Crystal balls & contacting angels: predicting the future in early modern England
Podcast: History Extra podcastPublished On: Wed Nov 05 2025
Description: 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. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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