As the new year begins, no one really knows what to expect. Of course, we all hope for a better year, but we’ve learned that there’s no real way to know what’s coming. After all, no one expected all that had happened in 2020 and 2021. However, Nostradamus wrote a book called “Les Prophéties” in 1555. There, the famed plague doctor, seer, and astrologer made predictions for the future. Unfortunately, they are not pretty. Nostradamus has been dubbed the Prophet of Doom for a reason. In his poetic phrases, he foretells wars, sorrow, fire, and many horrors.
Keep in mind, Nostradamus’ predictions are vague, so they’ll easily apply to whatever is going on. For instance, for 2021, he wrote, “Few young people: half-dead to give a start.” This may sound like the harbinger of a zombie outbreak, but some interpret it to mean young people aren’t truly living. He also predicted an asteroid would smite the Earth (his actual words were “fire do I see that from the sky shall fall: but people took it to mean a falling asteroid), and fortunately, we have emerged from 2021 asteroid-free. So take his 2022 predictions with a giant grain of salt.
Read: Stephen Hawking’s Last Warnings To Humanity
Nostradamus’ Predictions for 2022
“The Moon in the full of night over the high mountain. The new sage with a lone brain sees it: By his disciples invited to be immortal, Eyes to the south. Hands in bosoms, bodies in the fire.” People interpret this as the rise of machines, with the “new sage” referring to artificial intelligence.
“Like the sun the head shall sear the shining sea: The Black Sea’s living fish shall all but boil. When Rhodes and Genoa Half-starved shall be. The local folk to cut them up shall toil.” This is one of the many phrases people believe refers to the climate crisis.
“No abbots, monks, no novices to learn; Honey shall cost far more than candle-wax. So high the price of wheat, That man is stirred. His fellow man to eat in his despair.” This is a more pointed prediction for rising food prices and possibly famine, leading people to turn to cannibalism. [1]
Previous Predictions
Hitler
Many people praise Nostradamus for predicting the rise of Hitler from this passage.
“From the depths of the West of Europe, A young child will be born of poor people, he who by his tongue will seduce a great troop; His fame will increase towards the realm of the East.”
There is also a reference to fighting “close to Hister,” which people take to mean Hitler. But remember, Hister also is the old name of the Danube river.
If people before World War II read this passage, they wouldn’t be able to guess what was about to happen. But after the event, it’s easier to attribute the passage to it. This is often referred to as “postdiction,” and it’s a recurring theme when interpreting Nostradamus. In short, they are not really prophecies. Plus, he has written so many predictions, some are bound to line up with future events. [2]
The Great Fire of London
Here’s another example:
“The blood of the just will commit a fault at London, Burnt through lightning of twenty threes the six: The ancient lady will fall from her high place, Several of the same sect will be killed.”
Some say this passage refers to the Great Fire of London in 1666, although it’s not a perfect interpretation. For once, the fire started at a bakery, not from lighting. Plus, the meaning of “the ancient lady” is widely debated. [3]
Covid-19
More recently, people have falsely attributed a quote predicting the spread of Covid-19 in Italy to Nostradamus. This read as follows:
“There will be a twin year from which will arise a queen who will come from the east and who will spread a plague in the darkness of night, on a country with 7 hills and will transform the twilight of men into dust, to destroy and ruin the world. It will be the end of the world economy as you know it.”
Theorists say the twin year could refer to 2020, the queen to Covid-19, the east to China, and the 7 hills to Italy. However, further research realized this passage is not from the “Les Propheties.” It’s not even written in Nostradamus’ usual style. [4]
9/11
This isn’t the only time a passage is mistakenly attributed to Nostradamus. There is also the story that he predicted the terrorist attacks on 9/11. One read as:
“Two steel birds will fall from the sky on the Metropolis, The sky will burn at forty-five degrees latitude Fire approaches the great new city Immediately a huge, scattered flame leaps up Within months, rivers will flow with blood The undead will roam the earth for little time.”
This passage turned out to be a mix of his words mixed with some made-up verse. One telling clue is the anachronistic reference to steel birds since steel suitable for flying wasn’t invented until 1854.
Plus, there was this quote. “In the city of God there will be a great thunder Two brothers torn apart by Chaos while the fortress endures The great leader will succumb The third big war will begin when the big city is burning — Nostradamus 1654.” Which is incredible because he died in 1566. [5]
Whether you believe his predictions or not, ensure the quotes were actually written by him and are translated properly from the original sixteenth-century French.
Keep Reading: Blind Mystic Baba Vanga’s 2022 Predictions Are Both Bleak and Terrifying
Sources
- “Nostradamus predictions for 2022: cannibals, robots and the rise of cryptocurrency.” New York Post. Reda Wigle.December 27, 2021
- “This Is What Nostradamus Actually Predicted Would Happen In 2022.” IFL Science. James Felton. December 28, 2021
- “NOSTRADAMUS: WHICH OF HIS PREDICTIONS CAME TRUE?” History.
- “False claim: Nostradamus predicted the coronavirus outbreak.” Reuters. April 9, 2020
- “Nostradamus: Predictions of Things Past.” Live Science. Benjamin Radford. October 19, 2017