Mystic Meg, born Margaret Anne Lake on 27 July 1942, was Britain’s most renowned astrologer who revolutionized fortune-telling in the modern era through her iconic appearances on The National Lottery and her groundbreaking horoscope column in The Sun newspaper. Her distinctive presence, mystical persona, and predictions captured the imagination of millions across the United Kingdom and internationally, making her name synonymous with astrology and fortune-telling for generations. She passed away on 9 March 2023, at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, following complications from influenza, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that continues to influence astrology and pop culture today.
Early Life and Romani Heritage
Margaret Anne Lake was born in Accrington, Lancashire, to Bill Lake, an RAF aircrewman, and his wife Millicent Howard. Growing up in a terraced house in the industrial town of Accrington, young Margaret was introduced to the mystical world at an early age through her Romany heritage. Her great-grandmother, a Russian gypsy who had fled her homeland in 1888, carried with her prized possessions that would become central to Margaret’s future career: a crystal ball and an ancient set of European Tarot cards. From the age of five, Margaret developed an exceptional closeness with her great-grandmother, who recognized her natural psychic talents and began teaching her the fundamentals of astrology, fortune-telling, and divination. This intimate mentorship instilled in her a deep connection to the cosmos and a belief in the power of celestial patterns to guide human destiny. Even in childhood, Margaret maintained relationships with unseen friends and spiritual presences, which most children eventually outgrow, but which her great-grandmother encouraged her to preserve and develop. When Margaret turned twenty-one, she inherited her great-grandmother’s crystal ball, a treasured artifact that would accompany her throughout her nearly sixty-year professional career.
Her formal education took her to the University of Leeds, where she studied English literature. Despite her family’s mystical traditions, Margaret initially pursued a conventional career path, securing a position as a sub-editor at the prestigious News of the World. Her professional ambitions within journalism were genuine, and she steadily climbed the organizational hierarchy, eventually rising to the position of deputy editor of the publication’s weekend color supplement, Sunday.
Career Transformation and Early Success
The transition from traditional journalism to full-time astrology occurred when editors at the News of the World observed Margaret’s uncanny ability to advise colleagues on matters of love and financial concerns. Her colleagues began seeking her counsel informally, and her accuracy made a lasting impression on management. By the mid-1980s, the publication officially recognized her talents, and Margaret transitioned to become “Meg Markova,” the News of the World’s resident astrologer. This professional identity marked a turning point in her career, as she adopted a distinctive personal aesthetic that would become her trademark: flowing robes, white makeup, dark hair, and an air of mystique that seemed to transcend the ordinary.
Her dedication to maintaining her psychic abilities was as rigorous as her approach to astrology itself. During this period, Meg maintained a clean-living lifestyle of strict veganism, abstaining entirely from alcohol and tobacco. She committed to visiting the gymnasium four times weekly, believing that physical discipline and spiritual purity were essential to maintaining her clairvoyant powers. Her horoscope column at the News of the World expanded beyond traditional sun sign predictions to include mysterious messages purportedly from beyond the grave. These cryptic communications, addressed to readers by name and location, created an air of intrigue and personal connection that resonated deeply with the publication’s audience. Messages like “Josephine of Plymouth – Get in touch with SR. It’s your destiny, JD” or “Karen of South London – Dad hid what you seek in the garage, MH” intrigued readers and generated significant correspondence.
In 1989, Meg became a pioneer in telephone astrology, launching four-minute astrological predictions over the telephone that broke British Telecom records for premium-rate lines. This innovative service demonstrated her commercial instincts and her understanding of how to make astrology accessible to a broader audience seeking personal guidance.
The National Lottery Era: 1994-2000
The most transformative moment in Meg’s career arrived in 1994 when she was selected to appear on The National Lottery Live, which broadcast its inaugural draw on BBC One. For six years, from 1994 to 2000, Meg delivered her signature “Mystic Meg Predicts” segment—a theatrical 45-second reading performed during prime-time Saturday evening television. Dressed in her characteristic flowing gowns and adorned with elaborate makeup, she would gaze into her crystal ball while dry ice swirled around her, making vague yet tantalizingly specific predictions about the evening’s lottery winner. Her predictions often included details such as the winner’s gender, approximate age, geographic location, or even the time they might purchase their ticket. Although the accuracy rate of her lottery predictions was never scientifically documented, the mystique and entertainment value she brought to the program made her an essential component of the lottery broadcast experience.
The National Lottery segment catapulted Meg into unprecedented levels of fame. She became recognized on the streets of Britain, and her name entered the vernacular of everyday speech. When politicians, celebrities, or ordinary people were asked difficult questions they wished to avoid, they would respond with the phrase “Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?”—effectively using her name as shorthand for fortune-telling and unpredictability. This linguistic incorporation demonstrated the depth of her cultural penetration and made her far more than a television personality; she became a cultural institution.
Iconic Predictions and Controversies
Among Meg’s most famous—and controversial—predictions was her correct forecast that Everton would defeat Manchester United in the 1995 FA Cup Final at Wembley. Her prediction of an Everton victory generated the largest postbag the News of the World had ever received at that time, as furious Manchester United supporters inundated the newspaper with angry letters protesting her unwelcome accuracy. When Everton indeed won the match 1-0 on 20 May 1995, with Paul Rideout heading the winning goal, Meg’s reputation for clairvoyance reached new heights. Angry Manchester United fans became inadvertent promoters of her fame, and the incident solidified her status as Britain’s preeminent astrologer.
One particularly memorable account involved a lorry driver who claimed to have won £15 million on the National Lottery after following Meg’s specific advice to store his ticket inside a biscuit tin. While such stories inherently contain elements of survivor bias and retrospective rationalization, they nonetheless contributed to the mythology surrounding Meg’s abilities and her profound influence on popular culture.
Her specific predictions during the National Lottery broadcasts occasionally achieved remarkable precision. On 29 March 1997, Meg predicted that the lottery jackpot would be purchased in Sunderland—a prediction that reportedly came true. These occasional hits, combined with the entertainment value of her performances, created a devoted following that transcended the typical skepticism usually directed toward fortune-telling.
Personal Life and Character
Despite her public prominence, Meg maintained an intensely private personal existence. She refused to grant interviews to journalists, instead requiring that all questions be submitted via facsimile and responding only in writing. This deliberate separation between her public persona and private life added to her mystique. Meg lived alone in a three-bedroom flat in Notting Hill, one of London’s most prestigious neighborhoods, which she shared with seven cats that she claimed had independently chosen to move in with her. She owned several racehorses with celestial names, including Astrodonna, Astroangel, and Astronova, and she applied her astrological knowledge to love-matching her mares with appropriate stallions.
In her rare personal revelations, Meg acknowledged the profound influence of her early experiences with the moon’s cycles on her understanding of human nature. She remembered being taken to the seaside as a child to observe how the moon’s phases affected the tides and how this observation had led her to recognize similar influences on human behavior and emotions.
Meg’s health consciousness was legendary among her acquaintances. She took an extensive daily regimen of supplements including multi-vitamins, vitamin E, wild yam capsules, co-enzyme Q10, herbal drops, echinacea, and ginkgo biloba. She maintained her weight at precisely eight stone throughout the final decade of her life, considering it within the healthy range for her height. Despite her dedication to fitness and nutrition, she often expressed anxiety about aging, particularly regarding wrinkles and weight management.
Her romantic life remained largely mysterious, though reports indicated that she fell in love with Nigel Moores, the brother of late football executive David Moores. However, she never married and spent the majority of her adult life in solitude with her cats, her crystal ball, and her celestial observations.
The Sun Years and Horoscope Columns
Following the closure of the News of the World in 2011, Meg transitioned her renowned horoscope column to The Sun, Britain’s bestselling newspaper, where she maintained her position for nearly twenty-three years. Her daily horoscopes appeared in The Sun’s “Fabulous” section, providing guidance to millions of readers seeking celestial wisdom for their day ahead. These columns maintained the same format and style that had made her famous: sun sign predictions offering insights into love, finance, health, and personal development, often phrased with sufficient ambiguity to apply broadly yet specific enough to resonate with individual readers.
During her tenure at The Sun, Meg maintained an enormous postbag—testament to her readers’ continued belief in her abilities and their desire for her counsel. Sun editor Victoria Newton paid tribute to Meg’s extraordinary influence, stating that her column had been a “must-read” feature and that Meg had cemented her position as Britain’s most famous astrologer.
Television and Entertainment Ventures
Beyond her newspaper work, Meg expanded into other entertainment media. She hosted “Mystic Meg’s Wheel of Destiny” for Sun Bingo, bringing her astrological expertise to the interactive gaming platform. She published numerous books on astrology, including “Mystic Meg’s Astrolife,” a comprehensive 416-page guide to astrological living published in 1992, and “Mystic Meg’s Lucky Numbers For Love Life And The Lottery,” which combined numerology with practical life guidance.
In 1995, she became the face of bookmaker Gala Coral Group’s Grand National marketing campaign titled “You’re Guaranteed a Fortune.” Images of Meg with her crystal ball featured in all 1,850 of Coral’s shops via window posters and Coral TV advertisements, further cementing her status as a cultural icon.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
The most extraordinary testament to Meg’s cultural significance came during a visit by the Spice Girls to The Sun’s offices during the height of their fame. When the world-renowned pop group, led by Victoria Beckham, visited the newspaper, they expressed one overwhelming desire: to meet Mystic Meg. The Sun’s editor later recalled this as a defining moment, noting that the Spice Girls’ singular focus on meeting Meg rather than touring or conducting interviews demonstrated the authentic star power Meg had achieved. Victoria Beckham, at the absolute pinnacle of global celebrity, wanted to meet the astrologer—a reversal of typical celebrity hierarchy that underscored Meg’s extraordinary influence.
British occultist and television personality Uri Geller, upon hearing of Meg’s death, paid tribute to her unique position in popular culture. He described her as “the quintessential fortune teller who brought mystery and mystique to millions of believers,” noting that “she defied the dreary sceptics, as did her fans.”
An entry in Longman’s Dictionary of Contemporary English commemorated Meg’s cultural significance, acknowledging that her name had become a dictionary word—a distinction achieved by relatively few individuals.
Astrological Methodology and Tools
Meg’s astrological practice encompassed multiple divination systems and tools. Her primary instrument was her inherited crystal ball, which she used throughout her sixty-year career. However, her approach to astrology was multifaceted and integrated various traditional methods. She worked with runes, drawing a rune each morning to gain insight into the day ahead. She utilized the I Ching, the ancient Chinese system of divination based on sixty-four hexagrams. Her practice incorporated Tarot card readings, using both traditional decks and her great-grandmother’s distinctive European Tarot cards. Numerology informed her predictions, particularly regarding lucky numbers and auspicious dates. Pendulums served as additional tools for divining answers to specific questions.
According to her own astrological birth chart, Meg was a Leo with Leo rising and Mercury in Cancer—a combination purported to bestow natural stage presence and the ability to command attention, leaving “stardust and inspiration” in one’s wake.
Final Years and Passing
In February 2023, Meg was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, suffering from influenza. Her condition deteriorated over the subsequent weeks, and she passed away in the early hours of 9 March 2023, at the age of eighty. Her death marked the end of an era in British popular culture, prompting tributes from across the United Kingdom and internationally.
Her agent of thirty-four years, Dave Shapland, provided the official statement upon her death, emphasizing: “Without any question, she was Britain’s most famous astrologer by a million miles. Nobody came close to Meg in that respect. She was followed by millions in this country and also around the world.” He added that “she became part of the English language” through the ubiquity of her name in popular speech.
Continuing Legacy Through Maggie Innes
Despite Mystic Meg’s passing, her legacy has not faded. Maggie Innes, a friend and protégée whom Meg personally mentored in the art of astrology, has assumed responsibility for maintaining Meg’s horoscope column in The Sun. Innes, a mother of three, worked closely with Meg to learn her methods of celestial prediction and astrological interpretation. The transition has allowed the daily horoscopes to continue, ensuring that new generations of readers can access astrological guidance from someone trained directly by Britain’s most famous astrologer. The website MysticMeg.com continues to offer daily horoscopes, tarot readings, and astrological content, preserving Meg’s name and teachings for contemporary audiences.
Estate and Financial Legacy
Following her death, Mystic Meg’s estate revealed the extent of her financial success. Her will indicated that she left £1.3 million in assets, demonstrating the commercial viability of her career in astrology, horoscopes, and entertainment. This substantial estate reflected decades of earnings from newspaper columns, telephone readings, television appearances, book royalties, and merchandise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Mystic Meg and what was she famous for?
Mystic Meg was the stage name of Margaret Anne Lake, Britain’s most renowned astrologer. She achieved international fame through her appearances on The National Lottery television show from 1994-2000, where she made predictions about lottery winners while gazing into her crystal ball. She was additionally famous for her horoscope columns in the News of the World and subsequently The Sun newspaper, spanning nearly five decades.
When was Mystic Meg born and when did she die?
Margaret Anne Lake was born on 27 July 1942, in Accrington, Lancashire, and passed away on 9 March 2023, at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, at the age of eighty. She died from complications of influenza following her hospitalization in February 2023.
What is Mystic Meg’s real name?
Her birth name was Margaret Anne Lake. She adopted the professional name “Mystic Meg” for her astrology career, though she previously used the pseudonym “Meg Markova” during her early years as an astrologer at the News of the World.
Was Mystic Meg accurate with her predictions?
While no formal statistical analysis has been conducted on Mystic Meg’s prediction accuracy rate, she is frequently cited as having made several notably accurate forecasts, most famously predicting Everton’s victory over Manchester United in the 1995 FA Cup Final. However, like most fortune-telling practices, her predictions involved vague statements that could apply broadly, combined with occasional specific claims that occasionally came true by chance or through careful observation.
Did Mystic Meg make money from her career?
Yes, Mystic Meg achieved substantial financial success throughout her career. She commanded approximately £200,000 annually from the News of the World during her tenure there. Her career encompassed newspaper columns, television appearances, telephone readings, books, merchandise, and various entertainment ventures. Her estate at the time of her death revealed approximately £1.3 million in assets.
What methods did Mystic Meg use for her readings?
Mystic Meg employed multiple divination methods including crystal ball gazing, tarot cards, runes, the I Ching, numerology, and pendulums. Her primary tool was her inherited crystal ball, passed down through her Romany family, which she used throughout her sixty-year career.
Was Mystic Meg married or did she have children?
No, Mystic Meg never married and had no children. She lived a solitary life in Notting Hill, London, sharing her three-bedroom flat with seven cats that she claimed independently chose to move in with her. She reportedly fell in love with Nigel Moores at one point in her life, but never formalized a romantic partnership.
How did Mystic Meg’s career begin?
Margaret Lake initially pursued a career in journalism, joining the News of the World as a sub-editor and eventually rising to deputy editor of its Sunday supplement. Her colleagues noted her uncanny ability to predict matters of love and finance, leading management to recognize her talents. By the mid-1980s, she became the paper’s official astrologer under the name Meg Markova, and her fame subsequently grew through telephone readings and eventually television appearances.
What was Mystic Meg’s nationality?
Mystic Meg was British, born in Lancashire in northern England and raised in Accrington. She maintained British residency throughout her life, living in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood during her later years.
What astrological sign was Mystic Meg?
According to astrological charts, Mystic Meg was a Leo sun sign with Leo rising and Mercury in Cancer. This combination of astrological placements is believed to bestow natural charisma and commanding stage presence.
How did Mystic Meg maintain her lifestyle and health?
Mystic Meg maintained an exceptionally disciplined lifestyle, adhering to strict veganism, avoiding all alcohol and tobacco consumption, and exercising regularly at the gymnasium. She maintained her weight at eight stone throughout the final decade of her life and took an extensive daily regimen of nutritional supplements including vitamins, herbal remedies, and specialised compounds designed to support cognitive function and immune health.
Who succeeded Mystic Meg after her death?
Following Mystic Meg’s death in March 2023, Maggie Innes, her friend and protégée, assumed responsibility for maintaining the daily horoscope column in The Sun newspaper. Innes had worked closely with Meg to learn her astrological methods and continues to provide horoscopes and astrological guidance to Sun readers using the “Mystic Meg” brand legacy.
What was Mystic Meg’s most famous prediction?
Among her most celebrated predictions was her 1995 forecast that Everton would defeat Manchester United in the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. This prediction generated the largest postbag the News of the World had ever received, as angry Manchester United supporters expressed their outrage. The prediction proved accurate when Everton won 1-0, significantly enhancing Meg’s reputation for clairvoyance.
Did Mystic Meg have any television shows?
Yes, beyond her famous appearances on The National Lottery, Meg hosted “Mystic Meg’s Wheel of Destiny” for Sun Bingo and appeared in various television segments and documentaries. Her most iconic television work occurred during her six years as a regular fixture on The National Lottery Live, where her 45-second predictions became anticipated elements of the Saturday evening broadcast.
What books did Mystic Meg write?
Mystic Meg published numerous books throughout her career, including “Mystic Meg’s Astrolife,” a comprehensive 416-page guide to astrological living published in 1992, and “Mystic Meg’s Lucky Numbers For Love Life And The Lottery,” which combined numerology with practical guidance. Her various publications contributed to her influence beyond the confines of newspapers and television.
Practical Information About Mystic Meg’s Legacy
Where to Access Mystic Meg’s Content Today
Daily horoscopes attributed to Mystic Meg continue to be published in The Sun newspaper’s “Fabulous” section each day of the week. These horoscopes are now written by Maggie Innes, Meg’s trained successor, maintaining the format and style that Meg established over her decades-long career. The official website MysticMeg.com provides daily horoscopes organized by zodiac sign, along with weekly forecasts, tarot readings, and various astrological tools and resources.
Understanding the Mystic Meg Legacy
Mystic Meg’s influence extends far beyond astrology. She became embedded in British popular culture as the definitive reference point for fortune-telling and mystical prediction. Her name remains synonymous with astrology in the United Kingdom, and her theatrical style established a template for how astrology could be presented to mass audiences through television and print media. Educational value regarding her career includes understanding how a single individual can achieve such profound cultural penetration through consistency, theatrical presentation, and strategic media placements.
Current Offerings and Resources
The Mystic Meg brand continues to offer daily and weekly horoscopes, astrological jewelry, celestial-themed merchandise, and various online tools for personal horoscope calculations. Sun Bingo maintains Mystic Meg-themed gaming experiences. The legacy website provides comprehensive astrological resources, including personality compatibility tools, birth chart interpretations, and archived materials relating to Meg’s original predictions and teachings.
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