A fortune teller from Bath who calls herself “Mystic Veg” has published her list of forecasts for 2022, made by throwing asparagus spears into the air and reading the patterns they form. Jemima Packington, 65, produced 20 predictions covering sport, film, the economy, travel, education and the environment.
Her forecasts include Croatia winning the football World Cup, Manchester United challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title, and the West Indies taking the Cricket World Cup in Australia. The predictions are offered as light entertainment.
How the asparagus readings work
Packington says she began making predictions at the age of eight. She says she inherited the gift from an elderly aunt who read tea leaves. Her method uses fresh Worcestershire asparagus grown in the Vale of Evesham, the main area of asparagus production in the United Kingdom.
She takes a handful of tips and tosses them into the air. She then interprets the shapes they make when they land. She says her technique has not changed over the years and that she reads the patterns almost instantly, which she puts down to years of practice.
This year’s readings took more than 24 hours, spread over two sessions. She says she tries to step away from daily life and clear her mind before she interprets the spears on the floor. Afterwards the asparagus is eaten for supper, a habit she describes as being against waste.
Packington estimates that her predictions are between 75 and 90 per cent accurate. She says she reviews them each year and occasionally finds one slightly misread. That figure is her own estimate and has not been independently assessed.
Her forecasts for sport and film
Sport features heavily in this year’s list. Packington says Croatia will win the 2022 World Cup, although she expects the tournament to be surrounded by controversy. She says a friend who follows football closely was sceptical, and her only reply was to “watch this space”. She also predicts that Manchester United, then well behind in the league table, will overtake Manchester City.
Beyond football, she expects the West Indies to be surprise winners of the Cricket World Cup in Australia. She also expects England’s women’s rugby team to have a highly successful World Cup in New Zealand.
On film, she says the Oscar for Best Film will go to The Power of the Dog. She also says its star Benedict Cumberbatch will be nominated for Best Actor.
Everyday life, the economy and the environment
The wider forecasts are about daily life and the economy. Packington predicts that working from home and other changes in how people live will become normal. She adds that customers will no longer accept poor service excused by the pandemic.
She says entertainment and sports venues will find ways to progress while keeping people safe. She also expects leisure and service industries to adapt to changing habits and emerge stronger.
Other forecasts on her list include:
- A review of national educational standards, with more emphasis on vocational training.
- A return to foreign travel as an exotic luxury, with prices to match.
- An economic recovery that sets an example to countries struggling with their own economies.
- Continuing tension on the international front, with conflicts avoided.
- Continuing climate change, with fewer countries active in reversing it.
- Recycling and upcycling becoming fashionable, with less waste and a revival of bartering.
- Continued progress in agriculture, with Vale of Evesham asparagus still recognised as the best in the world.
Past forecasts she cites
Packington points to a record she says supports her reputation. She says she foresaw Brexit and Andy Murray winning Wimbledon. She also says she foresaw the euro crisis and the credit crunch. In 2019, she says, she predicted cricket success for England and the return of Big Brother to television. She also predicted that the musical A Star is Born would win an Oscar.
For the end of 2021 she forecast a modest Christmas, which she says matched the experience of many households as the Omicron variant spread. She says she has been told this year’s predictions are among her most controversial. She adds that she simply reports what the asparagus tells her.
She describes the work as easier to do than to explain. She says certain patterns form and the predictions come to her. She says she is not boastful about her ability but is often right.
The Vale of Evesham connection
The Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire is known for its asparagus, locally called “gras”. The village of Bretforton hosts the British Asparagus Festival each May. Packington has appeared at the festival as an “Asparamancer”, a name she uses for her style of fortune telling.
Her 2022 list ends, like her other forecasts, with the asparagus returning to the table. The same Worcestershire crop that she says reveals the year ahead is cooked and eaten once the readings are done.