Early Life
Michel de Nostradame was born on December 14th 1503 in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France. His family was originally Jewish but changed to Catholicism. He attended the University of Avignon, but had to leave due to the plague, he then spent some years as an apothecary. He then went on to another university of Montpellier and studied a doctorate in medicine but had to leave once they discovered he specialised in apothecary which was a trade that was banned from the university. He continued work as an apothecary and went on to create a "rose pill" which was believed to protect against the plague.
During this time Nostradamus became highly renowned in his village for his treatments, and received financial support from many of the civilians in Province and over the next few years traveled throughout France and Italy treating victims of the Plague. There was no known remedy at the time however many doctors relied on 'potions' made of Mercury and dressing patients in garlic soaked robes. However Nostradamus developed some very progressive methods for dealing with the plague, he practiced effective hygiene and encouraged the removal of infected corpses from city streets, and his rose pill a herbal lozenge rich in Vitamin C provided patients with relief with mild cases of the disease. His cure rate became impressive though most was from keeping his patients clean, ordering low fat diets and providing plenty of fresh air.
He soon married and had two children however his wife and children died presumably from the plague. Not being able to save them lost him favor from the community in which he left the Province to travel for several years through Italy, Greece and Turkey.
Historian Abhijit Naik comments on the impact of the plague on Nostradamus' prophecies stating:
" The misery of the death of his entire family tainted his prophecies which he later published in Les prophecies... This would explain the apocalyptic tone to each of his Quatrains which center around immense tragedy and death..."
It is believed that Nostradamus received a spiritual awakening during his travels in Italy, one of the legends say that he received a psychic awakening, it is said he came across a group of Franciscan monks, he identified one as the future pope, who later became Pope Sixtus V, fulfilling the prediction by Nostradamus.
Later on he settled down back in his hometown and married a rich widow named Anne Ponsarde, together they had six children, three boys and three girls. He also published two books on medical science by this time. Within a few years Nostradamus began moving away from medicine and more towards the occult. It is said he would spend hours in his study at night meditating in front of a bowl filled with water and herbs. This meditation apparently brought on trance of visions, it is believed that these visions were the basis of his predictions for the future.
During this time Nostradamus became highly renowned in his village for his treatments, and received financial support from many of the civilians in Province and over the next few years traveled throughout France and Italy treating victims of the Plague. There was no known remedy at the time however many doctors relied on 'potions' made of Mercury and dressing patients in garlic soaked robes. However Nostradamus developed some very progressive methods for dealing with the plague, he practiced effective hygiene and encouraged the removal of infected corpses from city streets, and his rose pill a herbal lozenge rich in Vitamin C provided patients with relief with mild cases of the disease. His cure rate became impressive though most was from keeping his patients clean, ordering low fat diets and providing plenty of fresh air.
He soon married and had two children however his wife and children died presumably from the plague. Not being able to save them lost him favor from the community in which he left the Province to travel for several years through Italy, Greece and Turkey.
Historian Abhijit Naik comments on the impact of the plague on Nostradamus' prophecies stating:
" The misery of the death of his entire family tainted his prophecies which he later published in Les prophecies... This would explain the apocalyptic tone to each of his Quatrains which center around immense tragedy and death..."
It is believed that Nostradamus received a spiritual awakening during his travels in Italy, one of the legends say that he received a psychic awakening, it is said he came across a group of Franciscan monks, he identified one as the future pope, who later became Pope Sixtus V, fulfilling the prediction by Nostradamus.
Later on he settled down back in his hometown and married a rich widow named Anne Ponsarde, together they had six children, three boys and three girls. He also published two books on medical science by this time. Within a few years Nostradamus began moving away from medicine and more towards the occult. It is said he would spend hours in his study at night meditating in front of a bowl filled with water and herbs. This meditation apparently brought on trance of visions, it is believed that these visions were the basis of his predictions for the future.