By Tim Binnall
An iconic Irish almanac credited with having correctly predicted both the coronavirus pandemic and the results of the US presidential election has issued its forecast for 2021. First published in 1764, Old Moore's Almanac was created by Theophilus Moore, who was dubbed the 'Irish Merlin' by virtue of his astrological insights. For more than two-and-a-half centuries, the annual publication has included a series of predictions for both Ireland and the world which are purportedly penned by an anonymous psychic.
This year, the almanac sparked headlines when the pandemic hit as its 2019 edition specifically stated that, in 2020, "an unusual virus has us worried." Lending further credence to the possible psychic powers on display in the publication, its 2018 edition warned that there was "a risk of a viral pandemic in the second half" of 2019, which is, indeed, when the coronavirus seemingly first emerged. In addition to these remarkably correct predictions, the almanac also forecast that Joe Biden would be the Democratic nominee for president and that "Trump will not serve a second term, but he doesn’t go quietly." Incredibly, an accounting by a media outlet in Ireland found that ten other events of varying significance forecast by the almanac also seemingly came to fruition.
In light of that rather solid track record for this past year, the publication's 2021 forecast is undoubtedly worth considering for those who may wonder what the next twelve months might bring. Among the events predicted by this year's edition are a sharp divide in America and the UK over the coronavirus vaccine, which will hamper recovery efforts, a step back from the spotlight by President Trump after he leaves office, and protests in Britain over the Brexit deal. While those predictions are somewhat easy to foresee, the almanac also includes several events which they contend will occur in 2021 that are fairly specific.
For example, the publication predicts that "a government-sponsored kidnapping makes the news" and "a freak weather event in Italy." On the technology front, the almanac says that "travel is about to get easier with earbuds that can translate foreign languages" and "airships are making a comeback." Meanwhile, the publication predicts that 2021 will bring "wedding bells for Taylor Swift and Paris Hilton" and "pregnancy announcements from Lily Allen and Khloe Kardashian." As with all psychic forecasts, whether or not the predictions turn out to be correct is merely a matter of time and so we ought to know around this time next year just how prescient the publication turned out to be.