By Lubna Abdel-Aziz The future -- what does it hold? It just sits there tauntingly, hauntingly, dark, mysterious, intriguing. The future has always occupied mankind. Throughout history man has sought to peer into the future for what lies ahead. He gazed at the heavens, the moon, the stars, for answers. He sought priests, prophets, seers and soothsayers, to guide and protect him. Yet, no one has ever been able to alter or evade his fate. When man reached out for enlightenment and knowledge, he continued to act as he pleased, thereby fulfilling his destiny, regardless of forecasters and fortune tellers. Had Julius Caesar heeded the soothsayer who warned him to "beware the ides of March," the entire history of the world may have changed. But he did not, and neither do we. Despite our curiosity for the unknown, we do as we see fit and the outcome is exactly what was preordained. No one can escape his destiny. Among the many prophets, sorcerers, and predictors, none stands out as much as the 16th century astrologer and physician Michel de Nostredame (1503 - 1566), better known by his Latinized name Nostradamus. Every decade or so, the world is reminded of his accurate predictions rendering him as mind-boggling and mystifying as his prophecies. His fame continues to spread with each generation as more and more of his predictions come to pass. In 1994, Italian journalist Enza Massa stumbled on an unusual find at the Italian National Library of Rome. The strange manuscript, dated 1629, was titled Vaticinia Nostradami Code, Michelle de Nostredame. This manuscript was the only one that was ever published. It was reputed to have been handed down to his son to be donated to the Cardinal of Provence, who later became Pope Urban VIII. It remained hidden for almost 400 hundred years. The Vaticinia Nostredami is considered by experts as the author's final prophecies regarding the end of the world. The manuscript is said to have predicted the Nazi Blitzkrieg, the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II, the burning of the oil wells of Kuwait by Iran, even Boris Yeltsin's rise to power. More startling than the discovery of the book, are the warnings it contains. So blasphemous and horrifying are his accounts, experts believe that this may have been the reason why the Lost Book was deliberately hidden. According to Nostradamus' Lost Book, as the earth enters its 25,800th year, the solar system will pass through the Galactic Plane of the Milky Way. This date is confirmed by present day scientists. The Earth will lose its orbit around the sun which will cause earthquakes in the sun and all the planets, and whole continents will be under water in a matter of 6 to 10 hours. Those highlanders who do not experience flooding will experience burning from flares and fires. All this will occur with the entry of the Age of Aquarius, after December 21, 2012. The date coincides with the prediction of the Long Count Calendar used by the ancient Meso--Americans, such as the Mayans, Aztecs, Toltecs, and Olmecs. They were able to calculate and track the cycles of nature, such as eclipses, cosmic alignments and conjunctions. The winter solstice of 2012 will occur at 11:11 GMT on 21-12-2012, the same day the long count slips over. On that morning the sun will appear to rise into a part of the sky known as the Galactic Center, or Nuclear Bulge. It is the location of the super massive black-hole at the center of rotation of the Milky Way. This will be the first time in almost 26,000 years that the sun will appear to connect with the "Dark Crest." The predictions of Nostradamus are almost identical to the Meso-Americans. Modern scientists are in agreement that the date of the Solar System passing through the galactic plane of the Milky Galaxy is on its 25,800th year precession. Will this be the end of the world? Will this knowledge change anything among earthlings? Even if you do believe, and scientists say you must, it will not alter any of your plans for tomorrow, or next year, or the year after. There are more of the faithful among Nostradamus followers and they increase exponentially from day to day. Judging from his prophecies described in his many mysterious quatrains, written predominantly in French with some Greek and Latin, the man did indeed possess extraordinary supernatural powers. The accuracy with which he describes the rise and fall of Hitler and Mussolini is astounding. Written 400 years before, even the name he uses for Hitler, "Hister," is astonishing. Other accurate descriptions are those of the London fire of 1666, the French Revolution of 1789, and the rise and fall of Napoleon. "An Emperor shall be born near Italy." Napoleon was born in Corsica. "From a simple soldier, who will rise to the Empire." Napoleon became France's Emperor. "He shall be found less a prince than a butcher." The French described him as a butcher. Quatrains speak of three anti-Christs. Analysts believe the first two to be Napoleon and Hitler. Many articles have been written describing Obama as the third anti- Christ. Skeptics dismiss these prophecies as too generalized and vague. Believers are mesmerized by accurate names and dates. Even the September 11 twin tower crash can be found amongst his predictions. The obscurity of the quatrains, they say, is deliberate, for fear of the wrath of the Inquisition. If you are a believer seeking the future among palmists, tea readers and fortune tellers, skeptics or non believers, who explain all predictions as coincidental, I guarantee that nothing will change your daily routine, for there is little we can do to change what is written. While yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery, all we have is today. Let us seize the moment, and make the most of it, for once it is gone, it shall never return. That, I prophecy! Must it be? It must be. Spring Quartet in F Major, Op. 135, Epigraph -- Ludwig van Beethoven (1773 -- 1827)
