Lore 317: Smoke and Mirrors

Stage magic as we know it today is very different from how it began. The consequences of those early days, though, are all around us. Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson. ————————— BUY EXHUMED TODAY: aaronmahnke.com/exhumed https://www.aaronmahnke.com/exhumed ————————— Lore Resources: Get Ad-Free Lore: lorepodcast.com/support https://www.lorepodcast.com/support Episode Music: lorepodcast.com/music https://www.lorepodcast.com/music Episode Sources: lorepodcast.com/sources https://www.lorepodcast.com/sources Official Lore Merchandise: lorepodcast.com/shop https://www.lorepodcast.com/shop ————————— Sponsors: BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE http://www.betterhelp.com/lore, and get on your way to being your best self. Rocket Money: Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at RocketMoney.com/LORE https://www.rocketmoney.com/lore. Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore http://squarespace.com/lore to save 50% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE. SimpliSafe: Secure your home with 24/7 professional monitoring. Sign up today at SimpliSafe.com/Lore http://simplisafe.com/lore to get 60% off a new SimpliSafe system. ————————— To report a concern regarding a radio-style, non-Aaron ad in this episode, reach out to ads @ lorepodcast.com with the name of the company or organization so we can look into it. To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected]. Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/lore ————————— ©2026 Aaron Mahnke. All rights reserved.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Aaron Mahnke?

  This episode is sponsored by Wildwood. From Laika, the studio behind Coraline, comes a new epic fantasy adventure. And at the heart of Wildwood is a simple question: How far would you go for someone you love? Wildwood is a handcrafted epic fantasy adventure that transports audiences into a secret, magical, and dangerously alive world just beyond their doorstep. At its heart is the story of a courageous girl, Prue McKeel, on a desperate mission to rescue her baby brother from a forbidden forest filled with enchanted creatures, endearing allies, and formidable adversaries. Her journey unfolds in a spectacular, high-stakes adventure where the fate of an entire hidden world hangs in the balance.

• 0:45Aaron Mahnke?

  The film features vocal performances from Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, and Angela Bassett. And I have to tell you, folks, I have seen the trailer for this film so many times, and I cannot wait to park my butt in a seat and experience this adventure. Wildwood is in theaters everywhere October 23rd, and tickets are on sale right now.

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• 1:34Aaron Mahnke?

  Halloween is right around the corner, and for most people, that means a re-watch of all the cozy seasonal favorites: Practical Magic, Over the Garden Wall, Beetlejuice, and of course, maybe the most quintessential Halloween nostalgia flick of all: Hocus Pocus. Of course, the term "hocus pocus" far predates the Sanderson sisters and their 1993 release.

• 2:13Aaron Mahnke?

  Like Abracadabra and Open Sesame, Hocus Pocus falls under the category of "magic words" that all of us just somehow seem to know. But have you ever wondered where those magic words come from? Well, as it turns out, stage magicians have been saying "hocus pocus" for more than 400 years. And before it was a common spell, it may just have been a person. Apparently, one of the most popular magicians of the early 1600s was an Englishman named William Vincent. He'd do card tricks, swallow swords, make objects disappear, that sort of thing. As part of his act, though, he would utter nonsense fake Latin phrases over the tricks

• 2:57Aaron Mahnke?

  to make them seem more mystical and spooky. Fake Latin like "hocus pocus." Before long, he wasn't going by William Vincent anymore, but by his stage name: The King's Most Excellent Hocus Pocus. He was famous enough that "hocus pocus" became a household name, and thus, the magic word spread far and wide. In 1635, the first known magic trick manual in the English language was published under the title "Hocus Pocus Jr: The Anatomy of Ledger Domain." Ledger Domain, by the way, was the 17th-century word for sleight of hand. Did the magician Hocus Pocus write this book?

• 3:40Aaron Mahnke?

  Did he come up with the phrase himself, or did he borrow it from a competitor? Unfortunately, those details are lost to time. But one thing is for sure: Sometimes magic and history intersect in ways that you would never expect. I'm Aaron Mahnke, and this is Lore. It's a trope that's found in countless fantasy stories, that of the king's magical advisor.

• 4:21Aaron Mahnke?

  The most famous, of course, is King Arthur's Merlin, but the list hardly stops there. There's Jafar from Aladdin, the Red Witch Melisandre from Game of Thrones, and of course, Hotep and Hoi from DreamWorks' 1998 film The Prince of Egypt, who, fun fact, were based on Siegfried and Roy. Heck, even Gandalf picked up some government side work here and there. But here's the thing: Court magicians, they aren't limited to fiction. In fact, throughout history, magical chancellors were all too real, and so was their political power. Back in ancient Mesopotamia, Assyrian kings would employ whole posses of magicians, each with their own supernatural specialty.

• 5:02Aaron Mahnke?

  One, for example, might be a pro at currying favor from the gods; another, an expert in extispacy, which is reading the future from a sheep's liver. According to the Book of Daniel, the king Nebuchadnezzar had four flavors of sorcerer on staff: exorcists, astrologer priests, dream interpreters, and scribes trained to interpret cuneiform books of omens. Meanwhile, over in Egypt, the pharaohs were bankrolling magicians of their own. Now, while most Egyptians of the time were illiterate, these elite individuals were able to read ancient spellbooks, giving them access to secret, God-given knowledge. Using these texts, they would perform magical rituals to protect the pharaoh and defeat his enemies.

• 5:47Aaron Mahnke?

  Then again, the pharaohs weren't exactly helpless on their own. It turns out they were often considered powerful magicians in their own right, as divine figures, every inch of a pharaoh's body was said to contain a special power called "heca," the same godly magic used to create the world. And this stuff was potent, so potent, in fact, that whenever the pharaoh received, say, a haircut, or had his nails clipped, the excess had to be carefully disposed of, lest the "heca-filled" ingredients fall into the wrong hands. And speaking of magic in the wrong hands, in ancient Rome, magic was nothing less than a tool for political propaganda. You see, astrology was super big in ancient Rome, and astrologers' words were believed

• 6:32Aaron Mahnke?

  to be absolute truth. So, for example, if an astrologer were paid to claim that an emperor's right to rule was written in the stars, well then, who were we, the people, to argue? This was such an effective bit of propaganda that some emperors even outlawed anyone but their own magicians from practicing astrology. After all, a bad prediction could straight-up lose them the throne. Now, political sorcerers didn't die out with the ancients, though. The most recent Roman magician was actually operating in the 13th century, serving as the court astrologer to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. And this guy's name was, and I swear to God, Michael Scott. Seriously.

• 7:14Aaron Mahnke?

  In the words of a very different Michael Scott, the politicians of the Middle Ages may not have been superstitious, but they were a little stitious. Now, reading horoscopes was sort of a side hobby for Scott. His real talents were as a mathematician and a scientific translator. Still, everyone was so into this idea of him as a mysterious sorcerer that after his death, writers made up all sorts of tall tales about him. They claimed that he literally made it rain, and that he enchanted a barrel to produce endless wine. By the time a century had passed, he was so associated with magic that Dante himself placed him with other sorcerers in the Eighth Circle of Hell.

• 7:57Aaron Mahnke?

  Credit to Scott where it's due, though, he did tend to make accurate predictions, like the location of the emperor's death, which wasn't always the case with royal astrologers. And to understand why, I need to introduce you to a rather overconfident fellow named William Perrin. Perrin, you see, was employed to make predictions for England's King Henry VII. And sure, he got a few rights, but the ones that he missed, well, he bungled those big time. Like, for example, he told Henry VII that his heir would have a happy marriage that produced many sons, which was famously not what happened with King Henry VIII. And then, there was the prediction that Henry VII's wife, Elizabeth of York, would live to the rippled age of 80 or even 90.

• 8:40Aaron Mahnke?

  Unfortunately, things got pretty awkward for Perrin when she died less than two months after this prediction was made, at the age of 37. The poor guy was so embarrassed, he fled the court and disappeared entirely from the historical record. By the mid-1600s, court magic was on the decline. Folks like Perrin sure didn't help, and astrologers on both sides of the English Civil War predicted victory, which was not a great look. Before long, royal astrologers were viewed as little more than con men. And yet, people sure do love to believe in something. And while court astrologers may have fallen out of fashion, they sure wouldn't be the last magicians in politics. In fact, far from it.

• 9:37Aaron Mahnke?

  The magician onstage borrows a handkerchief from an audience volunteer. He tucks the handkerchief into an eggshell, and then the egg into a lemon, then the lemon into an orange. You can think the turducken of magic tricks here. Back onstage, he muddles this orange with some wine to create a magic potion, which he proceeds to set on fire. And finally, the flaming potion is placed beside a three-foot-tall orange tree. Which is when the impossible begins. You see, as smoke rises from the goblet into the branches above, the orange tree begins to sprout. Yes, little white blossoms are popping open on every bough, but that's not all.

• 10:19Aaron Mahnke?

  The tree then produces entire oranges. That's right, full-size fruit swelling in front of your eyes. The magician plucks a few and throws them into the crowd. And yes, they're real oranges. At last, only one orange remains on the tree. As the audience watches in awe, it slowly ticks open like a strange clockwork box. And from inside, two butterflies appear, fluttering clockwork wings. And lifted between them, why, it's none other than the handkerchief. Congratulations, you have just witnessed a trick by the most famous magician in France, Jean-Jacques Robert Hudon, also known as the father of modern stage magic.

• 11:04Aaron Mahnke?

  Born in 1805 in Blois, France, young Jean-Jacques was the son of a watchmaker, and he was going to be a watchmaker too. That was the plan, anyway, but it only took one tiny snafu to change the course of his life. One evening, a young Jean-Jacques went to a bookstore and requested a book on clockmaking. The bookseller shuffled around the shop, pulling down a book and shoving it into the boy's hands before getting distractedly back to his work. It wasn't until later that Jean-Jacques realized that the bookseller had made a mistake. Instead of a book on clockmaking, he'd been sold an instructional book of magic tricks. And the rest is history. From then on, the boy spent every free moment practicing sleights of hand.

• 11:49Aaron Mahnke?

  His coat pockets were constantly full of cards, coins, and corks. He'd eat his dinner one-handed so he could shuffle with the other. Yeah, this kid was obsessed. Eventually, he grew up, and he married a woman who was also the child of a watchmaker. The couple moved to Paris, and Robert Hudon went to work for his wife's father. On clocks, yes, but also on automatons. First, just by studying them, and then repairing them, and finally, building his own. Automatons like an acrobatic clown, a writer-draftsmen, oh, and an orange tree with the ability to produce oranges. You see, he may have grown up, but he sure hadn't grown out of his love of magic.

• 12:33Aaron Mahnke?

  And with the help of his automaton friends, he soon made his theatrical stage debut. Now, Robert Hudon had watched the arts of magic from afar for a long, long time, and he developed some rather strong opinions on how he thought a show should go. He was sick of stage magic being associated with lowbrow occultism. No, he wanted to launch magic into the same echelon as, say, the opera, highbrow, skill-based theater. And so, in his shows, he wore evening wear instead of the cheesy, costumey robes of his predecessors. That archetype of the magician in the black-and-white suit backed by lush, red velvet curtains, that was all Robert Hudon's doing.

• 13:16Aaron Mahnke?

  He also did away with floor-length tablecloths intended to conceal trickery, allowing his audience to see every little thing that happened onstage. Or so they thought. Oh, and there was one more hard rule that Robert Hudon insisted upon: absolutely no puns. Sorry, buddy, but this podcast might not be for you. In 1845, he leased his own Parisian theater, where he performed tricks with names like "Piro in the Egg" and "The Fascinating Owl," as well as, of course, "The Marvelous Orange Tree." He even had a trick involving a tiny automaton pastry chef who, with the turn of a crank, could bake any pastry the audience requested. And suffice to say, he was a major hit.

• 14:01Aaron Mahnke?

  The city's elite flocked to his shows, and even performed for the king. Unfortunately, though, trouble was on the horizon. After only three years of performance, civil unrest hit in the form of the French Revolution of 1848, forcing Robert Hudon to abandon his theater and flee to the United Kingdom. But lucky for him, people in England liked magic just as much as people in France did. His fame only continued to skyrocket. Eventually, he was able to return to France, and by then, why, he was hands-down the most famous magician in the country. After a few more years of touring, Robert Hudon officially stepped back from the stage in 1854. And boy, was he ready for retirement.

• 14:46Aaron Mahnke?

  The guy was exhausted. He had done his hard years on the road, and he was ready for a quiet life, back in his little hometown of Blois, where he intended to happily tinker away at his automaton experiments for the rest of his days. And I have to agree that that would have been a sweet, quiet life. "Would have" being the key words here, because, you see, he had barely had time to kick off his shoes before the French army came knocking on his door.

• 15:25Aaron Mahnke?

  When the French invaded Algeria in 1830, they thought that it was going to be a piece of cake, an easy morale boost of a victory in a time when things were a little rocky, politically speaking, back home. Sure, no Arab country had been colonized since the days of the Crusades, but it couldn't be that hard, right? Well, jump forward a quarter of a century, and it turns out France couldn't have been more wrong. They had destroyed the Algerian infrastructure. They had taken the city of Algiers. They'd murdered anywhere from 500,000 to a million citizens of the country, while flooding the country with over 200,000 Europeans. And still, Algerian resistance fighters refused to back down.

• 16:08Aaron Mahnke?

  By 1854, the director of France's Bureau of Arab Affairs was getting a teensy bit worried about the whole resistance situation. His name was Army Colonel Francois Edouard de Nivu. And above all, there was one aspect of the Algerian resistance that troubled him more than anything else. It was a group of men known as Marabouts, and they just so happened to be magic. At least, the people of Algeria thought they were. Marabouts, you see, were Muslim holy men who, according to French intelligence, would use classic stage magic to feign supernatural powers. They would perform tricks like eating glass or walking on red-hot surfaces, and in doing

• 16:50Aaron Mahnke?

  so, gain massive religious influence, influence that they proceeded to wield against the French. To de Nivu, it was clear. Something had to be done about the Marabouts. And so, he reached out to the one man that he knew could out-conjure the conjurers: our old friend Jean-Jacques Robert Hudon. The plan, he explained to the retired magician, was this: All Robert Hudon had to do was come to Algeria and do what he did best: put on a magic show. If the locals could see a European perform the same feats as the Marabouts, it would show that they weren't miracles at all but mere parlor tricks. The Marabouts' power would collapse, and the resistance along with it.

• 17:34Aaron Mahnke?

  It took some back and forth, but finally, in 1856, de Nivu convinced a very tired, rather grumpy Robert Hudon to leave his comfy retirement and set sail for Algeria. And that fall, his performances began. The magician performed for civilians and local leaders alike, resurrecting the same old tricks he had once used to dazzle European audiences, except this time, the show was a bit different. You see, while the actual tricks remained the same, the narrative framing around them was different. Take this one trick called "The Light and Heavy Chest." Here, Robert Hudon would place a box onstage and ask an audience member to lift it.

• 18:17Aaron Mahnke?

  Sometimes the box would be easy to lift, other times it would be impossibly heavy, all thanks to a hidden electromagnet being flipped on and off under the stage. Now, for European audiences, he claimed to be changing the weight of the box itself. But in Algeria, the box wasn't being altered, but the audience volunteer, the Algerian volunteer, mind you. He would insist to the crowd that he could, and I quote, "deprive the most powerful man of his strength and restore it at will." And at first, he would let the volunteer lift the box without a problem, and then, with a wave of his hand, he would announce, "Behold, you are weaker than a woman. Now try to lift the box." And what do you know?

• 19:02Aaron Mahnke?

  The volunteer was suddenly powerless. The message to his colonized audience was crystal clear: We can destroy you with nothing more than a flick of the wrist. You think that your Marabouts are powerful? Well, guess what, folks? So are we.

• 19:33Aaron Mahnke?

  When it comes down to it, politics is all about illusion, about manipulating an audience into swallowing a very particular story, whether that story is true or not. These days, watching a presidential debate feels a little like watching The Prestige: two warring magicians claiming to be capable of bigger and bigger miracles. It's not about what's real, it's about what the performer can convince you to believe. Now, you might be wondering whether France's collaboration with Robert Houdon actually succeeded in demoralizing the Algerian resistance movement. Well, according to official French reports and the magician's own memoirs, absolutely.

• 20:14Aaron Mahnke?

  The Algerians were so shocked by the shows, Robert Houdon wrote that they fled the theaters, calling out to Allah and murmuring about demons. It was so effective that the French were soon able to subdue the Algerian rebellion. But then again, remember what I said about politics being an illusion? History, as they say, is written by the victors. And if you look at any reports not written by the French themselves, you'll find absolutely no documented evidence that Robert Houdon's performances had any influence on the rebellion or belief in the marabouts whatsoever. In fact, Algerians would continue to struggle against their colonizers until the country gained its own independence in 1962.

• 20:58Aaron Mahnke?

  That's right, as it turns out, Robert Houdon's victorious reputation may just have been his greatest illusion of all. And speaking of reputation, despite being wildly popular in his day, Robert Houdon wasn't without his skeptics. In fact, another well-known magician wrote an entire book called The Unmasking of Robert Houdon, which accused him of stealing most of his tricks, even calling him "the prince of pilferers", which is even more brutal, given that this writer started out as a major Robert Houdon fanboy. Heck, he even borrowed part of Robert Houdon's name as his own magician's stage name in his honor before becoming, well, disillusioned.

• 21:42Aaron Mahnke?

  So much for that no puns rule, right? So who was this writer magician? Why, I'm referring, of course, to Harry Houdini.

• 22:04Aaron Mahnke?

  I hope you enjoyed today's tour through some of history's strangest political sleight of hand. As if our governments weren't keeping enough secrets from us, now we have to worry about wizards as well. Move over, Roswell, we've got bigger fish to fry. So, my team here likes to joke that working for this show has made them unbearable at parties. Maybe you've experienced this too as a listener of lore. Instead of making regular small talk like "how do you know the host?", or "how about this weather?", they can't help but jump right into info dumping about medicinal cannibalism and the worst hot air balloon disasters in French history. But hey, if you two prefer cursed facts over pleasantries, I've got good news for you.

• 22:45Aaron Mahnke?

  For at least one man, paranormal party talk led to him becoming one of the most powerful men in England. Stick around through this brief sponsor break to hear all about it.

• 22:57Aaron Mahnke?

  This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you've thought about trying therapy with our long-term partner, BetterHelp, insurance options may now be available nationwide with an average copay for eligible members of just $23 per session. Your mental health does not know that it's World Mental Health Day. Stress does not politely wait until October 10th. Burnout does not RSVP. And your brain definitely does not check the calendar before deciding to spiral at 11:47 PM. Mental health is just a part of everyday, regular life. Therapy isn't just for big life choices, though. It can be a place to talk through smaller things, too. The work situation taking up too much mental real estate, the relationship dynamic you can't quite name, or simply the sense that something feels off.

• 23:41Aaron Mahnke?

  If you've been waiting to start therapy, BetterHelp works with more than 125 health plan networks and eligible members have an average copay of just $23 per session with insurance. Don't have insurance or don't live in the United States? You can still get 10% off your first month. Visit betterhelp.com/law to explore your payment options. That's better H E L P dot com slash lore. This episode was made possible by Rocket Money. Thinking about my finances and setting a budget is the last thing that I want to think about over what should be a relaxing weekend. And I think you know that pain all too well. Thankfully, Rocket Money is there to help you manage things more easily and with less stress. Rocket Money can track your subscriptions

• 24:24Aaron Mahnke?

  and has the ability to cancel unwanted ones within the app with just a few taps, giving users an easy way to stop paying for things they don't use. And they give you the power of automatic transaction categorization across multiple accounts. Plus, you can use customizable categories and tags to reveal spending patterns. With Rocket Money, you can set budgets and goals, get personalized insights and regular reports, and receive real-time alerts for large transactions, upcoming bills, refunds, and low balances. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster.

• 25:09Aaron Mahnke?

  Join at rocketmoney.com/law. That's rocketmoney.com/law. Rocketmoney.com/law. This episode was made possible by Squarespace. Way back before I ever created lore, I actually worked as a branding designer, helping businesses craft a professional presence that their customers could trust. Because if you don't put your best foot forward, it's hard to start your business journey at all, which is something that Squarespace allows anyone to do with ease. Squarespace is the all-in-one website platform that's designed to help you stand out and succeed online. So whether you're just starting out or you're scaling a growing business, Squarespace has you covered, giving you everything you need all in one place.

• 25:51Aaron Mahnke?

  Which honestly, I love because it means that I log in once and everything is right there. My website, my email newsletter stuff, even products I sell. And each piece of that pie is so easy to use. Whether you're offering consultations and services or selling physical or digital goods, you can showcase your offerings with a website that's designed to attract clients and grow your business. And Squarespace can even help you get paid on time with professional on-brand invoices and online payments. And they streamline your workflow with built-in appointment scheduling and email marketing tools that are right in your website. Plus, by using basic information about your goals, your industry, and your personality, Squarespace can generate personalized design recommendations so that your digital home perfectly represents you. Get started today.

• 26:35Aaron Mahnke?

  Head over to squarespace.com/law for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use the offer code LAW to save 50% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Squarespace: Build something beautiful. This episode was made possible by SimpliSafe. Look, for most of us, home security was never really about the house. It's about the people inside it, the ones that you would do anything to protect. A break-in leaves a mark even if nothing is taken because it marks the moment home stops feeling safe. SimpliSafe gets that. While other home security systems react once a break-in has begun, SimpliSafe is built to keep threats away from your door in the first place. I still remember the day that I received an alert through their app on my phone

• 27:18Aaron Mahnke?

  and was able to check it out before jumping in my car, which was actually good because it was just one of our massive New England wild turkeys trying to say hello to himself in the reflection of my office window. Crisis averted in the easiest way possible. Unlike traditional security systems that only alert you after a break-in is already underway, SimpliSafe is designed to help stop intruders before they get inside. Smart AI-powered outdoor cameras detect suspicious activity at the perimeter and alert live US-based agents to step in. SimpliSafe's agents assess the threat, intervene through the outdoor camera to scare off trespassers, and call for 911 dispatch. Join the more than 6 million people who entrust SimpliSafe with their home security. Right now, save 60% off with professional monitoring

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  when you visit simplisafe.com/law. That's simplisafe.com/law. And when you order, please write in LAW in the checkout survey. It lets them know that we sent you and it really helps to support this show. SimpliSafe: Ahead of Crime in Real Time.

• 28:29Aaron Mahnke?

  The year was 1940, and Louis de Waal had found his way onto the guest list of a rather fancy shindig at the Spanish Embassy in London. Now Louis was no high society fellow, but over the past few years before, he had spun enough tall tales to make everyone think that he was. Backstories like telling folks he was a Hungarian nobleman, or related to London's mayor. In reality, de Waal was a German-born Jew, and having seen the writing on the wall back home, he had fled Germany for England a few years prior. He'd started as a writer, but recently had gotten deep into astrology. And when I say "deep," I mean that he had a habit of charging wealthy clients up to $1,000 a pop to read their horoscopes. But, back to the party.

• 29:14Aaron Mahnke?

  De Waal was flitting around the embassy, chit-chatting with the Spanish duke, when he got to talking about one of his favorite topics: Hitler's horoscope. As it so happened, in earshot of this conversation was none other than the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax. And let's just say that Halifax found the topic very interesting. "What if," Halifax wondered, "astrology could be used as a tool of war?" Within weeks, de Waal had been hired by the British government. So what exactly would an astrologer do for the war effort? Well, on one front, de Waal would basically be a spy. That is, when important people came to ask for astrological predictions, he would report back on who they were and what they had asked.

• 29:58Aaron Mahnke?

  But his role very much did not end there. You see, there were rumors spreading, perhaps spread by de Waal himself, granted, that Hitler was relying heavily on astrologers of his own in order to make his battle plans. But guess what? The same stars that hung over Germany also hung over England, which meant that de Waal could replicate the advice Hitler was receiving from his advisors, thus providing insights into the dictator's decision-making. De Waal's most important job for the British government, though, the stuff that they paid him the big bucks for, was as a propaganda machine. Yes, just like the Roman emperors of old, the Brits realized that if people believed

• 30:38Aaron Mahnke?

  in horoscopes, and you wrote those horoscopes, well then you can make a person believe whatever the heck you wanted. And so they started with the Germans themselves. First, they revived a defunct German astrology magazine, its new secret editor. Why? That would be de Waal, of course. Inside its pages, de Waal published ominous predictions about German leaders, intended essentially to freak them out. He also authored a bunch of fake Nostradamus predictions, to the same effect. Next, the British and their pet astrologer turned their eyes to the good old US of A. It was the summer of 1941, and America had yet to join in the war effort, much to England's chagrin. And so they sent Louis de Waal on a US tour.

• 31:22Aaron Mahnke?

  He performed across the country, warning his audiences that Hitler's astrologers would be advising him to invade the Americas, and I quote, "Sometime after the following spring, once Saturn and Uranus, the two malefic planets, had entered Gemini." But he told them, "Don't worry, this could all be avoided if the United States declared war on Germany in the next eight months." Which, if you know your history, is exactly what happened. Though to be fair, that probably had a lot more to do with Pearl Harbor than de Waal's obvious propaganda. Now, it's worth mentioning that during his time in the military, de Waal had settled into quite a swanky lifestyle. He inhabited a lavish decorated hotel room which served as his astrology office.

• 32:05Aaron Mahnke?

  There, he held court in a silk dressing gown while smoking a cigar. And sure, he might have been working on covert military operations, but the "covert" part wasn't exactly in his wheelhouse. As in, he was constantly bragging to anyone who would listen that he worked as an astrologer for the government. He was also apparently very, very annoying. He spent so much time pestering the army to make him an officer, that they actually held an elaborate fake commissioning ceremony and told him, "Congrats, you're a captain now, but don't tell anyone," just to shut him up. Not only did he very much not keep this a secret, but he somehow got his hands on a captain's uniform and started to wear it in public.

• 32:49Aaron Mahnke?

  Oh, and that wasn't the only thing that he wore in public. De Waal also loved to cross-dress. In short, British intelligence had a bit of a liability on their hands. They considered various methods of "dealing with him," so to speak, eventually settling on putting the guy under permanent surveillance to keep his flamboyantly loose lips from sinking too many ships. At last, the war ended, and with it, de Waal's military days. He rather surprisingly converted to Catholicism after that, married a woman, and spent the rest of his life writing books about the lives of saints, as well as his own rather Big Fish-esque memoir. He called this book "The Stars of War." Louis de Waal died in 1961 at the age of 58, which was also a surprise.

• 33:35Aaron Mahnke?

  Why? Well, because by his own astrological predictions, he should have lived to the age of 61.

• 33:53Aaron Mahnke?

  This episode of Lore was produced by me, Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Jenna Rose Nethercotz, research by Cassandra De Alba, and music by Chad Lawson. My brand-new history book, Exhumed, is out now in hardcover ebook and audiobook, which is narrated by me, of course. In case you missed it, though, Exhumed explores the strange and twisted roots of the New England Vampire Panic, and its star player, Mercy Brown. Grab your copy today over at aaronmahnke.com/exhumed. And if you don't like ads on Lore, there's a paid version of the show that's available on Apple Podcasts and Patreon, and it is 100% ad-free. Subscribers also get weekly mini-bonus episodes we call Lore Bites, and Patreon members specifically get discounts on Lore merch and access to my inbox.

• 34:38Aaron Mahnke?

  Learn more over at lorepodcast.com/support. Follow the show on YouTube, Threads, Blue Sky, and Instagram. Just search for Lore Podcast, all one word, and click that follow button. And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening.