Predictions for January, 1839

“Weather” fancy dress

I vividly remember the year-end prophecies by Jean Dixon printed in the papers of my youth. Looking at some of them in adulthood, they read more like someone with an inside track in Washington politics, but at the time they were deeply impressive despite their low rate of fulfillment. On this New Year’s Eve, here are some equally impressive predictions for January of 1839. I think you will agree that they are breathtakingly accurate.

The Editor wishes all his readers as tolerable a new year as might be expected, and ventures to share the following startling predictions, penned by an acquaintance who is more or less talented in the art of prophecy.

PREDICTIONS FOR JANUARY

(Not by Murphy.)

1. The first day of the new year. Good for marriages, if they turn out well.
2. If foggy, the sun will not be clear. Comfortable for those who get in their accounts from customers.
3. An unlucky day for a third marriage, except under particularly advisable circumstances.
4. The cardinal points agree with this number. The moon effulgent, if bright; but enveloped in an atmospheric duberosity, if opaque clouds appear overhead.
5. The sun will be in his meridian at 12 o’ clock this day! More or less rain or fair weather.
6. Twelfth day. The knights of the round-table will preside over it. The sun will revolve on his axis the whole of this day.
7. Those who have their 14^thchild born this day may look forward to an increase of their expenses. Weather so-so.
8. A queer day for insolvents.
9. Very unlucky for shipwrecked seamen.
10. Cheering prospects for those looking up in the world.
11. Weather profusely wet, if very rainy.
12. Frosty, if sufficiently cold.
13. An ominous number! Be cautious not to sit down 13 to dinner, if there be any old lady present who would object to it.
14. Sunny, if the bright luminary of the day throws out a sufficiency of his beams, and they reach the earth.
15. Beware of doing anything this day which you may repent tomorrow.
16. Both lucky and unlucky.
17. Frosty, if a dry cold atmosphere.
18. Weather warm, if the sun be powerful.
19. Fortunate or otherwise.
20. Talley the second. The moon in her due course.
21. A new tally. Lucky for tradesmen with an increase of business coming in this day.
22. Weather fair, if there be no drawback.
23. Fair weather, if not showery or foggy.
24. Cold or warm as it may be.
25. Fortunate or otherwise.
26. The sun’s perpendicular rays illumine many parts of the earth this day.
27. Many deaths will occur.
28. The moon in her due course. A fortunate day for many.
29. Frost may still be expected.
30. Fair weather, or as it may be.
31. More or less rain or fair weather.

The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Friday 28 December 1838

I wish all of my readers the very best of weather and fortune in the New Year!

Chris Woodyard is the author of The Victorian Book of the Dead, The Ghost Wore Black, The Headless Horror, The Face in the Window, and the 7-volume Haunted Ohio series. She is also the chronicler of the adventures of that amiable murderess Mrs Daffodil in A Spot of Bother: Four Macabre Tales. The books are available in paperback and for Kindle. Indexes and fact sheets for all of these books may be found by searching hauntedohiobooks.com.