Predictions

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." ~ Alan Kay

"Predicting the future is easy. It's trying to figure out what's going on now that's hard. "
~ Fritz R. S. Dressler

"This is my prediction for the future - whatever hasn't happened will happen and no one will be safe from it." ~ J. B. S. Haldane, 1892 - 1964

Predictions; Prophets; Do those words bring anyone at all to your mind? There are and for all time have been many people who have said they could make predictions. Even I have made a few predictions that have come true. But am I a prophet? Would I sell you a prediction? No I wouldn't. I won't say that Prophets don't exist. I hear people say that all the time. Especially about modern day prophets. I think Prophets really do exist, on the other hand I don't think they tell people what they think or feel very often. Can you imagine being able to see into the future and be able to feel all the pain and strife facing mankind for the next 500 years. I think it would be a terrible burden to carry.

I get what my oldest sister Trudy calls "bad feelings". They usually begin as dreams that play out over not one but several nights. I don't talk about it much because people would think I'm nuts. ~(well, I am Nuts but that's a different story~ Just ask my kids!) My dreams and feelings are hard for me sometimes. I do my best not to say anything about them but many times words leave my mouth and I can't call them back... I can't explain them either. Lucky for most people they don't have to hear my utterances. Trudy seems to be the only one to hear most of them. She and I will usually talk about it again after something I said has happened. So believe me when I say that I think a truly gifted person would feel sorrow and grief by the things they could see.

Michel de Nostradame was born at Saint Remi, France 500 years ago today to a family of "Christianized" Jews. He was taught a wide range of subjects by both his grandfathers. By the time that Michel began his formal education in Avignon, where he learned philosophy, grammar, and rhetoric, he was already well versed in classical literature, history, medicine, astrology and herbal and folk medicine.

Nostradamus first became well known due to his new and unusual and successful treatment of bubonic plague, the Black Death that ravaged France in the early 16th century. His cure consisted of cleanliness and vitamin C. The first step when he entered a village was to have all of the corpses removed. He then prescribed for his patients plenty of fresh air, clean water and bedding, and his "Rose Pills," which consisted of rose petals, rose hips, green cypress, iris, cloves, calamus, and aloes. He did not use leeches to "bleed" his patients though at the time most doctors relied on this useless practice of "Bleeding" a person for almost any ailment. He was successful in battling a disease for which there appeared to be no cure. It is estimated that over one-quarter of the population of Europe was killed by the Black Death during its visits.

In 1537, the plague struck Agen, where Nostradamus was living with his wife and two children. He began to treat his family and neighbors but, was unable to save his family. Distraught and questioning his own abilities, Nostradamus began to wander through Europe aimlessly for the next six years. It was during this time that he claimed to have first became aware of the awakening of his prophetic powers.

When plague broke out in Aix, capital of Provence, for nine months Nostradamus again applied his proven skills to save as many of the people as possible. The grateful city showed its gratitude by giving him a small pension for life.

Ten years after the death of his wife and children, Nostradamus settled in Salon and remarried, finally fathering three daughters and three sons. He had the upper floor of his house transformed into a private study, where he installed his magical equipment: astrolabe, magic mirrors, divining rods, and a brass bowl and tripod, designed after the type used by the great Delphic oracles. In the darkest hours of night he would go to his private study where he would sit before the tripod where the brass bowl filled with water and strong smelling herbs simmered. Much like modern day aroma therapy.

For a few years, Nostradamus struggled with whether he should make his prophecies public. In 1550, he published his first almanac of prophecies -- twelve four-line poems called "quatrains." Each quatrain gave a general prophecy for the coming year. The response that he received to the first almanac encouraged Nostradamus to continue. He produced an almanac every year for the rest of his life.

His most famous work, The Centuries, was begun in 1554. Eventually these prophecies were to consist of ten volumes of 100 quatrains each. Centuries 1 through part of 4 were published in Lyons in 1555. The remainder of 4 and the subsequent Centuries through 7 were published later that same year. The last three were printed in 1558, but the last set was released in limited numbers . The Centuries have remained in print for over 400 years.

In his own time just like today, Nostradamus' quatrains received mixed responses. The combination of French, Provencal, Greek, Latin, and Italian written as riddles, puns, anagrams, and epigrams are complex and demand that the interpreter have knowledge in a wide range of subjects. Many people from the 16th century through modern times have been enthralled by the prophecies and have tried to make sense of them. Some quatrains could fit descriptions of just about any era. Others are more exact, and it is those quatrains that have established the well-earned reputation of Nostradamus as one of the world's greatest prophets.

To the ignorant, closed mind, Nostradamus may be considered a creature of the devil, babbling in cryptic, evil verse. From philosophers, Nostradamus continues to draw both praise and curses. Poets remain confused by the meaning of his wild verses. Interpretation is open to all. Except for those prophecies that were fulfilled in his own time and acknowledged by the prophet himself, no one can give a final interpretation to any of the prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled. This is an area that is open to study by each in their own way.. Maybe that was the intent all along.

According to witnesses, Nostradamus stayed alert to the end of his life, even though he was in great pain caused by arthritis, gout and dropsy. When his assistant wished him goodnight on July 1, 1566, Nostradamus replied, "You will not find me alive at sunrise."
I guess, just as expected, he had predicted his own death.

In his last almanac, Nostradamus had written:
On his return from the Embassy, the King's gift put in place,He will do nothing more. He will be gone to God.Close relatives, friends, brothers by blood (will find him)Completely dead near the bed and the bench.

On the morning of July 2, the assistant escorted family and friends to the study, where Nostradamus had spent the previous night. They found his body on the floor between the bed and a bench that he had placed there for aid in getting out of bed.

His loving wife carried out his last wishes, that he be interred standing upright and that his coffin be enclosed within the walls of the Church of the Cordeliers of Salon. The translation from Latin of the inscription on his tomb reads:

"Here rest the bones of the illustrious Michel Nostradamus, alone of all mortals, judged worthy to record with his near divine pen, under the influence of the stars, the future events of the entire world. He lived sixty-two years, six months and seventeen days. He died at Salon the in year 1566. Let not posterity disturb his rest. Anne Posart Gemelle wishes her husband true happiness."

I guess Nostradamus was the most famous of all prophets who have passed through history. Many people believe that his verses told of many things that have actually come to pass. I am not certain of his prophecies. I do know that if I wanted to sell predictions I would make them vague and open to be claimed as true for many different possibilities. I think modern psychics do that.

I went once to a palm reader with a neighbor. I really wanted to watch the woman at work.
She also lived at the end of the road I live on and had set up living in the back of her shop. I had heard that she was really good. We went into her shop; her kids were sitting in the lobby doing homework and watching television. Cooking smells made my stomach growl as I stood there listening to her question my friend. " You have come about a great sadness!" she said. " It is a loss of love or money." I watched my friends head bobbing up and down. She was hooked. They went through a door and down a hall. I sat down and watched Tv with her kids. They glanced at me and the littlest one even smiled. They didn't speak to me though. I wondered sitting there if they minded other people coming into their home. I wondered if they would laugh at us after we left.

Walking back home I tried to get Vicky to tell me what the woman had told her. She shook her head and refused to tell me anything. Three nights later I saw her coming from the field that now belongs to me, with a shovel. The woman had told her to bury money in the field along with a handkerchief and a candle that had been burned and some other odds and ends. I laughed at my friend and said that she should watch to see if the woman went after the money. I even tried to watch myself. I never saw her go into the field. But I couldn't watch 24 hours a day.

After about a week the Lady closed up shop and moved away with her children and I assume a husband even though I never saw him. I had seen boots in the corner of the lobby, and smelled a mans after shave on the chair I was sitting in. I could have predicted that she had a husband.

Un-able to stand it any longer, I went into the field and looked for dug up places. I even got Vickie to show me where she buried the money. It and the metal can it was buried in were gone. All the other stuff was dumped from the can and buried back in the same spot. Vicky was madder than a wet setting hen. I wasn't mad, I wasn't even surprised. I do think there are people who can see the future. I think there are people who can See what has happened in murder cases and other cases. I do think there are people who can perform rituals or even spells if you wish to call them that. I just don't believe that those people have a sign in front of their home with a big red or blue palm on it. I don't believe they tell you to bury handkerchiefs, safety pins, and money in metal cans in fields behind their house. They might tell you to burn a certain color candle, there being a whole array of candle colors to choose from, each representing something worldly like money or trust.

Do you believe in predictions? Have you really ever even thought about it? I predict only for my own self. I could write a quatrain of predictions though.

Patsy's Predictions~
Beasts ferocious from hunger will feed from a pan
Part of the family will be against the predictor
The great one will spill words that only a few will read
The Yankee child will forget something!

Or in simple English! Today I predict that I will feed the dogs. I will disagree with someone in my house. I will write and Dave will forget something. I can predict these things because I know they will happen. I also predict that someone will read this and say.." That woman is Nuts!"
Have a great day!
Patsy