An Astrologer’s Forecast of the Year.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1688, 13 April 1885, Page 3

An Astrologer’s Forecast of the Year.

A correspondent of the London Daily News has interviewed an astrologer of Hammersmith, who furnished him with the following rough forecast (which that paper published early in January) of the chief events of ISBS

The astrologer, whose picture may be found iu the picture gallery of Mr Harrison Ainsworth, or iu that of Alexaudre Dumas pere, is a venerable

and ascetic looking personage, habited in a flowing robe, on which are emblazoned the signs of the Zcu.ac, nu wearing a conical cap surmounted by a star. Of like appearance is the conventional astrologer of pantomine burlesque. But the modern astrologer of Hammersmith proved to be merely a stout, middle-aged man, of cheerful, nay, convivial aspect and cultivated manners —a man who in the street might be mistaken for an enthusiastic collector of old china and an excellent judge of port. He received mo (the correspondent says) in a small back room which he uses as a study. There is no stuffed alligator suspended from the ceiling ; and I looked in vain fora skeleton in the corner, and for rows of bottled surgical preparations on the walls. The study, in fact, might be the workroon of any literary man of moderate means. The correspondent gives a long account off be astrologer’s forecast, during which, he says, he sat aghast at the man’ssublimo audacity;— “ At the beginnuing of the year,” the astrologer said, “ wo may expect a slight revival of trade; but there will be an unusual epidemic of crime, and we may expect Fenian outrages in the early part of January and again towards the middle of February. In fact, I foresee a very grave catastrophe in London in February ; and another one between the 16th and 22nd of March. Ere the year is three mouths old you will hear of some acts of violence in America or Canada ; the Austrian Empire will find itself in difficulties ; there will be turbulence in Greece, and excitement at Alexandria ; and there will be fighting on the Afghan frontier. You may further expect internal troubles, important events in China, and a remarkable storm. The winter, however, will be generally speaking of a mild character. The end of March will bring considerable anxiety to Her Majesty's Ministers, and this will culminate in April, when they will be very hard pressed. In April, however, the British army is likely to gain an important victory. On the 30th March, and again on the 12th April, some great personages will be in danger of assassination ; and between those dates a calastrophe will probably affect oue of the prisons. Ireland will be increasingly restless during the spring, and there will be much crime there m May and June. In June I foresee great danger to an exalted English personage, and the occurrence of a rather startling event in Turkey. The second quarter of the year, too, will bring much trouble to the Cape, and 1 foresee that a great personage there will find himself in disgrace. There will be lesser trouble in the United States, and you may expect to hear of earthquakes there early in April. Austria is likely to be involved in war ; and towards the end of March the Czar of Russia will experience great danger. Egypt will be very unsettled. Oue or more great personages in England will die, and iu the early summer there will be a period of speculative excitement. “ If,” continued the seer, “ there is one thing that can be predicted with more absolute certainty than any other, it is that the aged Emperor William will not survive the year. I do not fear that he will die by violence. It seems more likely that he will have an apoplectic or paralytic seizure that will cause him to fall. I think that he is tolerably safe until June, but I shall be exceedingly astonished it the end of September finds him still living. The third quarter of the year will bring trouble iu the North of England, but, upon the whole the trade of the country will revive. 1 forcseee that Russia is likely to be involved in dis putes which may lead to war ; and in July and August there will be difficulties in Africa, and especially in Tunis. In July also we shall hear that the King of Italy has been in grave danger. In this division of the year there will be an outbreak of cholera in America, and a rather extraordinary fall in railway stocks. The same quarter will bring about a great catastrophe in Ireland, and you will hear of trouble on the west coast of Africa, and of floods in the Netherlands. The Kings of Greece and Saxony and the Sultan of Turkey will experience dangers, from which, however, their escape is probable ; but there will be a serious public calamity in America. In the neighbourhood of Herat there will be war, and our Indian Empire will be much endangered. You may also expect to hear of an earthquake in Western Central Asia, and of some mysterious trouble in Canada The sun enters Libra on September 22, and the fourth quarler, which is then ushered in, will not he the least important of the year, for it will find England struggling for her Empire in India and contending probably with a Native mutiny as well as with a foreign foe. But there will be British victories. In the British Isles conspiracy will be rife. Socialism will be troublesome, and there will be an outbreak of cholera. In October you may expect shipwrecks, and a bad outrage in London. The French Government will have an anxious time in September ; cholera will cause sad ravages in Austria ; and Italy will not escape a catastrophe. “ About September 21st I foresee a tragedy in connection either with a theatre or with a school ; and later I apprehend the death of ahighAmerisan functionary. And there,” continued the seer, “ you have in brief my predictions for 1885. You haven’t the least faith in me. I have seen you smile incredulously over and over again. Well, come and see me next New Year’s Eve, and tell me then what you think of me. ” I confessed that he had accurately represented the state of my mind. “ Can’t you toll me, though, ” I asked, “ something about the course of affairs in the Soudan, and the issue of Lord Wolaeley’s campaign ?’ “ No,” he replied ; *’ I have not the horoscopes of the chief actors. All I can tell you is that Egypt will not quite down for , some time to come. You will hoar of violence iu Upper Egypt even as late as December next.” And India ?

I inquired. What will bo the result cf the troubles which you predict

a.-, voing to iu curs there next autumn ? “ I can’t toll you,” be returned; “ I have told yon nil, or nearly all, that I have yet discovered."