National Geographic | National Geographic

National Geographic

HER SEANCES REVEALED SECRETS THE NAZIS WOULD WANT

Friday, October 13, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we explore whether a British ‘witch’ helped the Nazis, chase Bigfoot, learn about diagnosing dementia ... and decipher an ‘unreadable’ ancient text. Plus, how to prepare for Saturday’s rare ‘ring of fire’ eclipse.

Helen MacFarlane Duncan was a Scottish medium best known as the last person to be imprisoned under the British Witchcraft Act of 1735.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAILY MIRROR ARCHIVE, MIRRORPIX/GETTY IMAGES

Do you think of “witches” as something from a bygone era, of bonfires and Puritans and hysteria?

What about Helen Duncan? During séances in World War II, spirits supposedly “told” her (pictured above) about secret British naval disasters.

In 1944, while Nazi rockets rained down on London, she stood accused of violating the Witchcraft Act of 1735. Churchill called the trial barbaric and an abomination, but that didn’t help her.

Unlock this article with Nat Geo Premium! Get access now to exclusive stories, plus a century of archives, photos, and videos. See subscription options starting at just $19/yr.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Children chase someone in a Bigfoot costume at a Bigfoot Bash in Home Valley, Washington

PHOTOGRAPH BY WILL MATSUDA

Bigfoot? Here’s where people have claimed to have seen the legendary beast (Above, kids chase someone in a Bigfoot costume in Home Valley, Washington.)

Why Friday the 13th scares us

For Bruce Willis and others, dementia can be tricky to diagnose. Here’s why.

NASA launches world's first mission to metal-rich asteroid

Researchers find footprints of huge ’terror birds’

It's good to feel bad after your COVID shot. Why?

AI just deciphered part of an ‘unreadable’ ancient scroll. Here’s what it says.

Why are bedbugs so good at what they do?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY ERICH LESSING, ALBUM

The real Dracula? On this Friday the 13th, we take a look at Vlad the Impaler (above) and see what he has in common with the bloodsucking horror icon.

IS IT ALMOST DARK?

Related:
—The Irish ‘hell caves’ where Halloween began
—The ‘confessed werewolf’ who horrified Europe
—The spooky-but-true origins of Halloween costumes

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Italy’s Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park is home to some of the oldest beech forests in Europe. Thanks to a location that’s difficult to access, these trees have escaped felling for centuries.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ORSOLYA HAARBERG

Fragile wonderlands: Photographer Orsolya Haarberg ventured into Europe's old-growth forests to document the remarkable richness of life in the woods, its beauty, value—and fragility.

The trees (above) are among those still standing tall at Italy’s Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park, home to some of the oldest beech forests in Europe that have escaped felling for centuries because the site is hard to get to.

LAST GLIMPSE

Annular solar eclipses (one seen here in 2010 in Qingdao, China) are special because the moon appears smaller than the sun when they overlap, creating a "ring of fire" at the right time and place.

PHOTOGRAPH BY VISUAL CHINA GROUP, GETTY IMAGES

Catch it now or wait until 2039: Saturday’s rare ’ring of fire’ solar eclipse will be visible in parts of the western United States, as well as Central and South America. Here’s how to safely see it and how it is created.

Today’s soundtrack: Which Witch, Florence + The Machine

Happy weekend! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. We’d love to hear from you: [email protected].

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.

This email was sent to: [email protected]. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036

Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.

Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies.

© 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.