Friday, February 17, 2006

nostradamus and predictions

feb 16th

i saw a bunch of posts on this blog about nostradamus' predictions.

personally i am not a big believer in nostradamus. his elliptical poetry can be construed any way the reader wants, and it is written in a deliberately oblique manner as he was under some threat from the authorities of the time.

also, francois gautier did a splendid two-stanza parody of nostradamus' old french a few years ago, and that may well be the source of all these bjp-will-win-and-hindus-will-reign assertions made by various people here.

if you go read the entire original nostradamus prophesy on the web (i have glanced through it) i dont think it mentions india at all.

this is what i said about nostradamus after 9/11:

==============

Now that bashing astrology is so fashionable in certain Indian 'intellectual' circles, I thought I'd add the following little anecdote. I was thinking of Nostradamus's predictions about World War III when I got email from a friend that gave me the impetus to check it out on the Web. Here is what I found. Yes, of course, there is a lot of fanciful interpretation of what Nostradamus said, but isn't it entertaining? About an apocalyptic leader:

Out of the country of Greater Arabia
Shall be born a strong master of Mohammed...
He will enter Europe wearing a blue turban.
He will be the terror of mankind.
Never more horror.

Sound like Osama bin Laden (does he wear blue turbans)?

And when will all this happen?

In the year 1999 and seven months
From the sky will come the great King of Terror.
He will bring back to life the King of the Mongols;
Before and after war reigns.

We could always suggest that 1999 was a fanciful rendering of 2001: that is, 2000+1 depicted as 2000-1. And do remember that September did use to be the seventh month before January and February were added. The King of the Mongols might be the Chinese, with their support of the Sino-Islamic axis against the West, Russia and India.

The war will last seven and twenty years.

What is the first target of the war?

The sky will burn at forty-five degrees.
Fire approaches the great new city.

We have seen the fire in the sky, in the twin skyscrapers aflame. New York is at 41 degrees North latitude, not 45.

By fire he will destroy their city,
A cold and cruel heart,
Blood will pour,
Mercy to none.

Apocalypse now?


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you observe, all Nostradamus's predictions are made after the incident has happened and not before it... its basically like the Quran being touted as containing all aspects of science... before the discovery of the heliocentric system, its all about earth being in the center and fixed, but once heliocentric theory is proven right, then adapt the same verses of quran and try to show that quran actually supported a heliocentric theory.... Nostradamus predictions are no better... take an incident and then follow reverse logic to show Nostradamus was right...

Anonymous said...

Kalyani, i would also ask you if a person who is a slave to truth and facts is also not a liberated soul? the reason why i said that nostradamus's predictions are always after the incident is because people like Erika Cheetham always take those same verses and adapt them conveniently to what has already happened... i hope you can see through your own baloney.... btw, can you please elaborate on francois gautier's agendas since you see to be very aware of all the agendas... perhaps except you, everyone else is into agendas...

daisies said...

Dear Rajeev,

How are you doing ?

Everyday, I see the earth around
me looks flat. That is a fact
and hence my whole truth. Until
I open a book on astronomy that
explains with diagrams that the
earth is in fact round, and that
my eyes are actually fooling me.

I figure truth is beyond an
isolated fact or observation and
that an observer who has not gone
into a matter in great depth
cannot have a meaningful or valid
viewpoint. Maybe you would agree
with this.

.

daisies said...

Dear Kalyani,

Yes, I am still a friend.

However, even recently, you made
a veiled reference to Sri Sri which
is consistent with what you said
before Rajeev declared that anti
Sri Sri comments are banned in the
blog.

You recently said one *Sidhar* (not
the publicity and fame craving
kind). Obviously you meant Sri Sri,
based on what you have said in the
past about him and only him.

Thus you continue to make anti Sri Sri comments. Thus you are going
against the moderation.

Apart from that, let us go into
this thing in depth. Is he craving
publicity and fame ? That is YOUR
****interpretation**** which you
are presenting here as a FACT.

He is doing he very best to give
whatever valuable stuff he has to
as many people as possible as
quickly as possible. And
those who benefit from what he
gives are ever ready to help his
cause. Thus he is constantly in
the limelight. He isnt craving
anything. The greatest blessing I
have learnt/got from him is:
"Vijvaro Bhavah" (be devoid of
craving/feverishness).

So I am sorry, I think you arent
being a good friend by such
continued references to him.

I am just pointing this out. I am
not seething with rage or disgust
or hatred towards you at all. These
emotions simply do not arise in
me, most of the time.

.

daisies said...

Kalyani,

The moderation was clear -
"No more anti Indian guru
statements".

By the way, I never even
wrote to you. I wrote to Rajeev
about how truths get created out
of observations.

If you write to me "Welcome
back Daisies, we are Friends",
I had a right to honestly tell you
what I thought of your statements.

And you call me Musharaffi in
return. Thanks!!

I have left you alone since we
last wrote at the other post,
and would be happy if you leave me
alone too.

.

Anonymous said...

Kalyani, well they are not overwroght imaginations, but can you please support your statement that francois gautier has hidden agendas.... or did you just oull it out of your ass to please yourself..

siva said...

Daisies,

If you are actively involved in the Sri Sri’s AOL, can you give some insider information about the on going mela in Bangalore, I heard that some 2.5 million people are attending. If that is true, then it is really amazing what this guy has done so far.

Also I read else where on the internet that he is too politically correct and usually does not stand up for Hindus genuine rights and demands, is it true? Also on the same site some say he did not give permission to some Hindu org. to set up stalls in the mela grounds. Is it true?