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Wednesday 12 October 2016

Nostradamus

EARLY LIFE

Michel de Nostradame (Latinised as Nostradamus) was born on December 14, (or 21) 1503 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Provence, France.

Nostradamus studied at the university of Avignon before qualifying as an apothecary (pharmacist).

In 1529, Nostradamus entered the University of Montpellier to study for a doctorate in medicine. He was expelled shortly afterwards when it was discovered that he had been an apothecary, a "manual trade" expressly banned by the university statutes, and had been slandering doctors.  His expulsion letter is still in the faculty library.

Nostradamus's first wife and their two children died from the plague in 1534, while he was travelling around France advising villages how to eradicate the disease.

WORK AS A SEER AND HEALER 

After the death of Nostradamus' wife and two children, he became interested in the occult.

 Portrait of Nostradamus, painted by his son César de Nostredame 

The wealthy and influential started to consult Nostradamus and ask him to cast their horoscopes. He wasn’t much of an astrologer and made frequent errors in the star charts he created for his clients, so he encouraged them to provide their own.

Nostradamus succeeded in stopping a plague, which had swept through Aix and Lyons in the mid-1540s. He insisted on cleanliness and the removal of corpses, forbade the bleeding of victims, and devised his own tonic.

After Nostradamus predicted the death in a jousting accident of King Henry II of France, he was summoned to Paris in 1556, where he became an intimate occult friend to Queen Catherine de' Medici. The prophecy was fulfilled three years later when Henry II died from a terrible head wound whilst jousting.

WORKS 

Nostradamus started to produce an annual almanac, the first being published in 1550. The Almanacs were published two or three times each year from 1550 until his death. Taken together, these almanacs contain at least 6,338 predictions.

In The Prophecies Nostradamus compiled his collection of major, long-term predictions. Fearing religious persecution, Nostradamus made them difficult to interpret The first installment was published in 1555 and contained 353 quatrains.

Copy of Garencières' 1672 English translation of the Prophecies

Since its first publication The Prophecies has rarely been out of print. Over the years, many people have come to believe that Nostradamus predicted a range of events in history.

Nostradamus published in 1555 a medical cookbook, Excellent er Moult Utile Opuscule a tous necessaire qui desirent avoir connaissance de plusieurs exq uises recettes (An excellent and most useful little work essential to all who wish to become acquainted with some exquisite recipes). Included were recipes for various fruit jams such as cherry, lime or oranges made with ginger, honey, cooked wine and sugar. He also wrote about ways of cleaning teeth.

LAST YEARS AND DEATH

Nostradamus spent his last years in Salon-de-Provence, a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.

Nostradamus house in Salon. By Leon petrosyan - Wikipedia Commons
By 1566, Nostradamus's gout, which had plagued him painfully for many years, had turned into dropsy. On the morning of July 2, 1566 he was found dead, lying on the floor next to his bed and a bench.

Nostradamus was buried in the local Franciscan chapel in Salon-de-Provence.

His dwelling is maintained as a museum, and for four days every June or July, Salon-de-Provence celebrates its history during the time of Nostradamus.

Source Daily Mail.

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