2023 Nostradamus Predictions- Will His Terrifying Prophecies Come True?

Without a doubt, the past couple of years were the worst in recent history for most of us. We experienced a global pandemic, stock market crash, murder hornets, wildfires, Kobe Bryant’s death, and lots more. It’s been so bad that there’s no way things could possibly get worse, right? Well, not necessarily. According to famous French oracle Nostradamus, there’s a lot that could (and will) go wrong in the near future. So keep reading for some harrowing Nostradamus predictions!

A Grim Future

With all of the horrors we had to endure over the past couple years, it’s hard to believe that the future could possibly be as bad (or even worse). But according to the predictions of Nostradamus, we could be in for a grim future. But before we get into what that entails, let’s learn a bit about the infamous man behind the prophecies.

Who Was Nostradamus?

Michel de Nostredame (most commonly Latinized as Nostradamus) was born in 1503 in the Kingdom of France. He worked as an apothecary for a few years before enrolling at the University of Montpellier. Although he hoped to earn a doctorate, he was expelled almost immediately when university authorities found out about his work as an apothecary, as it was a forbidden trade by university rules.

Dabbling in the Occult

Nostradamus married in 1531, but his wife and two children died after contracting the plague. This prompted him to continue his apothecary work, but he began moving away from traditional medicine and into the occult. He eventually published an almanac following popular trends in 1550 to great success, and he continued publishing almanacs while beginning his work as an astrologer for wealthy patrons.

'Les Prophéties'

Nostradamus then embarked on his goal of writing a book of one thousand quatrains (a type of poem), for which he is best known today. The book, entitled Les Prophéties, was published in 1555 and contains 942 quatrains that rely on literary and historical precedent that, to this day, many believe have accurately predicted future events. In fact (depending on interpretation), more than 70 percent of his prophecies have been fulfilled so far.

Writing in Code

Fearing persecution from religious establishments, Nostradamus wrote his quatrains in a method meant to obscure their meaning; it is said that many of them were written using language and terminology that didn’t even exist during his time, and that he did this purposefully as to stump his contemporaries while also leaving clues for future generations.

Public Reception

Les Prophéties was met with mixed reviews. Some believed that Nostradamus was a charlatan or even involved in dealings with the Devil, while others believed it to be an incredible work full of genius. One of his biggest fans was Catherine de’ Medici (pictured), the wife of King Henry II of France. She was so impressed with his work that she appointed him Counselor and Physician-in-Ordinary to her son, the future King Charles IX of France.

How Did Nostradamus Make His Predictions?

Nostradamus came up with his predictions using judicial astrology, or forecasting events by calculating stellar and planetary bodies and their relationship to the Earth. He was criticized by professional astrologers of his time, who saw him as incompetent.

Which Predictions Have Come True?

By this point, you’re probably curious as to which of Nostradamus’s predictions have actually turned out to be true. Of course, seeing as they were written hundreds of years ago, many of the prophecies could be left up to interpretation. But let’s just say, there’s still a lot of very chilling material there…

The Death of King Henry II

King Henry II was the husband of Catherine de’ Medici – Nostradamus’s biggest fan. Unfortunately for Henry, his life would come to a tragic and painful end at the age of 40. Nostradamus predicted, “the young lion will overcome the older one”, that he will “pierce his eyes through a golden cage”, and that “two wounds” will ensure a “cruel death”.  Sure enough, during a joust with one of his young soldiers, the King was struck and the lance shattered, driving splinters into his eye and skull which led to a slow death from sepsis. Another one in the history books for Nostradamus…

Air Travel

Somehow Nostradamus predicted air travel hundreds of years before anyone in the world ever saw an airplane or even conceptualized the idea. The quatrain reads, “People will travel safely through the sky.”

World War I and the Spanish Flu

It seems that Nostradamus predicted both World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic when he wrote, “The dreadful war which prepared in the West, the following year the pestilence will come, so very horrible that young, nor old, nor animal (will survive).”

The Rise of Adolf Hitler

Nostradamus accurately predicted quite a few events that occurred during the twentieth century, another one of them being the rise of Adolf Hitler. The quatrain that mentions this in particular states, “From the depths of the West of Europe, a young child will be born of poor people.” He then goes on to write that he will “by his tongue … seduce a great troop,” and refers to him as “Hister.”

The Atomic Bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki

“Within two cities there will be scourges the like of which was never seen,” Nostradamus wrote on what many have interpreted as a foretelling of the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States during World War II. The quatrain also goes on to mention “famine within plague,” which could’ve been the foreshadowing of the radiation sickness suffered by many survivors.

The Assassination of JFK

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was without a doubt one of the most defining moments of the 20th century, so it should come as no surprise that there’s a Nostradamus quatrain that fits right in. The quatrain in question reads, “From on high, evil will fall on the great man,” and “A dead innocent will be accused of the deed,” which could be a reference to Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK’s alleged killer who many conspiracy theorists believe to be innocent. To make matters more confusing, Nostradamus also adds that the truth about the situation will “remain in the mist,” so apparently we’ll never know the truth!

September 11, 2001

Nostradamus wrote something bearing a resemblance to the September 11 terrorist attacks, stating “The sky will burn at forty-five degrees, fire approaches the great New City. Immediately a huge scattered flame leaps up.”

The Great Fire of London

Many claim that Nostradamus also accurately predicted the Great Fire of London, which is a little iffy to many. The quatrain reads-  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 This one requires a bit more of a stretch of the imagination because we’re not really sure who the “ancient lady” is, and the fire was started in a bakery, not by lightning, as the quatrain suggests.

Did Nostradamus Predict the Coronavirus Pandemic?

There is some debate on whether Nostradamus did indeed foresee the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, or whether his fans are grasping at straws in their interpretations. Some have pointed to specific lines such as, “The great plague of the maritime city,” or “Diverse plagues will be upon mankind” as evidence, but these can of course be interpreted in many different ways.

Where it Gets More Convincing

But here’s where it gets pretty eerie- In Erika Cheetham’s complete 1973 translation of The Prophecies of Nostradamus, one line reads, “In the feeble lists, great calamity through America and Lombardy. The fire in the ship, plague and captivity; Mercury in Sagittarius, Saturn warning.” Reading into it, we can pretty much assume that the “feeble lists” could apply to the sick and dead from the virus, and then both America and Italy are referenced – two countries with the worst-case numbers early on in the pandemic.

And Lastly

With regard to astrology, Mercury entered Sagittarius in December 2019, when the first cases of coronavirus were being discovered, and Saturn entered Aquarius on March 21, right as New York City went into lockdown. The line about “the fire in the ship” could be a reference to the multiple cruise ships that were stranded at sea when cases of coronavirus were found on board.

Now, Onto the Future

Now that we have an idea of the types of things Nostradamus has predicted so far, let’s take a look at what he’s said about the near future. Let’s just say, a lot of this stuff is pretty harrowing, so we’re really hoping that he’s wrong about it…

A Zombie Apocalypse

We’re starting off strong with the first prediction- A zombie apocalypse. That’s right, Nostradamus predicted that a Russian scientist will produce a biological weapon that has the ability to turn humans into zombies. Oh yeah, and then the world will end- “Few young people- half−dead to give a start. Dead through spite, he will cause the others to shine, and in an exalted place some great evils to occur- Sad concepts will come to harm each one, temporal dignified, the Mass to succeed. Fathers and mothers dead of infinite sorrows, women in mourning, the pestilent she−monster- The Great One to be no more, all the world to end.”

A New Ice Age

Apparently in the near future global warming will stop and an ice age will begin instead. This doesn’t seem likely, given how much global warming has wreaked havoc on the planet so far, so Nostradamus may very well be wrong about this one!

Solar Storms

A solar storm is a disturbance on the sun that can disable satellites and knock out electric power grids. Solar storms aren’t unheard of by any means, but the ones that Nostradamus has predicted could cause some major destruction on earth and even lead to wars and conflicts. Buckle up, because it’s going to get even weirder than this.

Famine

Next up we have a mass famine that will signify the beginning of the end of the world. It will be a tragedy unlike anything the world has ever seen and much of the world won’t be able to bounce back from it. Can’t wait.

The Downfall of the Catholic Church

Nostradamus predicted that Pope Francis could potentially be assassinated during a trip to a European city, which could lead to social unrest in Rome. From there, the Church’s secrets will be revealed to the public and the church itself will collapse.

Islam Will Take Over Europe

Accordingly, Nostradamus foresaw that Muslims would begin to take over Europe in the coming decades and that they would be able to do so without using any violence. This will be due to both the increasing number of Muslim refugees immigrating into Europe, and to the fact that Europeans are having fewer and fewer children.

An Asteroid Will Hit the Earth

Nostradamus predicted that an asteroid will either hit the earth or that it will come very close to doing so. The quatrain in question reads, “In the sky, one sees fire and a long trail of sparks,” but luckily, this prophecy has likely already come and gone, as NASA scientists predicted a massive asteroid could’ve potentially hit the earth on May 6, 2021 and cause 15 times more explosive destruction than the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima. Fortunately, said asteroid ended up just missing the earth this time, but who knows what will happen in the future…

A Devastating Earthquake

The West Coast of the United States is no stranger to earthquakes, but the one that Nostradamus predicted for the future in “the western lands” could cause a monumental amount of destruction. If you’re currently a resident of California, then it might be time to start shopping around for other places to live. Or at the very least, earthquake-proof your home!

The Coming of the Antichrist

We told you this stuff just keeps getting weirder and weirder! Apparently the third Antichrist will be born soon, likely in an Arab country full of political unrest. His coming will lead to even more political and social unrest, and he will gain a large following, studying Hitler’s actions in order to prevent making his mistakes. The chilling quatrain reads- “The antichrist very soon annihilates the three, twenty-seven years his war will last. The unbelievers are dead, captive, exiled;  with blood, human bodies, water and red hail covering the earth.”

Predictions for 2022

Regarding the year 2022 specifically, Nostradamus has said a few concerning things. Firstly, he predicted that a meteor shower, followed by an earthquake, will destroy the earth in December-  “Very near Auch, Lectoure and Mirande A great fire will fall from the sky for three nights.  The cause will appear both stupefying and marvelous;  shortly afterward there will be an earthquake.”  Apparently multiple devastating phenomena will occur, as Nostradamus also predicted that a nuclear bomb will be detonated in 2022, causing even more climate change than we already had! Let’s hope he was wrong about both of these things…

Cryptocurrency in 2022

Nostradamus also predicted that the US dollar will collapse as a result of inflation spiraling out of control. Instead, gold, silver and bitcoin will reign supreme-  “The copies of gold and silver inflated,  which after the theft were thrown into the lake,  at the discovery that all is exhausted and dissipated by the debt.  All scripts and bonds will be wiped out.”  With the way things are currently going with cryptocurrency, we wouldn’t be surprised if this really does become a reality!

Who Was Baba Vanga?

Another famous oracle that many have looked to is Baba Vanga, born Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova into a poor Bulgarian family. Vanga was born in the Ottoman Empire in 1911 and spent most of her life in the rural mountains of Bulgaria. When she was a girl, she was reportedly swept away in a tornado and landed in a nearby field. The incident traumatized her and left her with gradual vision loss, and she spent the rest of her life blind.

A Future Healer

As a child, Baba Vanga loved playing the role of healer with her friends. They would pretend to be sick and she would prescribe them different herbs to take. By the time World War II rolled around, Baba Vanga had attracted numerous followers who believed in her abilities as a healer and oracle. Many of them sought out information about whether their loved ones had survived the war, or where they were buried.

Growing in Popularity

Throughout the years, Baba Vanga’s popularity grew and accordingly, more and more people wanted to hear her predictions. Eventually she was put on the state payroll by the Bulgarian government, and given two secretaries and a team of people to screen her potential new patients. She was visited by the likes of Bulgarian Tzar Boris III in 1942, and by Leonid Brezhnev after World War II. So which of her predictions in the past came true? Stay tuned to find out!

Death and Legacy

Baba Vanga passed away in 1996, but her legacy as a beloved oracle lives on to this day. Seeing as many of her predictions ended up coming true, she garnered many admirers and fans throughout her life, and her funeral attracted large crowds. Several books were published about her life, using quotes that had been documented by her staff members, as she herself was only semi-literate. Therefore, it’s hard to say whether everything attributed to her was genuine or not.

Which of Baba Vanga's Predictions Have Come True?

Apparently, 80 percent of Baba Vanga’s predictions have turned out to be correct so far, which is an even higher success rate than Nostradamus’s impressive 70 percent. Firstly, she predicted the September 11 attacks in 2001, stating that “two steel birds” were going to destroy the “American brothers,” likely a nod to the Twin Towers- “Horror, horror! The American brothers will fall after being attacked by the steel birds … The wolves will be howling in a bush, and innocent blood will be gushing.”

Brexit

Baba Vanga predicted that Europe would “cease to exist by 2016,” which many have interpreted since as Britain voting to leave the European Union by referendum in 2016, or what is known now as “Brexit.” However, the prediction gets spotty as Baba Vanga also stated that Europe would soon become “empty spaces and wasteland, nearly devoid of any form of life.” That certainly hasn’t been the case thus far, but who can say what the future holds!

Putin's Rise to Power

Baba Vanga may have predicted Russia’s status as a major force on the world stage and Vladimir Putin’s rise to power. She told writer Valentin Sidorov in 1979 that Russia was to become the “ruler of the world,” thanks to “Vladimir’s glory, glory of Russia.” At the time, Putin was still a KGB agent, and he would not take office officially until May 7, 2000. It may also be fitting that the name Vladimir means “ruler of the world” in Russian.

Did Baba Vanga Predict the Boxing Day Tsunami?

On December 26, 2004 an earthquake that registered a magnitude of 9.1 struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake resulted in the worst tsunami ever recorded in human history that killed more than 200,000 people in a multitude of countries. Baba Vanga was once reportedly quoted in saying, “A huge wave will cover a big coast covered with people and towns, and everything will disappear beneath the water. Everything will melt, just like ice.”

The Untimely Death of Silvana Armenulić

But here’s where it gets REALLY creepy- In August of 1976, popular Yugoslav folk singer and actress Silvana Armenulić was touring through Bulgaria and came to see Baba Vanga. During their meeting, Baba Vanga refused to speak to Armenulić or even look at her. But after a long time, she finally said, “Nothing. You do not have to pay. I do not want to speak with you. Not now. Go and come back in three months.” But just as Armenulić got up to leave, Baba Vanga said, “Wait. In fact, you will not be able to come.” Armenulić took this to mean that she was going to die before then, and just two months later, she died in a car crash along with her sister.

Which of Her Predictions Didn't Come True?

While you previously read that the vast majority (80 percent) of Baba Vanga’s predictions have come true, a number of them did not. For example, she predicted that there would be a nuclear World War III between the years 2010 and 2014, and that Europe would be nearly uninhabited by 2016. Fortunately, neither of these things have come true. Now let’s take a look at which other predictions of Baba Vanga’s haven’t happened…

Some More Failed Predictions

In 1993, the Soviet Union had been newly dismantled. However, Baba Vanga predicted that the USSR would be revived in the first quarter of the 21st century, and that Bulgaria would be a part of it. She also predicted in 1994 that there would be a cure for cancer sometime in the early 21st century, and that the “medicine against cancer should contain a lot of iron.” And lastly, she predicted that there would also be a cure for old age.

Baba Vanga's Future Predictions

So what has Baba Vanga said about the future? Similarly to her counterpart Nostradamus, nothing good, unfortunately. Firstly, she predicted that a team of researchers would unearth an ancient virus in Siberia. The virus, which had previously been frozen in ice, has the potential to be brought back to life as a result of global warming. This virus could also potentially end up being life-threatening to the human race. As if we needed another life-threatening virus right now!

Drinking Water Will Become Scarce

Baba Vanga predicted that due to the population increasing in certain cities, drinking water will become scarce. Here’s what she said- “Many cities have insufficient water resources due to the increase in the population and the insufficient amount obtained from the nearby rivers. People resorted to the extraction of water from the ground, from the groundwater. As necessities grow, people will dig in the growing depths.” Unfortunately, this is something that could realistically come true.

An Alien Spaceship is Headed Toward Earth

According to Baba Vanga, a mysterious asteroid is heading toward Earth. It will be called “Oumuamua” and it could actually be a space ship instead of a regular old asteroid. The aliens of Oumuamua will be looking for signs of life in other parts of the universe and once they reach Earth, they will take prisoners back with them. Baba Vanga did not say exactly what the aliens plan on doing with the prisoners, so let’s hope this doesn’t actually happen…

India Will Experience an Infestation of Locusts

According to Baba Vanga, India will experience an infestation of locusts on a massive scale. More specifically, temperatures in the capital of New Delhi will rise to over 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) in an extreme weather phenomenon. Then, millions of locusts will fly in, destroying thousands of acres of grain. In turn, this could lead to hunger and poverty all over the world, comparable to apocalyptic end times that are the stuff of nightmares.

Even More Extreme Weather Phenomena

Speaking of apocalyptic times, Baba Vanga predicted even more extreme weather conditions worldwide in 2022, in addition to the high temperatures in India. She prophesied a polar vortex in the United States, high temperatures in Scandinavia, flooding in Europe, and more fires in Australia. Unfortunately, many people will perish in the wake of these natural disasters. There certainly could be some merit there, because this sounds a lot like what’s already happening with climate change, doesn’t it?

We'll All Become Zombies

This sounds a little far-fetched, but hear us out- Baba Vanga predicted that nothing good will come from our addiction to technology. In fact, she foretold that the excessive use of the internet, social media, and video games will lead to a widespread decrease in brain mass, leading to the human race becoming zombies. This doesn’t seem very likely, but with how the last couple years have gone, absolutely anything is possible! In summary, expect the unexpected.

Long-Term Predictions

Baba Vanga made a few predictions for the far away future, including the Earth changing orbit in the year 2023; that the ice caps will have fully melted by 2033, causing water levels to rise; and perhaps most ominously of all- The world will end in 5079. Thankfully, that isn’t for a long time, and it’s scientifically unlikely that Earth would completely change its orbit in the span of just a few years, but the melting of the ice caps is certainly still a concern for us!

In Conclusion

Are Nostradamus and Baba Vanga legit? Or were they just some quacks who threw a whole bunch of wacky ideas out into the wind, hoping that some of them would stick in the distant future? The answer to that kind of depends on how much you want to try to interpret their notoriously vague writings and sayings. But if you do believe them, it’s probably time to start saying your goodbyes now because we’re in for a lot coming up!