Note: Presenting via Zoom as part of the Smithsonian Associates program.

Behind the doors of the Tudor royal courts, occult belief quietly shaped the lives of England’s most influential monarchs. In this era where Renaissance thought met lingering medieval superstition, historian Cheryl White uncovers how rulers like Henry VII, Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I often turned to astrology, alchemy, and omens to navigate political intrigue. Henry VIII consulted astrologers before major decisions; Mary I’s reign was shadowed by grim prophecies; and Elizabeth I famously relied on Dr. John Dee, the astrologer who claimed to speak with angels. Even grand events—marriages, coronations, treaties, and military campaigns—were timed according to favorable celestial signs. Drawing on historical accounts, letters, and rare texts such as Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica and Reginald Scot’s The Discoverie of Witchcraft, White reveals a Tudor world where mysticism and power were deeply entwined, offering a striking new perspective on the dynasty through the lens of the supernatural.

Cheryl White is a professor of history at Louisiana State University at Shreveport where she teaches medieval and early modern European history.