What The Psychics Predicted For 2022 (And What They Didn’t)

We can all make predictions that come true, but meaningful predictions are another matter entirely. Yes, there will be a train crash, a plane crash, a flood, an earthquake, but where, when?

Most so-called psychics rely on generalities, vague pronouncements or semantic games that impress the credulous but don’t stand up to the slightest critical examination. So now that 2022 has come and gone, let’s take a gander at some of their howlers. The following were picked at random from NewsBank.

On December 22, 2021, Nicholas Aujula predicted the Queen of England would “have a much happier year”. This was a reasonable guess because 2021 was a very bad year for the Queen, not least because her husband of 73 years died on April 9 just 2 months short of his hundredth birthday. As her mother lived to 101, it was odds-on that she would send herself a telegram on April 21, 2026. Sadly, she has now been dead for over three months. Score 0 out of 100, Nicholas.

He also predicted: “Boris Johnson might survive – but a new female leader will emerge”.

Might is one of those words which give psychics a get out. He might survive, but then he might not. Boris is still alive of course, so he has survived in that sense. There was indeed a new female leader, albeit Liz Truss has now entered the Guinness Book Of Records for having the shortest tenure ever of a British Prime Minister, but this was hardly a meaningful prediction as by then Britain had already had two female prime ministers and of 650 MPs over 220 are women. Britain now has an Asian Prime Minister; as there are far fewer Asians in Parliament than women, that would have been a more meaningful prediction.

Writing for the Sydney Morning Herald on December 27, 2021, Robert Moran began with a candid admission: 

“If you consult my predictions from last year, you might assume my inner crystal ball is dodgy. But trust me, my psychic vision’s improved and these are all 100 per cent correct. I’d bet Betty White’s life on it.”

Oh dear, the actress Betty White died four days later less than three weeks short of her hundredth birthday. After that terrible start he made 21 predictions beginning with “The Wiggles will win Triple J’s Hottest 100”. Voting in this Australian music poll doesn’t close until January 23, but as they won last year with a song called Elephant, that isn’t much of a prediction.

Most of his other predictions are the sort anyone could make with a reasonable degree of accuracy, for example: “In 2022, everyone will be talking about The Godfather. 

 That’s because the 1972 film is celebrating its 50th anniversary in March. I don’t expect applause for predicting this correctly, but I’ll take it.”

Note the admission at the end. And no, everyone was not talking about The Godfather. It generated some publicity, but was overshadowed by many other films and stuff.

Then “Cancel culture, continued” – again, not much of a prediction, but the revolt against it has been huge.

He ends with “What will #FreeBritney do with her freedom?” – a question he seems to think is a prediction.

Sally Morgan is a renowned British psychic. Renowned for her failed predictions. In February 2016, a dude calling himself Documontir FOX uploaded a collection of ten of her embarrassing efforts to YouTube. His is far from the only one.

Her first prediction made for the Daily Star on December 31, 2021 was that Boris Johnson would be gone by May. He lasted as Prime Minister until September, but it wasn’t only psychics who were predicting his downfall. 

Regarding Covid-19, she said 2022 would see two more variants. We all know these things mutate. Check out this table and ask yourself if that was a meaningful prediction. Thankfully, what she said about a new variant being a lot more deadly hasn’t come true. Yet.

“I think that the Government will do something huge affecting the National Health Service.” Again, what does that mean, what does huge mean?

“In the pop world, I think there will be someone very famous that dies of Covid.

And it’s going to be a man and he’s going to be young.”

Sigh. The America gospel singer Freddie Hughes died in January, apparently from Covid-19 and pneumonia. He was 78 years old, but was he very famous? Meat Loaf could be described as very famous, but he was 74. Doubtless there have been many younger musicians or people involved in the music industry/popular culture who died from Covid-19, but can any of them be said to be very famous?

A so-called psychic known as Mystic Meg used to have a column in the Sun newspaper. Jemima Packington is known as Mystic Veg because she predicts the future by throwing spears of asparagus in the air and observing how they land. Seriously. Here are a few of her predictions:

Boris Johnson will continue as Prime Minister. Continue until when? 

Covid is here to stay but we will learn to live with it. Did we need a psychic to tell us that?

Showbiz legends will die? As there are many such people over eighty, we may be sad, but how shocked will any of us be to hear that someone of that great age whom we don’t know passes on?

These will be tense times internationally, but conflicts will be avoided. She’s right of course, what is happening in Ukraine isn’t a conflict, it’s a war.

Keir Starmer will be ousted as Labour Leader. There is one woman for whom this isn’t a prediction but a wish!

Climate change will continue – like it has for the last four billion years.

West Indies will be the surprise winners of the Cricket World Cup. At one time, no one would have been surprised if West Indies won any cricket title, but in 2022, Pakistan were runners up to England. 

Manchester City won’t win the Premier League. Manchester City were the defending champions, and they won again.

Croatia will win the world cup. Croatia finished third place, and her predictions are third rate.

Finally, here is a quote from a horoscope column in an American newspaper:

“The following astrological forecasts should be read for entertainment value only. These predictions have no reliable basis in scientific fact.”

Did you need anyone to tell you that?