Nostradamus

From Anthroposophy

Michel de Notre Dame (1503–1566) was a French astronomer and medical doctor, famous on account of his 'Prophesies', written in French verse.

His clairvoyance and prophesies were validated by Helena Blavatsky, Rudolf Steiner, and Beinsa Douno.

Aspects

  • Rudolf Steiner commented on the following historical events as appearing in Nostradamus prophecies
    • the Battle of Gravelines (or Gravelingen) on 13 July 1558 during the twelve-year war between France and Spain (1547–1559), where the French were defeated with heavy loss (1911-11-09-GA061)
    • the death of King Henry II of France in 1559 (1911-11-09-GA061)
    • prophecies including death of Marie-Antoinette (1755-1793), the last queen of France prior to the French Revolution (1904-06-10-GA093)
    • the War of 1870 (or Franco-Prussian war) (1904-06-10-GA093)
    • theosophy at end of the 19th century: "at the close of the nineteenth century a Hermes Brother will come from Asia and bring unity to mankind" (1904-06-10-GA093)
  • Helena Blavatsky commented on the following historical events as appearing in Nostradamus prophecies:

Illustrations

Lecture coverage and references

Blavatsky in Isis Unveiled

p 261-262 covers 'the strange prophecy of Nostradamus':

Present events fully vindicate Nostradamus, who has been so much ridiculed by our skeptics. In an old book of prophecies, published in the fifteenth century (an edition of 1453), we read the following, among other astrological predictions:*

"In twice two hundred years, the Bear The Crescent will assail;

But if the Cock and Bull unite,

The Bear will not prevail.

In twice ten years again —

Let Islam know and fear —

The Cross shall stand, the Crescent wane,

Dissolve, and disappear."

In just twice two hundred years from the date of that prophecy, we had the Crimean war, during which the alliance of the Gallic Cock and English Bull interfered with the political designs of the Russian Bear. In 1856 the war was ended, and Turkey, or the Crescent, closely escaped destruction. In the present year (1876) the most unexpected events of a political character have just taken place, and twice ten years have elapsed since peace was proclaimed. Everything seems to bid fair for a fulfilment of the old prophecy; the future will tell whether the Moslem Crescent, which seems, indeed, to be waning, will irrevocably "wane, dissolve, and disappear," as the outcome of the present troubles.

1904-06-10-GA093

The whole occult striving of the Middle Ages was directed towards nullifying the effect of the Rakshasas. Those whose vision extends to the higher planes have long foreseen that the moment when this could happen might be at the end of the nineteenth century, at the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century.

Nostradamus, who worked from a tower which was open to the heavens, who brought succour during the Great Plague, was able to foretell the future. He wrote a number of prophetic verses in which you can read about

  • the war of 1870 and
  • several prophecies about Marie-Antoinette [note: 1755-1793, daughter of the Empress of Austria, Maria Theresa; became Queen of France in 1774 and ended her life on the scaffold, not heeding the warning of the Count of St. Germain] which have already been fulfilled.

In these ‘Centuries’ by Nostradamus (Century 10, 75) the following prophecy can be found:

  • At the close of the nineteenth century a Hermes Brother will come from Asia and bring unity to mankind.

The Theosophical Society is nothing less than a fulfillment of this prophecy of Nostradamus. The annulment of the Rakshasas and the reestablishment of the primal mysteries is an aim of the Theosophical Society.

1911-11-09-GA061

Rudolf Steiner covers 'Prophecy' in 1911-11-09-GA061, validates the true nature of Nostradamus predictions due to clairvoyance, and links it to the spiritual maturity of Nostradamus' individuality and the forces of the soul that can then be transformed into seership.

.. let us take other examples — not of second-rate astrologers but of really enlightened men. The name of an extraordinarily learned man in this sphere will at once occur to us — Nostradamus. Nostradamus was a doctor of high repute who, among other activities, had rendered wonderful service during an epidemic of the plague; he was a man of profound gifts and the selflessness with which he devoted himself to his profession as a doctor is well known. It is known, too, that when on account of his selflessness he had been much maligned by his colleagues, he retired from his medical work to the isolation of Salon where, in 1566, he died. In Salon he began to observe the stars, but not as Kepler or others like Kepler had observed them.

Nostradamus had a special room in his house into which he often withdrew and, as can be gathered from what he himself says, from this room he watched the stars, just as they presented themselves to his gaze. In other words he made no special mathematical calculations but immersed himself in what the soul, the heart, the imagination can discover when gazing with wonder at the starry heavens. Nostradamus spent many an hour of reverent, fervent contemplation in this curious chamber with its open views on all sides to the heavens.

And from him there came not only specific predictions, but long series of diverse and remarkably true prophecies of the future.

So much so, that Kemmerich, the historian of whom I spoke just now, cannot but be astonished and attach a certain value to the prophetic utterances of Nostradamus. Nostradamus himself made some of his prophecies known to the public and was naturally laughed to scorn in his day, for he could quote no astrological calculations. As he gazed at the stars his predictions seemed to rise up in him in the form of strange pictures and imaginations, for instance

  • of the outcome of the battle at Gravelingen in the year 1558, where the French were defeated with heavy loss.
  • Another prediction, made long beforehand, for the year 1559, was to the effect that King Henry II of France would succumb “in a duel” as Nostradamus put it. People only laughed, including the Queen herself, who said that this clearly showed what reliance could be placed upon prediction — for a King was above engaging in a duel. But what happened? In the year predicted, the King was killed in a tournament.

And it would be possible to quote many, many predictions that subsequently came true.

and

For insight into the soul of Tycho de Brahe reveals a certain similarity with that of Nostradamus. Nostradamus, however, does not need to make calculations at all; he sits up in his attic and gives himself up to the impressions made by the stars. He ascribes this gift to certain inherited qualities in his organism, which for this reason is no cause of hindrance to him. But he also needs that inner tranquillity of soul that arises after he has put away all thoughts, emotions, cares, and excitements of everyday life. The soul must face the stars in purity and freedom. And then what Nostradamus prophesies rises up in him in pictures and images; he sees it all before him in pictures.

If he spoke in astronomical terms of Saturn or Mars being injurious, he would not, in predicting destiny, have been thinking of the physical Saturn or the physical Mars, but he would have pondered in this way: Such and such a man has a warlike nature, a temperament that loves fighting, but he also has a kind of melancholy making him subject to moods of depression which may even affect him physically. Nostradamus lets this interweave in his contemplation and a picture rises before him of future happenings in the man's life: the tendency to melancholy and the fighting spirit intermingle — “Saturn” and “Mars.” This is only a sense-image. When he speaks of “Saturn” and “Mars,” his meaning is: There is something in this man which presents itself to me as a picture but which can be compared with the opposition or conjunction between Saturn and Mars in the heavens. This was merely a way of expressing it; contemplation of the stars evoked in Nostradamus the seership that enabled him to see more deeply into souls than is otherwise possible.

Nostradamus, therefore, was a man who by acting in a certain way was able to waken to life inner powers of soul otherwise slumbering within the human being. In a mood of devotion, of reverence, he completely put away all cares and anxieties, all concerns of the outer world. In utter forgetfulness of self, with no feeling of his own personality, his soul knew the truth of the axiom he always quoted: “It is God Who utters through my mouth anything I am able to tell you about your concerns. Take it as spoken to you by the Grace of your God I ...” Without such reverence there is no genuine seership. But this very attitude ensures that those who have it will not abuse or make illicit use of their gift.

...

This conception of world-history suggests the thought of “surplus” forces in men who play leading parts in the evolution of humanity. Whether they apply these forces for good or ill is another matter. Such men work upon their environment out of the surplus forces within them. These surplus forces, which need not be drawn upon for the affairs of personal life, may express themselves in deeds or they may find no outlet in deeds; but with others, some kind of hindrance always seems to prevent this.

Nostradamus is an interesting example: he was a doctor and in this capacity brought blessing to very many human beings. But the thought that someone is doing good, often goes against the grain! Nostradamus became an object of envy and jealousy and was accused of being a Calvinist.

To be a Jew or a Calvinist was looked upon askance and circumstances therefore forced him to withdraw from his work of healing and abandon his profession. But were the forces used in this inspiring work no longer within him when he had retired? Of course they were! Physics believes in the conservation of energy or force. What happened in the case of Nostradamus was that when he threw up his work, the forces in him took a different direction. If his medical activities had continued, these forces would have produced quite other effects in the future. For where can our deeds really be said to end? If, like Nostradamus, we withdraw from some activity, the flow of our deeds is suddenly stemmed — but the forces themselves are still there. The forces in Nostradamus' soul remained and were transformed, so that what might have expressed itself in deeds at some future time, rose up before him in pictures. In his case, deeds were transformed into the gift of seership. The same may be true of human beings endowed with a faculty for prophecy today; and it was true in the case of the ancient Hebrew prophets. As biblical history indicates, these men had a real connection with forces belonging to the past and to the future of their people; their own soul, their personal life, was nothing to them. They were not war-like by nature but had within them surplus forces which from the very beginning took the same form as those of Nostradamus after their transformation. Forces, which in others poured into deeds, revealed themselves to the Hebrew prophets in the form of mighty pictures and visions. The gift of seership is directly connected with the urge to action in men, with the transformation of surplus forces in the soul.

Discussion

Note 1 - Commentary on the personality and individuality

From a spiritual scientific perspective, there are a few elements that are striking before we even consider the study of the contents of Nostradamus' prophecies:

Note 2 - A new approach to the Prophecies

  • Rudolf Steiner discussed the Future Oriphiel Age (approx. taking place between 2235 and 2589) in not to be misunderstood terms as a terrible phase of cleansing for mankind. This topic page also contains quotes with prophecies by Beinsa Douno.
  • Furthermore, we know that
    • the sixth 'russian' cultural age (approx 3570-5070) is the age in which part of humanity will reach the maturity required for the 'epoch sample' that will be the seed material for the next epoch, and
    • just looking at the table of cultural ages in the current Postatlantean epoch, it is clear that great cultures rise and fall, eg the ancient Indian, Persian, Egypto-Chaldean, Greco-Latin .. and that this process of rise and fall is characterized with great clashes between the cultures
    • the end of this epoch is around the seventh millenium with the 'war of all against all'

To my knowledge no one has ever linked the Nostradamus prophecies to the above. The prophecies contain phases with major clashes, terrible wars and catastrophes that correlate to some predictions made by Beinsa Douno and Rudolf Steiner. An example follows below:

2.1 - War between the West and Asia and World catastrophe

Besides the conflicts around Arabic invasions into Europe, Nostradamus experts also read into the verses the prediction of a major conflict between the Western (Anglo-american) forces and China. The two verses below are taken from Centurio (see References).

quatrain 1,87

Ennosigee feu du centre de terre [volcano?]

Fera trembler au tour de cité neufeu [earthquake]

Deux grands rochiers long temps feront la guerre, [a long ware between two large ancient rocks (forces?)]

Puis Arethusa rougina nouveau fleuve

quatrain 3,1

Après combat et bataille navale,

Le grand Neptune à son plus haut befroi:

Rouge adversaire de peur deviendra pasle

Mettant le grand Ocean en effroi

.

The above remains unpositioned in time, but see also:

Excerpts about conflict between east and west
1915-02-13-GA174B

is thé key lecture that descibes this extensively. It covers the different missions of the coloured and white races, and the future great war between both. The below is only a short extract, for full lecture extract see: Sixth cultural age#1915-02-13-GA174B

paraphrased:

in great wars we see different people facing eachother with hatred, and we can ponder over who is right or more entitled then the other, as in a court case question on guilt .. however such considerations in a purely human frame of matters that are spiritual, deny the spiritual realities underneath. Tendencies of necessity ripple through, causing wars on the physical plane .. and these causes cannot be judged in human terms of the physical world.

the different cultural ages were described, not in a purely schematic way, but with characteristics that are not absolute: in certain areas they occur, in other not (or quite the contrary, developments are held back). Such differentiation is striking if one looks at the world at large. Thus also the contrast between the asiatic people versus the western european-american people. These contrasts will have to clash to connect and resolve the differences in one way or another.

It is then described that the sixth cultural age cannot just be an advancement over the fifth, but has to be considered as part of ascending ànd descending evolutionary tendencies, as a seed for the future [and so not just more and better of the same, as in the fifth cultural age]

Then is described how the core mission of the fifth epoch consists of bringing the spiritual into the flesh, into the physical (as related to the MoG), and how the white skin colour is related to the fact how the spirit is working in the skin when (it wants to, or is in the process of) descending into the physical plane/world. The mission of the sixth cultural age is described, and also how the eastern yellow races stribe to keep the spirit and the physical apart.

The comes the phrase

All this however has to lead to the fact that a great war will have to take place between the white and coloured humanity in the transition between the fifth and sixth cultural ages, and this in the most manifold ways.

and then goes on to describe that all that precedes this will be world history of necessity, until this is to happen because it has to happen.

.. we stand before something collosal, that we can see unfolding as a necessity in the future

The above is elaborated over many pages, stressing

.. please try to contemplate this in a totally objective way without any prejudices about differences between the various streams in humanity ..

Note: the transition between fifth and sixth cultural age is timed approx. around the year 3500-3600 - see Schema FMC00.052

However already before the Future Oriphiel age takes places around the period 2200-2600.

1920-10-30-GA200

The whole GA200 is interesting for context on the future "great spiritual battle between the East and the West" (and the denial of Christ and the spiritual - in both polar opposites, in different ways).

Just two short extracts are given here below, but the buildup is using materials from earlier lectures (eg the sketch of East, West and center streams in 1920-10-23-GA200)

And though it is perhaps only a symbol, there nevertheless stands before the soul of individual people the following: a decadent clinging to revelation in the East, the nullity of the Centre and the rationality of the West, still bogged down in economics. And yet they talk as if of a future perspective — as though the Centre were simply not there — of the great conflict that lies ahead between Japan and America. People, of course, picture this purely physically. This also signifies something of immense profundity. And when the decadent element existing in the East and that which is as yet unborn in the West clash together through ignoring the Centre — then the sense of which came to expression in the Centre is submerged in that chaos that arises through the crushing from East to West. Contemplation of the 'I' vanished with the idealistic philosophy of Central Europe. It has ceased to exist since the middle of the nineteenth century. And what people tried to create as political structure out of the upheavals — that, too, lies on the ground today. Impossible political structures spring up like that of Czechoslovakia which, quite certainly, in the long run cannot live and cannot die. These impossible structures can only spring up through the fact that peace is made by the people of the West who have no idea what the conditions for life are in the Centre. In Zurich people listen to someone or other who comes from Paris and holds forth to them brilliantly, as one says, on the unity of the Slovak and the Czech elements. The listeners are astounded at what such a professor makes known about the predestination of Czechoslo­vakia, because they have no idea of the conditions for life in the East and because they do not know that what is brought into being there is only the squeezing element, the crushing together of East and West. People still cover their eyes so as not to see what the external symptoms are saying.

1920-10-31-GA200

From the way in which I had to speak yesterday it will be clear to you that, for many who would rather go through the coming times in a comfortable sleep, with a sleeping soul, there is a very disagreeable awakening in store. I do not say — I mentioned this yesterday already — that the prophecies of those who see the most central matter of the near future as lying in such external things as the differences between Japan and America must be absolutely correct. But what must be regarded as imminent is what I characterized for you in a few brush-strokes as the great spiritual battle between East and West, in which the true culture of Middle Europe, as we have come to know it in recent weeks, will be wedged.

1921-01-02-GA338

The .. World War which will be fought between Asia and America — along with what is between them- is absolutely necessary to happen and the reasons for this will be economic. You must be hearing the calls of the lower classes for a world revolution, the only way to obscure and hide this idea of a world revolution would be to ignite the catastrophe of another World War. It just has no alternative.

1921-01-09-GA203

There are well-meaning writings today, emanating from the pens of English and American authors who profess the greatest sympathy with their follow-creatures in Middle Europe and with their material needs. Such sympathy is all right in its way but Middle Europe must be very wide-awake to what really lies at the bottom of it. For when we consider the conditions of outer life and realise that Middle Europe today stands more than ever in the key position between the East and the West (and by the West I mean those regions where Anglo-American culture predominates) it seems that Middle Europe is threatened with utter ruin, so far as her spiritual life is concerned. Please do not misunderstand me. It is quite possible to be full of sympathetic understanding of the material crisis—indeed that is not at all difficult in these days of dire distress—but to understand the spiritual crisis is quite another matter. And it is the spiritual crisis of Middle Europe that is the crux of it all today. Leaving aside what is said out of prejudice, what you yourselves might say out of prejudice, let us try for once to realise what lies in the womb of current events in respect of the spiritual destiny of Middle Europe. Is not everything tending in the direction of the utter extermination of the spirituality which belongs essentially to Middle Europe? When one faces this fact fairly and squarely, one is surely conscious of an impulse to do one’s very utmost to enable the true spirituality of Middle Europe to live and prosper.

If impulses for strong and effective action are lacking, then the East and the West will come together above the head of Middle Europe - come together, to begin with probably in terrible enmity, but finally in an impulse which truly cannot be for the well-being of Middle Europe. This impulse will then grow into a world culture, a world-civilisation.

...

These are the two extremes which may well unite, in spite of an apparently bitter opposition caused by outer circumstances and inner contrast. And it is because of the existence of these two streams of influence that the spiritual life of Middle Europe has fallen upon such evil days. Trivial though these words may sound, they express a truly tragic state of things to which we must be fully alive. To put it rather drastically, one would say that Middle Europe ought to represent the higher synthesis, the harmony of these two extremes at a higher level. And it is only this harmony that will promote progress in the human race. Streams of spiritual life have come to the surface in Middle Europe from deep foundations, in spite of the fact that they were overpowered, to begin with, by an intellectualism which manifested itself in German idealistic philosophy. The philosophy of Fichte, Hegel, and finally, Schelling, represented the apotheosis of a stream of spiritual life which could have led on into true Spiritual Science, but the time was not ripe for it. Nowadays it really seems as if all the world had conspired to nip this impulse in the bud. Let me put it in this way: From the East and from the West, Lucifer and Ahriman swore to each other to make this synthesis impossible of realisation.

For just think of it: here, in this central region of the Earth there have been men who although they were in many ways brought to a standstill by the conditions of the times, strove none the less for pure spirituality, and at the same time for a true knowledge and understanding of Nature. In Goethe, for instance, there is a wonderful alternation between his perpetual desire for a spiritual conception of the world and his eagerness to observe the outer phenomena of Nature.

1921-11-24-GA209

Let there be no mistake about it - so long as the dealings of Europeans and Americans with Asia are confined to purely economic and industrial interests, so long will there be distrust in the hearts of Asiatics. People may talk as much as they like about disarmament, about the desirability of ending wars. …A great war will break out between the East and the West, in spite of all disarmament conferences, if the people of Asia cannot perceive something that flows over to them from the Spirit of the West.

Western spirituality can spread over to Asia and if it does, Asia will be able to trust it, because with their own inherent, though somewhat decadent spirituality, the Asiatic peoples will be able to understand what it means. The peace of the world depends upon this, not upon the conversations and discussions now going on among the leaders of outer civilisation. …

...

Everything depends upon insight into the Spirit that is lying hidden in European and American culture — the Spirit from which men flee, which for the sake of ease they would fain avoid, but which alone can set the feet of humanity on the path of ascent.

People like to put their heads in the sand, saying that things will improve of themselves. No, they will not. The hour of a great decision has struck. Either men will resolve to bring forth the spirituality of which I have spoken, or the decline of the West is inevitable. Hopes and fatalistic longings for things to right themselves are of no avail.

Once and forever, man has passed into the epoch when he must manipulate his powers out of his own freewill. In other words: it is for men themselves to decide for or against spirituality. If the decision is positive, progress will be possible; if not, the doom of the West is sealed and in the wake of dire catastrophes the further evolution of humanity will take a course undreamed of today. Those who would strive for true insight into these matters should not, nay dare not, neglect the study of the life of soul in mankind at large, and in the different peoples, especially of East and West.

1922-01-03-GA303

in context of the urge to establish Waldorf schooling, because it is sketched how it will come under attack soon given the speed of developments

Es breitet sich über die Welt eine Welle aus, die durchaus nach dem Zwangsstaate hingeht. Und es ist tatsächlich so, daß die abendländische Zivilisation sich der Gefahr aussetzt, einmal von einer in irgendwie gearteten Weise asiatischen Kultur, die dann etwas Spirituelles hat, einfach überflutet zu werden. Das wollen die Menschen nicht sehen, aber dazu wird es kommen.

translation

A wave is spreading over the world, which is definitely headed towards the coercive state [editor: state power by force]. And it is actually the case that Western civilization exposes itself to the danger of being simply overwhelmed by a kind of Asian culture that then has something spiritual about it. People don't want to see that, but it will happen.

1924-06 Koberwitz conversation

The real opposition (Gegensatz) is not between America and Russia, it is only apparently so.

The real clash will be between China and America.

And the question is whether it will be fought in Europe or in the Pacific. Europe can only hope that this will happen in the Pacific area.

2003 - John Bruno Hare

commenting as an introduction on the book by Charles A. Ward: 'Oracles of Nostradamus' (1891)

... Ward makes some key points for any prospective interpreter of Nostradamus.

  • First of all, Nostradamus' text is not written entirely in French; certainly it would not serve as a good text to learn modern French. He mixes 16th Century French, Latin, Lang d'Oc (a Provençal dialect of French similar to Catalan), words of his own invention such as anagrams and strange amalgams; as well as (cue the echo chamber) words from the future. I've already pointed out the startling term 'Eussouis' (USA) in my essay on 9/11. Ward notes (see page 130) that Nostradamus uses a slang word, in context, for a component of an improved flintlock ('dog') nearly a century before it was invented. Nostradamus also uses a term for conscription (see p. 248) in a sense not used until about 1800.
  • Another point which comes up again and again is that it is almost impossible to use Nostradamus to actually predict events. The predictions usually only make sense in hindsight. It is far too easy to predict 'there will be earthquakes, floods, famine'. What distinguishes Nostradamus is the accuracy of his 'hits' when viewed in the rear view mirror. In particular, Wards' exposition of Nostradamus' presages of specific events of the French revolution is one of the strongest portions of the book. Nostradamus predicts details of the unfolding events that are far too close to be coincidence, yet would have made no sense whatsoever when first published. For instance, constant reference to 'a place of tiles' is made (the Tuileries), long before it was constructed.
  • Lastly, Ward makes an interesting speculation about Nostradamus' method. He hypothesizes that Nostradamus viewed and heard the events he described in sequence, and wrote prose notes; subsequently he composed the enigmatic poetry, cut them into separate verses and randomized them (anticipating the surrealist poets, perhaps?). Although Ward only details 15% of Nostradamus' verses, he ties them together into a sequence which makes a great deal of sense. In hindsight.

2.2 - Michaelic age and future spirituality of sixth cultural age and/or epoch

See eg Ovason (re References) pages 465, 471, who interprets Angoulmois as the archangel Michael

quatrain 10,72

L'an mil neuf cens nonante neuf sept mois

Du ciel viendra un grand Roy d'effrayeur

Resusciter de grand Roy d'Angoulmois.

Avant apres Mars regner par bon heur.

For students of spiritual science the following may point to a more spiritual age:

.

quatrain 4,25

Corps sublimes sans fin à l'oeil visibles,

Obnubiler viendra par ses raisons,

Corps, front comprins, sens, chef & invisibles,

Diminuant les sacrées oraisons.

could be translated as:

Bodies sublime and infinite, visible to the eye .. will become clouded over by their own reasons ..

.

body, including forehead, senses, head and invisibles .. will diminish the sacred prayers.

Related pages

References and further reading

  • Charles A. Ward: 'Oracles of Nostradamus' (1891)
  • Dr. N. Alexander Centurio: 'Nostradamus. Prophetische Weltgeschichte' (DE, 1968, 1977, 1993) or De profetieën van Nostradamus (NL, 2001)
  • David Ovason: 'The secrets of Nostradamus' (1997), also published as 'The Nostradamus code' (1998) ..claims Nostradamus used esoteric 'green language' and tries to unravel clues with this in mind

biography

  • Lee McCann: 'Nostradamus, The Man Who Saw Through Time' (1941)

web links

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