MYSTIC Meg, The Sun's legendary resident astrologer, has died at the age of 80, it has been confirmed.
Real name Margaret Lane, Mystic Meg delivered her daily horoscopes to our readers for over 23 years as well as iconic TV appearances such as the National Lottery.
Meg was admitted into St Mary's hospital in Paddington, London, with the flu in February, but sadly passed away at 3.45am on Thursday morning.
Speaking of her passing, Meg's agent Dave Shapland said: “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.
“She even became part of the English language – if a politician, somebody from showbiz or ordinary people in the street are asked a tricky question they will say ‘Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?’ It shows what an impact she made.”
Read our Mystic Meg blog below for the latest tributes…
- Louis Allwood
How did Mystic Meg become an astrologer?
By 1986, after a spell writing erotic stories for soft porn magazines, she was working as a journalist at the News of the World magazine.
Her talents were spotted when the editor caught her predicting the future for colleagues who went worried about love or money.
Next day, she became ‘Meg Markova’, the paper’s new astrologer, who never drank, only ate veg and went to the gym four times a week to keep her clairvoyant powers strong.
As well as writing weekly horoscopes, Meg’s column carried messages from beyond the grave.
Readers loved her bizarre psychic instructions with clues about who was making contact from ‘the other world’.
- Louis Allwood
Mystic Meg's final prediction for Aries
Teamwork and co-operation? Or go it alone?
The answer to this question can be different for every occasion, but above all you need to decide. Don’t let everyone else do this for you.
If you’re in love, speaking straight from the heart is suddenly easier, and faster.
Single? Maybe get back in touch with a tender Pisces.
- Louis Allwood
Mystic Meg's own personal predictions
At the age of seven, Meg’s horoscope predicted she was destined to marry a wealthy man.
By the 1970s, Margaret had worked as a fortune teller before going to university in Leeds where he got a teacher’s diploma.
She did not go into teaching and was working as a sub editor on a women’s magazine when she met and fell in love with millionaire football pools heir Nigel Moores.
Sadly, the prediction made when Meg was a young girl never came to pass. In 1977, her lover – then aged 39 and worth £9million – was killed in a car crash in the South of France.
- Louis Allwood
Mystic Meg 'had special friends'
Mystic Meg revealed: “I can still remember being taken to the coast to see how the phases of the moon affected the tide and realising they affected people, too.
“Like all children I had special friends no one else could see but while most kids are talked out of theirs I kept mine. My great-grandmother who had the gift made sure I kept mine.
“The gift often skips a couple of generations so my mother – who was an engineer – was annoyed, rather than impressed when I used to tell her who was going to knock on the door half an hour before they did
“My great-grandmother’s Tarot cards vanished the day she died – five days before her 100th birthday – just as she’d predicted.”
- Louis Allwood
Mystic Meg's gran realised she had the natural psychic talents
From the age of five Meg became close to her great-granny Howard, a Russian gypsy who fled from her homeland in 1888 with her prized possessions – a strange set of European Tarot cards and a crystal ball.
Granny Howard realised Margaret had the natural psychic talents of her Romany heritage and taught the youngster astrology and fortune telling.
When Meg turned 21 she inherited her gran’s crystal ball, which she used to tell the future for nearly 60 years.
- Louis Allwood
What was Mystic Meg's cause of death?
Meg sadly died at 3.45am on March 9, 2023, although her cause of death is yet to be revealed.
In February 2023 she was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, suffering from flu.
- Louis Allwood
What was Mystic Meg's real name?
The talented astrologer was born Margaret Anne Lake on July 27, 1942.
She changed her name to her stage moniker Mystic Meg in the 90s.
During the 1980s she also went under the synonym Eileen Anderson.
- Louis Allwood
Mystic Meg's early life
Meg was the result of 20-year-old RAF radar operator Bill Lake’s war-time romance with Millicent Howard, 23. The couple married six months before Meg was born.
Mum and baby moved in with Millicent’s parents Ann and William Howard in their terraced home in Accrington while Bill was away during World War II.
By the time her husband was demobbed in 1946, Millicent had fallen for a BBC engineer and demanded a divorce.
Bill Lake kissed his daughter goodbye outside his in-laws’ home in 1946 and never saw Meg again.
- Louis Allwood
Fans pay tribute to Mystic Meg
Taking to social media fans have paid tribute to the famous astrologer.
One fan said: "Mystic Meg what a legend RIP."
Whilst a second said: "Truly sad to hear that. She was an extremely popular individual."
- Louis Allwood
Mystic Meg was a Leo
According to astrological charts she was a Leo, with Leo rising and Mercury in Cancer.
People born under this combination ‘command any stage they walk on, leaving behind stardust and inspiration’.
- Louis Allwood
Who was Mystic Meg?
Margaret Anne Lake was born on Monday, July 27, 1942, at a maternity home in Accrington, Lancs.
She pioneered horoscope readings on the phone and when the service started in 1989, it broke all BT records.
Meg fast became the world’s most successful phone-line astrologer, and a household institution thanks to the National Lottery TV show.
For three years, with her distinctive dark hair and flowing gowns, she appeared on Saturday night primetime where in a swirl of stage smoke, she stared into her crystal ball to predict who would win the jackpot.
- Louis Allwood
Piers Morgan pays tribute
Piers Morgan said: "Mystic Meg was Britain’s most famous astrologer and a fascinatingly mysterious lady who loved her work with a passion but was rarely seen or heard in public.
"I was her editor at the News of the World for several years and she was extraordinarily professional in everything she did. A master of her very popular craft."
- Louis Allwood
'We have lost an icon'
In an emotional tribute Sun editor Victoria Newton said: "This is devastating news. We have lost an icon.
"Our brilliant and incomparable Meg was synonymous with The Sun – she was a total legend. We loved her and so did our readers.
"For more than two decades Mystic Meg has been a must read column and cemented her as Britain's most famous astrologer.
"She was a true professional whose guidance helped our readers daily – our postbag bears testament to this.
"One of my favourite memories of Meg is when all the Spice Girls came to the office, just as they were riding high at number one.
"We planned a tour for them but all they wanted to do was meet Mystic Meg!
"You know you're a true icon when the only person Victoria Beckham is interested in is you.
"Farewell Meg. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our thoughts are with her family and friends."
- Louis Allwood
'Britain’s most famous astrologer'
Meg's agent of 34 years, Dave Shapland, said: “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.
“She even became part of the English language – if a politician, somebody from showbiz or ordinary people in the street are asked a tricky question they will say ‘Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?’
“It shows what an impact she made.”
- Louis Allwood
When did Mystic Meg die?
Last month Meg – real name Margaret Lake – was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London, suffering from flu.
She died at 3.45am this morning.
- Louis Allwood
Mystic Meg dies aged 80
Mystic Meg Britain’s most famous astrologer has died, aged 80.
For almost 23 years millions of Sun readers have followed her daily horoscopes in Britain’s favourite paper.
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