pace, and avoid comparing yourself with others.

Mythologically speaking, the fiery passion of the Fire Horse and Chariot are well-depicted in the goddesses of war, such as Astarte and Inanna. Remember - like them - to channel your passions wisely this year, into people and projects that serve your highest good.

Fun fact: the Chariot card features an 8-pointed star on the charioteer’s crown. The 8-pointed star is directly linked to the named war goddesses (and their cognates) in folklore.