Maria Lenormand. The famous French fortune teller and prophetess, nicknamed Black Mary, became famous for predicting the dates of death of the most famous people at that time. She knew when and how death would overtake her. Lenormand was not mistaken even once.
May 27, 1772. The house of the Allason cloth merchant is in turmoil. Jeanne Lenormand's wife has just released her burden. But instead of joyful congratulations, shouts are heard. The frightened midwife runs out of the room. The mother looks into the cradle and recoils in horror. She seemed to have given birth to the devil himself. The newborn has skewed shoulders, one leg longer than the other, and on top of that, thick black hair and a mouth full of teeth.
This suggests that Maria Lenormand was gifted by the Lord from her very birth. And it is no secret to anyone that people born with some kind of physical disabilities always have supernatural abilities and uniqueness. Their Lord rewards them for what they have lost in physical condition.
The unusual abilities of Maria Lenormand showed up early. She sees through the walls, perfectly orientates herself in the dark, notices some strange glow surrounding people, hears a strange rustle emanating from objects. Neighborhood children do not accept lame Marie Lenormand in their company, and the girl often spends time with an old gypsy woman who is guessing nearby. From her, Maria Lenormand will receive an unusual gift - an old deck of cards. Soon, the parents, frightened by the unusual abilities of Mary, send her to an orphanage at a convent. Let the nuns figure out if the devil is tempting the girl.
In the monastery library, Maria Lenormand enthusiastically reads books on numerology, magic, esotericism. Here, in the monastery, she foretells fate for the first time.
Once Maria Lenormand covenant the abbess and shows her a cup of water and flowers. The girl threw into the water the nun's favorite plants - mint and lemon balm and claims that the circles on the water promise honor and a long journey. The abbess does not believe the little fortune teller, but after 2 months a carriage enters the gate of the monastery. The courier from Versailles hands over the highest decree to the abbess. She will head a rich abbey, which is under the patronage of the queen herself.
1780s, Paris. France on the eve of the revolution. The streets of the capital are full of beggars. The ruined peasants, in search of work and not finding something to do, joined the ranks of the clochards. But Versailles does not seem to intend to delve into the problems of his subjects. When the queen was informed that many Parisians did not even have bread, Her Majesty joked - then let them eat cakes. Queen Marie Antoinette and her maid of honor are much more interested in the latest Parisian gossip. The whole city is talking about the extraordinary fortune teller from the manufactory shop.
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Maria Lenormand works in a fashionable fabric store. But buyers more often come to the lame saleswoman not for shopping, but with a request to tell fortunes. This ugly girl is well versed in palmistry and cards. Already several of Mademoiselle Lenormand's predictions have come true exactly. When rumors about an unusual clairvoyant reach the courtiers, one of Marie Antoinette's close associates visits the shop. The rich lady takes off her glove and holds out her hand to Maria Lenormand. Lenormand peers into the lines for several minutes and then confidently asserts that in 11 years the usurper and his wife will be the guests of your secular salon. Teresa de Cabarrus laughs, the prediction seems incredible to her - What usurper? The bourbons hold fast to the throne!
In the summer of 1778, Maria Lenormand was brought to Versailles. After Teresa's story, Marie Antoinette herself is looking for a meeting with the fortune teller, but Lenormand has bad news for the queen. The seer herself was frightened by the verdict. Mary Lenormand is scared to tell the Queen the truth, but Her Majesty insists and Lenormand, bowing his head, whispers - you have a few years left to live, your Majesty, the cards promise you a guillotine.
11 months after this meeting, the great French revolution will begin. The rebels will storm the Bastille and declare a hunt for the bloodsucking aristocrats. King Louis XVI will rise to the scaffold in 4 years, and his wife Marie Antoinette will spend another 8 painful months in captivity. In 1793, in a white shirt, with a black ribbon on her wrist and a cap on her shaved head, Her Majesty will sit in the executioner's cart.
The predictions that came true only added to the popularity of Maria Lenormand. The fortune teller opens her own salon. It is here that the leaders of the revolution Marat, Robespierre and Saint-Just will soon visit. They will come to find out about their terrible end.
Maria Lenormand studied fortune-telling from early childhood. She was never afraid to tell people about imminent death. Because she predicted the dramatic fate of Napoleon, he expelled her from France. But the punishment did not stop the clairvoyant. Maria Lenormand revealed the fateful secrets of the Decembrists, Emperor Alexander I, King Louis-Phillip, the future Swedish monarch Charles XIV, and the famous writers Honore de Balzac and Alexander Dumas (son). All the predictions of the famous Maria Lenormand came true exactly.
Spring 1793, France. Violence has swept the country. In the provinces, counterrevolutionary riots break out every now and then. To defend the revolution, a committee of public safety was created, the Jacobin dictatorship was established. The Jacobins, of course, have heard a lot about the famous predictions of Maria Lenormand. Her prophecies to the Bourbons came true - and the king and queen were executed. The current dictators are also interested in the future - the future of the revolution.
Today, Madame Lenormand is an important guest in the salon. Robespierre himself wished to know what awaits him and his comrades in the struggle Marat and Saint-Just in the future. Maria Lenormand lays out the cards and silence hangs in the room for a few minutes. Finally, the fortuneteller turns to Robespierre. All three will die violently. Jean Paul Marat will die first, be stabbed to death. For Maximilian Robespierre and Louis Antoine Saint-Just, the lady of the salon predicts a guillotine execution. Robespierre is furious. The old maid has gone mad! To everyone, without exception, she prophesies the same thing. Only Marat will believe in Lenormand's predictions. On July 13, 1793, Marat stabbed the fanatic Charlotte Corday with a knife. A year later, Robespierre and Saint-Just were arrested and charged with treason. Both were soon executed.
After these tragic events, Lenormand will be nicknamed BLACK MARIA by the people. The terrible nickname scares Lenormand. The fortune teller reassures herself that this is just a coincidence, that she brings more than bad news. People come to Lenormand's salon day and night. For each client, Maria Lenormand chooses her own way to determine fate. She guesses by hand, by the shape of the head, with the help of a magic crystal, but more often by cards.
The year is 1795. The young widow Josephine de Beauharnais is visiting Lenormand. Glancing at the beauty, Maria offers the guest a mysterious ritual. A thin needle pricks Josephine's finger and a drop of blood spreads in a bowl of water, giving an intricate pattern for a moment. I see the royal lily - says Maria Lenormand - you will become an empress, madam, but the man thanks to whom you will ascend the throne will subsequently betray you. Madame da Beauharnais is cautiously interested in the name of the future chosen one and receives an answer - General Bonaparte.
On March 9, 1796, a marriage between the young divisional general Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais will be concluded at the Paris City Hall. Only 3.5 years will pass and the general will become the first consul, in fact, having concentrated all power in the country in his hands. And after another 5 years, Napoleon will declare himself emperor and, together with his wife, will be crowned in Notre Dame Cathedral.
After Maria Lenormand's accurate prediction, Josephine approaches the Parisian fortune teller. And even after becoming an empress, she does not change her habits. The woman constantly consults with the seer. Empress Josephine tells Bonaparte about the warnings of the clairvoyant Lenormand, but Black Mary only irritates the emperor, especially after one of her prophecies promises him defeat.
Over and over again Maria Lenormand lays out the cards and every time she sees the same thing. The invincible French army is dying in the Russian snows. The great Bonaparte retreats, pursued by the enemy. Shameful exile, complete loneliness and painful death awaits him. Should the emperor know about this? Wouldn't it be more merciful to hide the truth? In the end, Lenormand decides. She will tell about what she saw to Josephine. Let her warn Napoleon. Perhaps Bonaparte will be able to change fate.
The tragic prophecy of Lenormand fills the cup of Napoleon's patience. He threatens Maria Lenormand with expulsion from the country, accusing her of charlatanism, and orders to collect evidence. One of the emperor's close associates agrees to bring the swindler to the surface. The wealthy businessman wanted this meeting to remain a secret, which is why he insisted on a boat trip. He asks for advice from Maria Lenormand, talks about his enterprise, but the clairvoyant announces to her companion his real name and title - Marshal Bernadotte - and predicts unheard of power for him. According to fortune teller Lenormand, the marshal is destined to become king. “Shame on you to lie! Napoleon has just been crowned! - shouts a hot Gascon and jumps up. The boat overturns and Bernadotte and Mary find themselves in the water. Lenormand is carried away by the current, and the marshal gets out on the shore. The next day, the newspapers in colors describe the miraculous rescue of Mademoiselle Lenormand. It turns out that the fortune-teller did not drown. The plank of her corset accidentally caught on a beam floating down the river.
After the marshal's report, Napoleon fulfills his threat, orders Maria Lenormand to leave Paris. In 1808, the clairvoyant leaves for Belgium, and Bernadotte, a few years later, will be adopted by the childless king Charles XIII. Gascon will ascend the Swedish throne under the name of Charles XIV Johan. On the same day, the former Marshal from Stockholm will send a package, a ring with an amethyst in a carved box. The gift is addressed to Maria Lenormand.
In March 1814 Maria Lenormand will return to the French capital. Her prophecy came true. In Paris, the Russian guard. The clairvoyant Lenormand will predict a terrible fate for two officers of the victorious army.
