Predicting the future is not an ability most people have. So it can be intriguing to learn what those with the ability will predict. There have been several famous fortune tellers in history whose predictions have come to fruition.
Many cultures, including Greek culture, have honored or celebrated the skills of famous fortune tellers, particularly when some of their predictions have already been realized. Pythia is a historical priestess in Greek mythology who lived in Pytho around the 8th century BC. She told her predictions in a sanctuary dedicated to Apollo. Once she was chosen, however, she had to give up all other obligations in her life, including her family. Her sole purpose was to predict wars, political strategies, and provide insights into national issues, according to the World Atlas online. People who sought her predictions are said to have brought money, jewels, and animals for payment of her services. The life of Pythe was dull to her and she would have given anything to be able to join her family. But, she was selected among several young ladies for her position, which many were envious of.
Nostradamus, or Michel de Nostredame, is another well known fortune teller who has predicted many things through poems and a book he published in 1555. However, many of his predictions are vague and can be translated into several different meanings. Many people and organizations have used his writings to prove major historical events, such as the coming of Christ or the of the world. This is an especially common belief held by church leaders and some religious people. Some believe he has correctly predicted the great fire of London, the rise of Hitler, Louis Pasteur’s work on vaccines, and JFK’s assassination (world Atlas online). Unlike Pythe, Nostradamus did not read fortunes of private citizens and focused his work on world events. Some people believe he has predicted the end of the world, though some of those dates people have interpreted have come and passed.
Edgar Cayce is another well know fortune teller, but was once arrested for telling fortunes as people visited the courts. It is said Cayce would enter a trance-like state and read fortunes or predict events such as nutrition, healing, the afterlife, the past life, and dreams. His predictions were known as channelings and he founded his own organization to support clairvoyance. He also claimed to hear voices telling him facts. Once when he was a child, his father slapped him for not knowing answers to his school work. A voice told him to get a bit of sleep and all would be better. When he woke up, he was able to answer all the questions correctly. Cayce finished his 9th grade education and set out to find work. He joined a church and claimed to see auras around people. He also claimed he talked to angels. Later, he was able to find a cure for another illness of his and a cure for an associate (Edward Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment, 2019). His solutions came to him while sleeping, which is why he earned the nickname “the sleeping prophet.”
Rose Anne Schwab is another one of the famous fortune tellers, clairvoyant of more recent times and has become so popular she has her own corporation, Angelic Inspirations, Inc. She also has an app for Android. She is able to make political predictions for the future and is said to be fairly accurate, at 95%. Schwab travels, gives advice, and believes strongly in the guidance of angels. She is known not only in the United States, but around the world. She lectures, gives predictions privately, and runs workshops. Schwab’s perspective about her ability is that she is seeking guidance from angels and the creator, according to an interview with Life Balanced (2021). She also serves as a licensed consultant and is believed to have done well for herself financially.
Daniel Douglas Home lived in the 1880s and made a name for himself with the ability to heal the sick. He also claimed to be able to communicate with dead relatives of his clients. Home became famous as a clairvoyant and served clients mostly located on the East Coast of the United States. He was sent from his family home at age 18, for his ability to make things in a room move from one spot to another. His mother’s deep religious beliefs clashed with his abilities. He was known for his ability to talk to spirits directly and also for his ability to levitate. While some called Home a Fraud, others claimed to have witnessed his work and back him up fully. He was welcomed among high society and most of his clients came from the upper classes. Though he had skeptics, Home was considered the most famous medium of his time in the 19th Century. Though he was accused of fraud, his accusers were never able to prove their allegations against Home (Psi Encyclopedia, 2021).