Michel de Nosteredame, popularly known as Nostradamus, was a 16th-century astrologer who has attracted numerous followers and detractors over the centuries. He was born on December 1503 and joined the University of Avignon at the age of 15. He had a great interest in an apothecary, which is the research on herbal remedies. His first occupation was as an apothecary, and he worked with a prominent physician during the 1545 plague of Marseille. Nostradamus traveled a lot, and on one of his visits to Italy, he became interested in the occult. This marked a significant transformation in his life, and he started practicing astrology.
In 1550, he embarked on a monumental project of writing a compilation of a thousand prophesies. His finished book was published as “Les Prophetis,” which means “The Prophecies,” and this is what Nostradamus is famous for today. The modern followers of Nostradamus regard him as a seer who was gifted with prophetic power (Sharma, 2010). His followers declare that he had, on numerous occasions, predicted specific events in advance (Carroll, 2011). Ibrahim and Galvan (2008) observe that these followers credit him with predicting numerous events in world history.
There are a number of prominent events in world history that Nostradamus is said to have predicted. He foretold the Great Fire of London, which took place in September 1666 and resulted in the destruction of the homes of 70,000 Londoners (Nostradamus, 2013). Nostradamus is also credited with predicting the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French military and political leader who almost succeeded in ruling over all Continental Europe. Followers of Nostradamus declare that the prophecy concerning Napoleon Bonaparte was unique in that it mentioned the name of this great French ruler. This seer is also said to have predicted the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the beginning of the Second World War. Believers of Nostradamus declare that he foresaw the invention of modern weaponry such as bombs, rockets, submarines, and airplanes (Carroll, 2011).
Not everybody is a believer in Nostradamus’ prophetic powers. Some scholars argue that Nostradamus did not write to be a prophet but rather to comment on the events that were happening during his lifetime. The reason why he wrote in a metaphorical and cryptic language was so that he would not be persecuted for what he was saying (Ibrahim & Galvan, 2008). Skeptics of Nostradamus prophetic powers have observed how his predictions only become clear to the followers after they have occurred. Ibrahim and Galvan (2008) accuse the modern disciples of Nostradamus of fitting monumental events to the prophesies contained in Nostradamus’s book. The detractors of Nostradamus declare that his reputation as a prophet is manufactured by his supporters. This ardent follower of Nostradamus works hard to fit the hit word to significant events that have already occurred or are so imminent as to be inevitable.
No other astrologer has attracted the attention and reputation that Nostradamus has. He continues to attract followers to date, and his prophecies are still being analyzed for new predictions. His followers are adamant that his predictions were made through the inspiration of divine will, while detractors accuse the followers of fitting Nostradamus’s words to events. In spite of the conflicting views regarding Nostradamus’s prophetic powers, this historical figure still has a significant influence in society, over 500 years after his death.
References
Carroll, R. (2011). The Skeptic’s Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions. NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Ibrahim, A.N., Galvan, J. (2008). Art thou that prophet? Boston: Lulu Publishers.
Nostradamus, M. (2013). The Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus. Chicago: Start Publishing LLC.
Sharma, A.K. (2010). Nostradamus and Prophecies of the next millennium. Boston: Diamond Pocket Books.