Excellent breakdown.

Re: 'Who is holding us back?"

Other than WHO? asked the Owl.

One short answer might be Saturn is holding himself back....hating the change he lives and dies for....bad magi holding back secrets even they never knew or have forgotten.

Chains bind Prometheus for reasons.........holding him back....or we get

PROMETHEUS UNBOUND or Frankenstein rampaging the village.

Every apple that falls from the tree is feared and seen as magic white or black.

The black attempts to use all knowledge as an advantage.

The Kaaba

Or black obelisk in Stanley Kubrick's 'Space Odyssey'.....that drives the apes wild..........

It's hard to argue with the idea that some things are better not left to the common Creepy Joe.

Releasing information while trying to control Knowledge in the Age of Information: What could go wrong?

great comment, again, thanks