Almanacs have been offering weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, tide tables, and other useful predictions for farmers, sailors, astronomers and the curious annually since the second millennium BCE. Many have been published continuously for centuries and some have become part of history and iconography -- Benjamin Franklin published his annual Poor Richard's Almanack in Philadelphia from 1732 to 1758, and The Old Farmer's Almanac, published continuously since 1792, is as American as the outhouses it was (and probably still is) found in. Their longevity attests to their accuracy, which is why it’s surprising the modern world turns to psychics for predictions rather than almanacs. One bragging about its past successes and hoping to attract new fans is Ireland’s 258-year-old Old Moore’s Almanac. Here are some of its more interesting prognostications for 2022 along with some of its past accurate forecasts.
Can virtual sex help Harry and Meghan? The Old Moore’s Almanac doesn’t say, but it does have many more predictions for 2022. The Irish Central lists some recent successes: Kanye would have mental health problems, the Barrier Reef would be at risk of dying, drone pizza delivery would happen, the rise of Bitcoin, the pandemic. Of course, being around since 1764 means Old Moore’s Almanac should have a long list of accurate predictions … and it does. A 1903 prediction that "a crown would fall from a kingly head" have been the King and Queen of Serbia who were assassinated in June 1903. In that same year, "the Eternal City would have cause to go into mourning" may have been predicting the death of Pope Leo XIII in July. In sports, it once predicted that the Irish Derby would be run in snow in late June … and it did.
Of course, many of the predictions of The Old Moore’s Almanac are generic, but even there it has a track record many living and dead psychics would envy. There’s still time to get yours (link here) … and place your bets on the Australian Open.