True Predictions of Nostradamus

Nostradamus, the author of the famous Centuries, was an unusual man for his time. He was a practicing physician, astronomer and astrologer who lived in the mid 16th century (1503 – 1566) who turned his hand to prophecy later in life. As a physician he treated those suffering from the Bubonic plague and then in a twisted irony lost the members of his family to the disease. He was a devout student of pagan methods of divination at night who wore the mask of a devout Catholic during the day to avoid persecution from the Spanish Inquisition. In the end he predicted his own death, and some say also cursed the marauders from the French Revolution that he foresaw would desecrate his own burial tomb.

Nostradamus wrote messages from the past to the future in the form of short poems consisting of four lines each called Quatrains. In his lifetime Nostradamus completed a total of 942 quatrains, which he organized into groups of 100 quatrains called Centuries. However one century only has 46 quatrains

Some of his Famous Predictions

1. 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Prediction :

In the year 1999, in the seventh month,
from the sky will come the great King of Terror,
bringing back to life the great King of the Mongols.
Before and after, Mars to reign by good fortune.

Earth-shaking fire from the center of the earth.
will cause the towers around the New City to shake,
Two great rocks for a long time will make war,
And then Arethusa (a ship) will color a new river red.

Analysis :

This is the quatrain that is largely agreed upon as being a terrifying prediction of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The years are a bit off but that is not unusual for Nostradamus whose long term astrological predictions are always a bit off (no computers back then.) Also nobody is sure if Nostradamus was using the Gregorian or Julian calendar to calculate his dates.

Although the date of the event appears to be two years too early, it is important to remember that Nostradamus often wrote in anagrams. The real clue is that the date 1999 is nothing more than a numeric anagram. If we reverse the order of the “1”s and “9”s, we arrive at the date 9-11-1 (the date of the 9-11 attacks).

Although this is a weaker quatrain, there is a mention of the New City, which may be New City and “the towers” which may allude to the twin towers. Arethusa is thought to be an anagram for an event that we have yet to see that is related to terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq.

2. Hurricane Katrina

Prediction :

The cities of Tours, Orleans, Blois, Angers, Reims and Nantes
are troubled by sudden change.
Tents will be pitched by (people) of foreign tongues;
rivers, darts at Rennes, shaking of land and sea.

Analysis :

Although traditionally this quatrain was originally thought to refer to France, the Orleans here might be New Orleans in this Quatrain. The “rivers and the shaking of land and sea” could be referred to as the hurricane.

Another the key is “tents will be pitched by people of foreign tongues.” These could be d be aid workers from other countries

3. The Iraq War

Prediction :

On the field of Iran, of Arabia and of Eastern Turkey
Two great armies will assemble three times
Near the river Araks
The host of the great Suleiman will be cut off

“By firepower of armies, not far from the Black Sea,
He will come from Iran to occupy Trebizond

From the Black Sea and the great Tartary;
a would be king will come to see Gaul
He will transpire Alania and Armenia
and in Istanbul will leave his bloody standard.

Analysis :

Nostradamus clearly points to three conflicts occurring in the areas of Arabia/Kuwait, of Eastern Turkey and of Iran. The first one already came to pass 12 years ago in what came be to known as Desert Storm. The second one refers to the current war in Iraq. And the third one is for the near future when, this time, Iran will be involved also.
Trebizond is a strategic city in Eastern Turkey on the shores of the Black Sea. Gaul was an ancient name for Turkey and Alania is modern day Chechnya that suggests Russian involvement in the Iraq-Iran conflicts in the near future.



4. Lady Diana’s Death

Prediction :

The last son of the man with the Prophet’s name
Will bring Diana to her day of rest.
At a distance they wander in frenetic grief
Delivering a great people from ruin.’

Analysis :

The father of Dodi al-Fayed, the owner of Harrod’s department store, is named
Mohammed, the name of the Islamic Prophet (the man with the prophet’s name. ) He is with her until her day of death (day of rest.)