Nostradamus: His Life and Prophecies

The Life of Nostradamus 

Michel de Nostradame, or Nostradamus as he chose to be called in later life, was born in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in the south of France on December 14, 1503. Although his parents were Jewish, they converted to the Catholic faith when Michel was 9 years old, and for the rest of his life he remained a staunch and devoted Catholic.

As a boy, Nostradamus showed early signs of the great intellectual ability he was to display in later years, along with an amazing memory. His education was directed by his grandfather Jean, who taught him the basics of Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Mathematics. He also learned what he later referred to as “Celestial Science”, which is more commonly known today as Astrology.

As a young man Nostradamus was drawn to the Copernican idea that the earth was round, and that it orbited the sun. This caused his parents considerable concern, because it not only conflicted with the dogma of the Church at that time, but it was also the reason why Galileo was later persecuted by the Catholic Inquisition.

At the age of fifteen Nostradamus was sent to Avignon to continue his studies. But after little more than a year he was forced to leave Avignon due to an outbreak of the plague. For the next ten years he practiced as an Apothecary, and learned how to formulate and dispense various forms of medicine.

In 1529, he was accepted at the University of Montpellier, where he studied for his Doctorate in Medicine. But when it was discovered that he had practiced as an Apothecary, a manual trade expressly forbidden to students of medicine, Nostradamus was expelled from the University. He then chose to return to the countryside in order to help victims of the bubonic plague that was sweeping across Europe at that time.

Plague was endemic in Southern France during the 16th century, especially a virulent strain known locally as “Le Charbon”, because of the large black pustules that appeared on the bodies of its victims. Although Nostradamus had many detractors throughout his lifetime, no one ever denied his courage in facing this deadly disease.

He was also renowned for his humanity and kindness to the sick, and his generosity towards the poor. Nostradamus became well-known for his innovative medicine and treatment during outbreaks of the plague. In particular, he was famous for creating a “rose pill” which he dispensed to victims of this disease. He was also among the first to stress the importance of personal hygiene, and of the need for maintaining clean dressings.

After nearly four years traveling from town to town treating victims of the plague, his success and renown, coupled with his unorthodox treatments, earned him enemies among the medical fraternity, especially since he adamantly refused to bleed his patients, which was the customary treatment at that time.

But in 1531, his reputation as a physician and a scholar led to an invitation to travel to Agen and stay in the home of Jules-César Scaliger, who was one of the leading philosophers in Europe at the time. It was while he was living in Agen that Nostradamus met and married a young woman who was described as being “of high estate, very beautiful and admirable”.

His wife, whose name is uncertain, bore him a son and a daughter. For Nostradamus, life at that time seemed complete. His practice was profitable, while his fame as an intellectual and as a scholar was spreading throughout France. But fate was to about to inflict on him a series of cruel blows in swift succession.

First of all, he had a falling out with Scaliger, and this led to the permanent loss of his friendship and support. Then the plague returned to Agen with renewed severity, and despite all his medical knowledge and experience, Nostradamus was unable to save the lives of his wife and his two children, who had been stricken with this disease.

The fact that he had been unsuccessful in saving the lives of his own family had a disastrous effect on his medical practice. Then his late wife’s family tried to sue him for the return of her dowry. The final straw came when he was accused by the Church of heresy, as a result of a chance remark which he had made several years earlier.

While watching a workman casting a bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, Nostradamus had casually mentioned to the man that he was making devils. This remark was reported to the authorities. Although he later claimed that he was merely commenting on the lack of aesthetic appeal of the statue, Nostradamus was ordered to face the Inquisitors in Toulouse.

Nostradamus had no desire to stand trial for his beliefs or risk being burnt at the stake, so he immediately set off on his wanderings, again keeping well clear of the Church authorities for many years. By 1545, Nostradamus had settled in Marseille. But in November of that year the area experienced one of the worst floods on record. The plague redoubled in virulence, spread by the waters and the polluted corpses.

Nostradamus worked almost single-handedly throughout this epidemic, curing many and insisting on the need for fresh air and unpolluted water. Finally, in 1547, he moved to Salon-de-Provence. He found this to be such an agreeable town that he decided to settle there for the rest of his days.

Shortly after his arrival he married a rich widow named Anne Ponsard Gemelle, who subsequently bore him six children, three girls and three boys. The house in which they lived has become a museum, can still be visited today off the Place de la Poissonnerie. 

It was about this time that Nostradamus was drawn to the study of occult practices. He began researching numerous esoteric works, and from that period onward he began to devote more of his time to his academic studies, and less on the practice of medicine.

He also developed a deep interest in the art of prophecy, and legends about his prophetic ability began to circulate from that time. It was reported that when Nostradamus was in Italy, he had seen a young monk walking down the street towards him. He immediately knelt down in front of the monk and called him “Your Holiness”. In 1585, many years after Nostradamus’ death, this same monk became Pope Sextus V.

Nostradamus converted the upper room of his house in Salon into a study, and it was there (as he later revealed in his book of prophecies) that he spent most of his time, poring over his occult books. One of the major sources of inspiration was a book called “De Magisteriis Aegyptiorum” (Concerning the Mysteries of Egypt), which had been published in Lyons a few years earlier.

It was in 1550 that Nostradamus first published an Almanac containing prophetic information. This Almanac was so well received that for many years it became an annual publication. He subsequently published more generalized predictions under the title of “Prognostications”.

By 1555, Nostradamus completed the first part of his Book of Prophecies, with which his name has ever since been linked. This book contained references to events that he predicted would occur in the future, and that would culminate in the ending of the Piscean Age.

Nostradamus used the word “century” to describe these prophecies. This term had nothing to do with time or the passing of the years. Instead, it was simply the term he gave to his collection of prophecies, because each “century” contained 100 verses.

Each verse of prophecy, called a quatrain, consisted of four lines with alternate rhymes. So the word at the end of line one rhymed with the word at the end of line three, and the word at the end of line two rhymed with that at the end of line four.

Nostradamus had intended to write twelve books of prophecy, each with 100 verses. However, part of the seventh century was incomplete as it only contained 42 verses. The remaining 58 verses, if indeed they were ever written, have not survived. The 11th and 12th centuries are likewise incomplete, as Nostradamus died before he could compose more than a few verses in each.

These prophetic verses were first published in an incomplete form in 1555, under the title “Les Propheties” (The Prophecies). Their impact on French society was sensational. His prophecies quickly became the main topic of debate at the French Court, and his fame soon spread throughout Europe.

One of the people attracted to his writing was Catherine de Médicis, the queen consort of King Henri II of France. She sent for Nostradamus in 1556, in order to discuss the impact of his prophecies on the French throne and the future of her seven sons. This was a matter that called for delicate diplomacy on Nostradamus’ part, as he had already predicted their tragic fates in his book of Centuries.

Soon afterwards, Nostradamus was warned that the Justices of Paris were enquiring about his magic practices. He therefore quickly returned to Salon where he was welcomed home as a man of importance. From this time forward, Nostradamus spent most of his time drawing up horoscopes for distinguished visitors, and continuing work on his prophecies.

Nostradamus had long suffered from arthritis and gout, and this turned in due course to “dropsy”, a condition that led to swelling of soft tissue due to the accumulation of excess water. Realizing that his condition was beyond medical care, he drew up his will on June 17, 1566. In his will, he made provision for the disposal of his estate, which included the sum of 3,444 crowns (About $300,000 US), which was a considerable fortune for the time.

On July 1st, realizing that his end was near, Nostradamus sent for the local priest to deliver the last rites. When his secretary Jean de Chavigny retired for the night, Nostradamus is alleged to have said to him: “You will not find me alive at sunrise”. This proved to be the case, for his body was found on the following morning, exactly as he had predicted, lying on the floor next to his bed. The date was July 2, 1566. He was 62.

Nostradamus was buried in an upright position in one of the walls of the Church of the Cordeliers in Salon, where his wife Anne erected a large marble plaque in his memory. However, this was not to be his final resting place, for his grave was later opened by superstitious soldiers – something that he had also previously predicted would happen.

His remains were reburied in the church of St. Laurent in Salon, where his grave and portrait can still be seen to this day.

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