From time to time an autograph letter appears which opens an unexpected window onto wartime history. A recently acquired autograph letter signed by Louis de Wohl does exactly that, combining astrology, intelligence, propaganda and Adolf Hitler in a single remarkable document.

Written on the stationery of the Esplanade Hotel, Warrington Crescent, London, and addressed to “Colonel Rae”, the letter discusses the astrological prospects of Adolf Hitler. De Wohl comments:

“He is right about Hitler’s bad aspects, but he mentions only one of them. There is a permanent Mars/Sun square and a Saturn/Ascendant opposition as well. It does not look too good for the dear little man, thank goodness.”

At first glance this might appear no more than a private exchange between astrology enthusiasts. In reality, it touches upon one of the strangest episodes of British wartime intelligence.

Who Was Louis de Wohl?

Born in Berlin in 1903, Louis de Wohl was a successful novelist, astrologer and later an internationally known Catholic author. Following the rise of Nazism, he settled in Britain and became involved with wartime intelligence and propaganda efforts.

During the darkest years of the Second World War, de Wohl persuaded senior British officials that astrology might provide insight into Nazi decision-making. Rather than dismissing him entirely, parts of the British establishment gave him official backing and allowed him to establish a one-man organisation known as the Psychological Research Bureau, from which he prepared astrological reports and assessments concerning Hitler and other leading Nazis.

The bureau operated from London’s prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel and became one of the most unusual intelligence-related ventures of the war.

Was De Wohl Really a Spy?

The answer depends upon how the word is defined.

De Wohl was not a conventional secret agent gathering military secrets behind enemy lines. However, he was closely connected with British intelligence circles and later undertook propaganda work on behalf of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). He travelled to the United States where he publicly predicted Hitler’s downfall and attempted to counter pro-German astrological propaganda.

Interestingly, surviving records reveal that many officers within MI5 regarded him with scepticism and privately described him as a charlatan and self-promoter. Nevertheless, military intelligence and propaganda organisations continued to employ him when they believed he could be useful.

Modern writers have therefore described him as Britain’s wartime “astrologer-spy”, although “intelligence asset” or “propagandist” may be historically more accurate.

Hitler, Horoscopes and War

The most significant aspect of the present letter is that it concerns precisely the subject for which de Wohl became famous.

Rather than discussing literature or personal matters, he is examining Hitler’s horoscope and evaluating the analysis supplied by another correspondent. His discussion of a “Mars/Sun square” and “Saturn/Ascendant opposition” demonstrates that he viewed Hitler’s prospects through an astrological lens and believed that adverse conditions existed within the Nazi leader’s chart.

Whether such predictions had any practical value remains highly debatable. Yet what makes the letter important is the fact that de Wohl was making these observations at the very time when British authorities were actively supporting his work through the Psychological Research Bureau.

The letter therefore captures de Wohl engaged in the activity that secured his unusual place in wartime history.

Colonel Rae and the Mystery Correspondent

The letter is addressed to “Colonel Rae” and closes with warm regards to “Mrs Rae and the Baby”, indicating a personal relationship between the two men.

De Wohl also thanks Rae for forwarding a friend’s letter and remarks that the unidentified correspondent was correct in identifying one of Hitler’s adverse astrological aspects. The precise reading of one word in the manuscript remains uncertain and may reward further research. Whether the friend was another astrologer, an occultist, or simply a knowledgeable correspondent has yet to be established.

Likewise, the exact identity of Colonel Rae remains unknown.

A Curious Survival

The letter survives mounted on an autograph album page which has been closely trimmed to the dimensions of the stationery. There is minor loss to part of the printed hotel heading, the handwritten content and signature remain intact.

As an historical artefact, however, the appeal lies overwhelmingly in its content. Few autograph letters can claim to combine:

• Adolf Hitler.
• Wartime London.
• British intelligence connections.
• Astrology.
• Propaganda history.
• A figure as unusual as Louis de Wohl.

The result is a fascinating reminder that during the Second World War even horoscopes could become part of the struggle against Nazi Germany.

Louis de Wohl (earlier Ludwig von Wohl, born Lajos Theodor Gaspar Adolf Wohl, Jan 1903 – Jun 1961) was a German-born Catholic author. De Wohl wrote novels which were literary hagiographies of notable Roman Catholic saints and of different periods of the Bible. His works have been translated into twelve languages, and sold over one million copies worldwide. He also served as an astrologer notable for his work with MI5 in England during World War II

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