Michael Nostradamus (Michel de Nostredame or Nôtredame), b. Dec. 14, 1503, d. July 2, 1566, was a French physician and astrologer whose predictions of the future have fascinated people for centuries. Baptised a Christian to conceal his Jewish heritage during a period of violent anti-Semitism, Michel grew up in a lively, prosperous (his father Jacques was a notary) and warm household, full of conversation and the rich aromas of Provençal cooking. He was an enthusiastic and gifted student, with exceptional mathematical ability and a great love and mastery of astrology (known then as "celestial science"). His grandfathers Jean de Rémy and Pierre de Nostredame (both of them doctors) also noticed that Michel displayed a remarkable talent for prophecy at a very young age. They both taught him daily in a wide range of subjects, including classical literature, history, medicine, astrology, and herbal folk medicine.

At the age of 14, Michel was sent to study in the city of Avignon, capital of the papal enclave in Provence. There he was taught philosophy, grammar and rhetoric by Catholic priests, but in his free time, he studied the occult and astrological books in the renowned papal library. As a result, he was nicknamed "the little astrologer", and his open defense of the astrologer Copernicus alarmed his family, who were afraid it might draw attention to them. Michel did have a traumatizing experience, witnessing his nanny being burned at the stake as an accused witch; perhaps that is one reason why he was to go to great lengths eluding the Inquisitors later in his life.

Knowing that astrologers were generally more accepted if they were also accredited physicians, Michel's grandfather suggested a career in medicine. In 1522, Michel enrolled as a medical student at the University of Montpellier (founded in 1289). He became quickly dissatisfied with the ignorance and dogma of his professors, and was inclined toward following the research of François Rabelais at the University of Paris. Nostradamus acquired a great reputation as a doctor by treating victims of the bubonic plague (Le Charbon) which ravaged that part of Europe. His methodology contravened established medical practice of the period, since he opposed the traditional treatment of "bleeding" patients to rid them of disease, and his invention of an oral vitamin C supplement (rose pills) to enhance immune response in his patients met with considerable skepticism among his medical peers at the time. His views were considered to be heretical by the church, and he was persecuted on numerous occasions by the Inquisition, a body of clergy empowered to condemn victims accused of witchcraft and heresy.

Michel's attentions turned once again to astrology and metaphysics. As his divining tool he employed a brass bowl, filled with water and perched on a tripod; his visions appeared to him reflected on the pool of water. An assistant described Nostradamus as descending from his study in a trance-like state following many of these visions. In 1555 he completed the Centuries, a book of more than 900 predictions about the fate of France, the world, and celebrated persons of his time. The title of the book refers to the fact that the contents are arranged in sections of 100 verses each. An expanded version was published in 1558. Nostradamus was consulted by Catherine de Medici — who shared his penchant for astrology — regarding the fate of her husband, King Henry II, as well as that of her three sons. His predictions that her husband would be killed in a joust, and that she would outlive each of her sons through their consecutive successions on the throne, were proved true. It was largely as a result of his protection by Catherine de Medici that Nostradamus was allowed to remain free to pursue his scientific studies and to publish his dire but accurate prophecies.

The prophecies are written as four-lined rhymed verses (quatrains) in vague, often cryptic language. Nostradamus' fondness for anagrams and his penchant for sprinkling his verses with Hebrew, Latin, and Portuguese words further complicates interpretation of his predictions. Some interpreters say the verses can be applied to anything, or nothing, whereas others claim that various verses foretold the Great Fire of London in 1666, the invention of the guillotine, the deaths of several monarchs, details of the French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon and Hitler, World War II, submarine warfare, military incursions by helicopters and supersonic bombers, twentieth century earthquakes, nuclear holocausts, John F. Kennedy's assassination, man's landing on the moon, the advent of AIDS, and a host of other momentous events.

Because Nostradamus included very few dates in his prophecies and because, additionally, he did not organize them into a chronological order, the verses have been constantly reinterpreted since the time of their publication. The Centuries remains a classic of occult literature; hundreds of studies of it have been published. An excellent film account of Nostradamus' life is available on Orion Home Video (©1994, 118 mins.), starring Tchéky Karyo in the title role, with F. Murray Abraham playing the part of his mentor, Dr. Scaliger (1), and Rutger Hauer as the Mystic Monk.

(1) Julius-César Scaliger (1484-1558), Italian-born doctor of medicine who became a French citizen in 1528, settling in Agen. He wrote learned books on Latin grammar, philosophy and medicine.

Timeline

• 1503 - Born - Michel de Nostredame in St. Remy, France on December 14.
• 1525 - Studied medicine in Montpellier (about 70 km southwest of St. Rémy) and set up practice at the age of 22.
• 1534 - Married for the first time. Shortly thereafter he lost his wife and two children to the plague (their names are not known).
• 1550 - Moved to Salon-de-Provence and began writing a series of prophecies in quatrains, four-line rhyming verses.
• 1554 - Married Anne Ponsart Gemelle in town of Salon, France.
• 1555 - Nostradamus published his first set of 100 quatrains.
• 1564 - Nostradamus was appointed Royal Physician to King Charles IX.
• On July 1, 1566 Nostradamus offered his final prediction to his priest. In response to the priest's farewell of "Until tomorrow," Nostradamus is said to have answered: "You will not find me alive at sunrise."
• 1566 - Died - July 2.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

RECOMMENDED: BUY IT HERE AT 20% OFF The Complete Prophesies of Nostradamus by Nostradamus, Henry C. Roberts, Lee Roberts Amsterdam, Robert Lawrence Usually ships within 2-3 days. Hardcover, 360 pages, Updated edition Published February 1995 ISBN: 0517590921 Tabloid psychics come and go, but the name of the prophet Nostradamus stands like a pillar of granite, even after some 500 years. Henry C. Roberts's translations and interpretations of Nostradamus's Centuries are almost as enduring. First published in 1947 as an attempt to make a complete Centuries book available to the public, the Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus has reached its fourth edition with few revisions. This unabridged, definitive edition with verbatim translations printed side by side with the original Old French is one of the most accurate interpretations available in print. Newly updated to emphasize its relevance to recent events as well as the new millennium, this edition will be the most sought-after book of its kind, now and for years to come. Nostradamus: The New Revelations by John Hogue Paperback, Reprint edition Published August 1995 by Element ISBN: 1852306831 Author John Hogue has spent more than a decade computer analyzing all 26,000 words of Nostradamus' original writings to compile the most complete, precise, and meaningful interpretation available yet. More than 300 full-color illustrations and maps complement this essential guide. Hogue looks not only at the "Centuries," but the "Preface to Cesar," "Epistle to Henry II" and "Presages" as well. In doing so, he comes up with some controversial interpretations of these over 400-year-old writings. Webmaster's comment: Everything about this book -- the page design, numerous illustrations, lay-out and superbly written contents -- serve to capture the reader's attention and interest. I enjoyed it immensely! RECOMMENDED: BUY IT HERE AT 20% OFF RECOMMENDED: BUY IT HERE AT 20% OFF Conversations With Nostradamus: His Prophecies Explained (Revised With Addendum: 1996) by Dolores Cannon Usually ships within 24 hours. Paperback - 384 pages, Revised edition Vol 1 Published March 1997 by Ozark Mountain Publishers ISBN: 1886940002 This new edition updates events predicted by Nostradamus that have occurred since the last edition. For this newest book, psychic researcher Dolores Cannon has written an extensive addendum with evidence of the fulfillment of the prophecies. Nostradamus broke through to our time period by a one-in-a-million chance contact, communicating through Cannon's hypnotically regressed subjects to explain the carefully concealed code within his famous quatrains, since many of them pertain to our time. Secret weapons, computers, the World Wide Web, and the New Science of Nanotechnology are included among the new topics covered. Further Prophecies of Nostradamus -- 1985 and Beyond by Erika Cheetham Usually ships within 2-3 days. Paperback - 271 pages Published March 1985 by Perigee ISBN: 0399511210 Erika Cheetham discusses the classic predictions which have already come to pass, along with many other examples from our own centrury -- focusing particularly on the startling ones which have special significance during the next few decades. RECOMMENDED: BUY IT HERE AT 20% OFF

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