Crystal balls & contacting angels: predicting the future in early modern England
Martha McGill delves into the world of divination in the 16th and 17th centuries – and shares some tips on how to gain supernatural insight
Eating the palpitating heart of a mole. Sleeping with a wolf's tooth under your pillow. Communicating with angels through a crystal ball. In the 16th and 17th centuries, people had many cunning methods for predicting the future. Historian Martha McGill shares some extraordinary stories of early modern divination with Ellie Cawthorne, from fraudulent money-spinning scams to astrologers and palmreaders who offered supernatural insights.
Authors
Ellie Cawthorne is HistoryExtra’s podcast editor. She also contributes to BBC History Magazine, runs the podcast newsletter and hosts several live and virtual BBC History Magazine events.