The Man Who Saw the Future

A spellbinding tale of prophecy, power, and politics—a biography of the 17th-century astrologer whose controversial celestial forecasts of the future changed the course of the English Civil War

Winter, 1643: Astrologer William Lilly is gazing at a chamber pot. Parliament has asked him to help: Will leader John Pym live or die? Using an ancient astrological technique called horary, Lilly predicts Pym will die in eight days’ time. He is correct.

In the pages of his best-selling pamphlets, Lilly enthralls the civil war-torn nation with his uncannily accurate astral forecasts of who will triumph in combat. He advises the New Model Army on when to fight based on his judgment of King Charles I’s horoscope; the key battle of Naseby is won with this astrological intelligence. Foreseeing the King’s death seals his status as the nation’s arch magus. But not everyone is happy with Parliament’s new prophet and his enemies begin to plot their revenge . . . Can Lilly’s astonishing gift help him best those in power—and save his profession and his life?

With a cast of star-gazers, soldiers, and scryers; politicians, priests and prophets, internationally acclaimed author Catherine Blackledge grants fresh insight into a tumultuous period, illuminating William Lilly’s extraordinary life and revealing the secrets of his astonishing foresight.