Nostradamus' Calendar Code

by Allan Webber (Email Click here)

There is a mystery to Nostradamus. To those with faith in prophets its main essence is 'What did he reveal?' but even to a cynic some mystery must be attributed to Michel de Nostredame for his work is self-evidently in code.

Many analysts seem to imply the code is a protective device to prevent the authorities from judging him a heretic but the nature of the work belies this; he did not need to fear the inquisition beyond the time of his death and certainly not 500 years into the future.

It also seems popular to claim that there is a degree of 'derangement' or 'incoherence' in the writing. It is often suggested that the inclusion of inconsistent names and language are an accidental product of his mind and the publishing house.

I am interested in the solution to the code. I am interested in it regardless of its outcome, whether it be mundane or esoteric.

I am interested in the nature of the code. Its nature is a window to the past.

In this paper I set down some of my gathered thoughts and evidence that relate to the matters above.

Nostradamus stated the nature of the code. It concerns astronomy and the rules of poetry. This implies a tradition of  poetic coding to transmit knowledge of time and the stars. A tradition so ancient that it precedes writing and has its roots in oral techniques; mnemonic devices built within and by poetic form. 

He stated in a letter to his son Cesar on 1 March 1555

"I should like to tell you this. Eschewing any fantastic imaginings you may through good judgment have insight into the future if you keep to the specific names and places that accord with planetary configurations, and with inspiration places and aspects yield up hidden properties, namely that power in whose presence the three times are understood as Eternity whose unfolding contains them all."

..and three years later in a letter to Henry, second king of France he states

"given the Astronomic calculations are plays upon my words: because the space of times are those the first ones use, that is those  who have preceded us, and are such that my words can be put back under the correction of their very wise judgment."

..and

And because, Sir that by this discourse I almost bring confusion to these predictions, and when they are seen as being for the advancement of what is placed herein, for enumerating of times which follow, what seems of no use, or little good , changes to a superior model, all of which  is seen by Astronomic ideas, but by others are seen the same as the Sacred Scriptures. He will not fail if he uses the quatrains as I require to put the enumerations of times It is for him to do, but to all others this will not be agreeable, no less (feeling will they have for) the interpreter.

..and

"Thus I have dedicated my nocturnal and prophetic prognostications, composed thanks to a natural instinct, with the aid of poetic transports, according to the rules of poetry and for the most part in accordance with the calculations of Astronomy corresponding to the years, months and weeks. of the regions countries and most of the towns and cities of all Europe including Africa and part of Asia where most of all these coming events are to transpire. They are composed in a natural manner..."

Another statement by Nostradamus on his prophecies in the Cesar letter of 1555 added to these ideas by suggesting he had condensed his work into an astronomical coded form.

"But after being surprised sometimes by day while in a trance, and having long fallen into the habit of agreeable nocturnal studies, I have composed books of prophecies, each containing one hundred astronomical quatrains, which I wanted to condense somewhat obscurely. The work contains prophecies from today to the year 3797."

These are just a few of the statements by this 16th Century prophet that state the nature of the code is understood through laws of poetry in relation to astronomy. The use of names and places that are in accord with these principles reveal his writings about the future.

There are many methods in which key astronomy data can be be encoded into verse and the prime mystery is what is Nostradamus' method.

His technique is likely to involve a method of dating based on the 28 year solar cycle, the nineteen year Metonic cycle of the Moon and the movement of the Little and Big Bears during the year. These cycles will be explained at a later point but at this point I would like to advance the supporting evidence for their use.

There is a significant indirect piece of evidence in the history of the astronomical calendar. In the modern day astronomers use a calendar based on 'Julian Days'. This is different from the Julian Calendar that was used for  over 1600 years from the time of Julius Caesar. 

The astronomers calendar was named by Joseph Scaliger when he developed its structure in 1582 century. Joseph was the son of Jules Scaliger after whom he is reprted to have named his dating method.

Jules Scaliger was a physician, poet, mathematician, astronomer & astrologer who served Bishop Rovero in Agen, southern France. In the 1630's he became impressed by a young physician by the name of Michel de Nostredame and invited him to Agen to work and live. For several years they enjoyed a strong friendship but Michel de Nostredame and Scaliger acrimonously parted company four years before the birth of Joseph.

Joseph's calendar was based on three cycles, the Solar cycle, the Metonic cycle and the 15 year cycle of indiction. The solar cycle of 28 years is the space of time needed before the order of days within a year exactly repeats itself. The Metonic cycle of 19 years is based on the almost exact relationship between the moon and the sun where all of the positions of the moon in relation to the sun repeat themselves every 19 years. The cycle of indiction has no astronomic significance being based on a Roman tax cycle which was the date at which all property was valued for tax purposes. It is a figure that seems to have been chosen to produce an unstated end.

There is little doubt that Joseph would have been influenced by his father's views of astronomy for Jules Scaliger was too strong a mind for it to have been otherwise but it is also likely that Jules and Nostradamus views were each shaped by the other because of the years that the two older men had spent together. It is therefore probable that Nostradamus, Jules and Joseph all rated these cycles as important dating mechanisms.

There is support for this claim within Nostradamus' writings.

In his letter to Henry, Second King of France, 1558 Nostradamus included two strange biblical calendars, strange because they are mathematically inaccurate and although supposedly relating to the same periods of time, they differ markedly from each other. Given the context as to whom they are supposedly addressed and the known intellectual capacities of Nostradamus it is improbable that these aspects and variations are accidental.

In his first table the years from the beginning of time to 1558 add up to 6,308 whilst in the second they add up to 5,555.66.

Now the product of the solar and Metonic cycles is 28 x 19 = 532 and the product of this with 15 year cycle of induction is 7980. This span of almost 8000 years is the length of the cycle for the Astronomic calendar. (Addendum September 2005:  Every Julian year could be expressed as a unique cipher 'A.B.C' where A.B & C are the number in each cycle  but you would need to know the order of the cycles for it to be useful)

In his letter to Cesar Nostradamus had used an end date of 3797 (see earlier). The difference in years from 1558 to 3797 is 2239. The figure 5,555.16 (end of previous paragraph) added to 2239 gives 7794.16. Now this is close to 7980 but there is a difference. However although the numbers add up 5555.16 using the second calendar, Nostradamus says they should actually add up to a figure 173.50 higher. He says the addition of his figures to the birth of Christ should add up to 4173.66 (and adding 1555 then gives 5728.66 not 5555.16. Adding the 3797 to 4173 takes the total to 7970).

'Thus this calculation of mine, collected from the holy writ, comes to about 4173 years and 8 months  more or   less."                            .. Nostradamus , Epistle to King Henry. 27 June 1558

(Addendum: September 2005- Although not precisely the same number the 4173BC for the start of his calendar is interestingly similar to the 4317BC used by Joseph Scaliger as his starting date for the modern astronomical Julian Calendar).

If we apply the addition to the figures stated by Nostradamus as representing the years before and after the birth of Christ we have 4173.66+3797=7970.66. This is even closer to the figure produced using Joseph Scaliger's cycles. There are 7980 years from the beginning of the cycle to the end in the astronomic calendar and 7970 years from the beginning to the end in Nostradamus calendar.

Here is the passage of the letter in French as printed in Edgar Leoni's 'Nostradamus and His Prophecies', Bell 1982 (the highlighting is mine).

This passage about religious spaces is headed by the earlier reference where Nostradamus says

        "..and when they are seen as being for the advancement of what is placed herein, for enumerating of times which follow, what seems of no use, or little good , changes to a superior model, all of which  is seen by Astronomic ideas, but by others are seen the same as the Sacred Scriptures."

The superior model could then be  the Julian model, and the erroneous calendars are that which is seen of no use especially in the context of the Sacred Scriptures.

This period of 7980 years mentioned earlier can also be seen in the Prophecies- An example of this is C.I, Q.48.

The moons cycle takes 19 years. If we take the final complete cycle of the sun and moon which represents 28 cycles of the moon (532 years) and add it to the 20 kingdoms mentioned in the verse we have 48x 19 years (912 years) and have fulfilled the message of lines 1 and 3. If we add the 7000 years of line 2 we have 7912 years. The final line then is a statement that Nostradamus astronomic calendar covers a period of about 7900 years. 

There is a further factor that is relevant; Nostradamus states his writings cover a period of five hundred years (see below) and that he could have gone further. The 500 years corresponds with the product of the solar and moon cycles (Metonic) of 28 x 19 year (532 years).

Now to encode a calendar of 532 years Nostradamus needed ciphers for the dates within the year plus two to date the actual year.  If he had sought to cover a period of 7980 years he would have needed three ciphers, again one for each cycle.

Given the above it seems a reasonable basis to use the Metonic cycle and the solar cycle as the keys in a search for code within Nostradamus' work.

Several of Nostradamus prophecies can be used to determine the nature of the cipher for they contain specific dates. In the table below I show these and several other pertinent dates. I have then calculated the number of cycles from the hypothetical beginning to that date. The order of cycles I have used in this calculation is Indiction (X), Lunar (Y), Solar (Z).  The Calendar-Indiction cycle of 15 cycles of 532 years I call CI, the Calendar-Lunar cycle of 19 cycles of 28 years I call CL (Nostradamus calls them Lunar kingdoms and I choose a different title so it can be clear when I am referring to his work) and the Calendar-Solar Cycle of 28 years I refer to as CS.

Below is a table that shows how the calculation is done for a selection of years. The year of the calculation is the row titled 'Years AD'. Each column then shows the total years from the year 4173 BC. the number of indiction cycles this represents, the years these cycles represent (Yrs in CI Cycles) and then the number of cycles of 28 years and the left over years are calculated. The last row of the column shows the three numbers that represent that year. Thus the year 1999 has the ciphers 12,12,13,  4173BC is 1,1,1 and  1558AD is 11,15,20

Note: the cipher numbers all increase by one to eliminate the use of cycle 0-see column 5, last 2 rows.
The year 2087AD chosen because it is 531 years after 1555AD-(i.e. a complete Solar-Lunar cycle)

This table shows that the year 1555 is placed in the 11th indiction cycle, the 15th Lunar cycle and the 17th Solar Cycle. Every year has a unique set of ciphers.

My choice of order is implied by Nostradamus in several places. One such  place may possibly be seen within the letter to Henry as indicated below.

Here Nostradamus mentions the ways of calculating a calendar and nominates his preference for the solar calendar method of calculation as the determinant of the year (the cipher of the last cycle sets the actual year)..

To establish the order we can examine a quatrain that contains two unambiguously stated dates.

The years 580 and 703 can either be interpreted as shorthand for 1580 and 1703 or taken literally as 580 and 703. In either case the difference between the years is 123 years. This verse resolves the issue of the order of the cycles as Indiction, Lunar, Solar.  During this 123 years either 5 of the 19 Lunar cycles of 28 years have been entered (4x28=112 5x28=140) or 7 of the 28 Solar cycles of 19 years (6x19=114, 7x19=133). This verse therefore makes the kingdom or place equal to the Lunar cipher ('1 to 5 kingdoms change') and leaves the Solar cipher to be carried by 'names (see below).The verse describes the mathematics process given above. From 580 to 703 is 123 years ('await a strange century') and then by using the solar and lunar cycles ('evidence of the heavens') and calculating the values of the cycles above and below this period it can be seen that five kingdoms have changed. The play on words often reveals hidden meaning that seems to relate to their Solar-Lunar interpretation (see below).

There is a distinctive verse within the Centuries that bears on this matter. To most commentators it is pure gibberish but in the context of this analysis the first two lines are particularly apt.

There are 6289 years (4731+1558) up to1558AD. This equals 11*532+439 years. The year 1558 therefore lies in the  11th cycle. Nostradamus  mapped out a further 532 years which is completed in the 12th cycle. The third line may refer to the fact that the indiction or tax cycle (reference to gold) does not need to be stated during this small period as it only covers the length of one indiction cycle. Such a scheme would then only need two ciphers to differentiate the years.

Of the quatrains that mention dates, two are most powerful in the efforts to uncover the method of coding. These are C.VI, Q.54 and C.X, Q.91 which give the years 1607 and 1609. They are so important because these two dates are so close together that any coding of cycles would clearly show as identical aspects in the verses structure.

Centuries VI, quatrain 54 has a precise date and an enigmatic message that states 'it is calculated by the Liturgy'. Centuries X quatrain 91 also has a precise date and mentions the Roman clergy.

There is a plausible place to look for two ciphers if using quatrain verse. The rhymes at the end of the couplets form a signal able to be readily discerned in oral poetry. However in the the two verses carrying the year 1607 & 1609 it is clear this is not the method used to encode the date. The end ryhmes not only differ but X.91 is inconsistent within its four lines. Close examination of the lettering of the two verses does not reveal any commonalities. There appears to be only one similarity in the verses; they both allude to a similar topic, the Roman Catholic church.

The key to the similarity is in the phrase ' by the Liturgy' in C.VI, Q.54. This is a clear reference to the Roman Catholic mass. The first line of this verse contains 'the chant at second cockcrow'. In the order of services 'Laus' follows 'Matins'. Laus is the second ceremony of the day and it is set to occur at cockcrow. The other verse contains the 'Roman clergy' and appears to be about the election of a Pope. The significance of this coincidence of theme is indicated by part of a quote from Nostradamus given earlier in this paper.

"..[you will gain] insight into the future if you keep to the specific names and places that accord with planetary configurations, and with inspiration places and aspects yield up hidden properties.."

The Solar cipher is given by the place and the Lunar cipher (or 'kingdom') by the name but the name and place are 'classes' not individual. The name or theme for these two verses is 'the Roman Catholic church'. Any listener can readily identify the code regardless of accidental changes in the names of the individuals or description of events. All verses relating to the Roman Catholic church and its personnel will therefore lie in the the 17th CL cycle from 1595 to 1622AD.

The places named set the CS cipher. In the above  cases places in the 'North of Africa' or 'Africa' give the thirteenth year of the cycle and 'The towns in Italy' give the fifteenth year. Using this methodology it would appear possible to give a precise 'year' to the majority of verses.

This method is not a very restrictive code, for Nostradamus could well have classified the periods of 28 years by the theme he thought dominated the period. Then within this period of time he could describe its impact on each region of interest by choosing events that he believed would occur in the year he was to associate with the place. So Africa is described from the perspective of  the 13th year in each cycle and Italy, the 15th. There are also several other years in the cycle using broader regions in which they could also correctly be incorporated.

If this is correct then we would expect any other quatrain bearing the same date as one of these to have identical classification. C.VIII.71 contains the date 1607.

('glomes' has no clear meaning, possibly from Latin 'glomus' for 'gather into a ball' and therefore a   dual play on 'sphere' for astronomy and 'mass' for sacred rite.

Now it can be seen that there is a correlation in this verse to C.VI.Q.54 for in each the year is followed by the phrase 'by the  [religious term]'. In the current verse it is the term 'sacred' that stands out. This evidence, as is the case with the remaining evidence of this paper, is independent of the question of Nostradamus ability to prophesy the future. However in this particular verse which only serves a corroborative role, it is worth considering the possibilities of the words in the verse.

From 1600 to 1609 Johannes Kepler performed the mathematical analyses that challenged the Church-held-view that planetary motion was circular. In 1609 Galileo is attributed with the discovery of the telescope. In 1632 his book expounding the new views of astronomy were banned and in 1633 he faced the inquisition. He was forced to renounce his ideas and lived out the rest of his life under house arrest. All of these difficulties were created by the 'holy ones' of the Roman Catholic church. This is the era when the number of 'famous' astronomers increased, Kepler, Tycho Brahe and Galileo are but three of many and all of them opposed by the Roman Catholic church.  This treatment allows the 'sacred' references to be clearly attributed to the Roman Catholic church. And additionally, it is quite probable that even in the absence of prophetic accuracy that Nostradamus would have used the term 'sacred ones' in this manner.

This verse does not mention a place so it neither succeeds nor fails on this part of the cipher. A verse not containing a place may relate to a full period of 28 years and in this case covers from 1605 to 1633, the period in which Galileo's difficulty began and culminated.

There are two other verses giving a full year date. Several more ciphers can be discerned from these verses.

The theme of this verse is clearly 'Christian Wars' and by its date relates to the 2nd Moon cycle of the 12th Indiction cycle. The 2nd Moon based cipher is therefore 'Religious Wars'.  

Another dated quatrain is C.X.72

Angolmois is not a known place but its Solar cipher (13) is the same as in VI.54 which places it with Fez, Bugie, Tunes & Maroq (i.e. Africa-North). Angolmois may be an anagram formed from the  letters of three countries on the North-west Africa coast Algeria, Morocco& Senegal

'From the sky' implies that the Antichrist phase is above the cycle containing the year 1999. It may also relate to some trait or attainment of the Antichrist that distinguishes him in July 1999.. This marks the period from 2015AD to 2043AD as that given the name 'Antichrist' by Nostradamus. This following period is one of war  as shown in C.VIII.77. The cycle containing the year 1999 is not a war phase but probably one of ' Natural disaster' based on the 'terror from the sky'.

There is a verse that does not contain a precise date but which confirms that the 'Antichrist Period' is an actual period of war (either before or after the period containing 1999). This is C.VIII.77

The time line of ciphers therefore now looks like

There is one more 'dated' verse within Nostradamus' Centuries.

Earlier I showed the relevance of C.I.48 in relation to a span of time of 7900 years. The verse that follows it has strong resonances to it but includes a precise date 1700AD and describes upheaval affecting various regions. This adds to the ciphers by defining a period which is identified by reference to 'the masses'.

Obviously the use of the 'dated' quatrains is a useful way of determining the ciphers but there are not enough to determine all ciphers. To extend the scheme a method as logical as that above is needed. The most plausible place to look in the verses is those containing a reference to both Sun and Moon for these are the core of the technique. There are only five that contain both names in one line and only  one other that contains a reference to each in separate lines. This one-other is Verse I.48 discussed earlier.

Before presenting the Solar-Lunar verses it is appropriate to set out the ground rules I am using in their analysis. In each verse I am looking for links between adjoining periods of 28 years. The link is in the themes each verse contains for it is the theme that identifies the generic name for each period. In order to place each name in sequence it has to be linked to one of the periods named in the 'dated' quatrains. I state this because it is imprudent to assume that the period named 'Republic or Revolution' refers to the period at the end of the eighteenth century. Nostradamus' Prophecies can only be tested for accuracy by giving a dating method  independent of our now known knowledge of events.

Of course if my technique establishes that  the historical  events do not match to the regions emerging from my analysis then believers in Nostradamus can claim my technique is invalid and conversely disbelievers can discredit any correlation. Irrespective of this it is important to try and establish an independent dating method based on the evidence in Nostredame's own work. Verse C.III.79 reflects on these issues and allows an exemplar for the analyses to be shown.

In this verse Nostradamus seems to be implying that there is an ordered cycle underlying his work. The themes within the verse are 'code' or 'method' and 'destiny'. There is only one historical date that we can adopt without presumption. This relates to the coding method for it is absolute knowledge we share with Nostradamus that he wrote in the mid 16th century. Our order is therefore one of 'code' (1539-1566), 'destiny' (1567-1595) or 'destiny' (2043-2069), 'code' (1539-1566). NOTE: 1541 is the beginning of Nostradamus cycle and 2072 is the end of this one Indiction cycle.

One verse containing Sun and Moon has already been discussed and shown to have relevance to the time when the Moon's cycle moves from one Indiction cycle to the next. This was verse C.IV.30

It carries a reference in its last line to 'Natural Disasters' and this would appear to be the theme that precedes the discovery of Nostradamus secret regarding Sun and Moon. Since earlier analysis of C.X.72 established that 'Natural disasters' covered the 12th cycle from 1987 to 2015 the final decoding must occur after 2015 and before 2043. This is 500 years after Nostradamus' first period began (1539AD) and fits remarkably well with another set of assertions of Nostradamus in C.III.94

Another verse with Sun and Moon reference is C.V.32. The themes in this verse seem to be one of well-being and one of  fortune or 'destiny'. It refers to the seventh rock which gives this verse a connection to the Roman Catholic church being a well known reference to Rome and the rock of St Peter.

This verse therefore places the theme of destiny because earlier analysis showed its nearness to 'code'. There is only one place close to both 'code' and the 'Roman Catholic church' and it lies between them, covering the period 1567 to 1594.

Another verse containing both Sun and Moon is C.V.66.

The mention of 'vestal edifices' gives the above verse a connection to prophecy or 'destiny' via the tripod of the vestal virgins of the Dephic Oracle. The mention of the 'ruin of the aqueduct', 'fashioned gold', 'edifices' and 'lamps'  implies a theme of ' things made by man' but  the 'not far' allusion means it is not immediately adjacent to 'destiny'. This fits with the time line and gives the 18th cipher as man-made objects.

Another verse containing both Sun and Moon is C.VI.98

(Volsques: Latin 'Volsci': people from South Latium, the earliest lands of the latin-speaking people in Italy. Originally allies of Aeneas, they later fought a bloody war) This appears to be a classical reference with the Sun and Moon apellation identifying it as a verse for 'definition of themes'.The themes are 'natural disaster'  followed or preceded by 'war'. As the period after 'natural disaster' is already filled, war must precede it.

The theme of 'war'  links to the last of the Sun & Moon verses.

Nostradamus sense seems to be that 'a French war lasts longer than the lives of three great Spanish rulers' known by the mark of the Eagle, Cock and Lion'. According to the fourth line two of these live during the year that carries the mark for the years (i.e. the Sun and it iequals 'Gaule' or France) but one lies between or outside these (and hence must be less than 28 years in duration).

The Lion is the easiest name to fit, for as King of Beasts it relates to the 'three kings' within the verse. So one period of 28 years is termed 'the period of kings' and one ruler only reigns during this period.

The Cock by its comb seems linked to the 'wreaths' mentioned in the third line and its crowing to victory and celebration of coronation and victory. This 28 year span is then 'Celebration' and includes birth, marriage, holidays and victory.

The Eagle's associations vary. In Rome it was linked to the Emperor; it was carried on the soldiers shields and a living bird's free flight used to mark the funeral of the Emperor. So it is most likely a symbol for 'war' for this is the theme of the first line but may represent 'Empire'. Only war is mentioned in the verse so it is more likely to represent this theme.

There is therefore a set of three consecutive periods covered by the themes Kings, Celebration and War. This verse implies that my placement of 'war' needs to be shifted to an earlier slot and that a probable order is 'kings', 'war', 'celebration'

There is now a substantial part of the sequence filled but there are still significant gaps. In order to fill these another set of verses is needed and their basis needs to be as objective as 'dated' verses or 'sun moon' verses. There has to be a rationale for their selection that fits with the objectives and it has to be a closed set so that there can be no picking and choosing to obtain a desired result.

The cycle that is being resolved is based on the moon so it is logical to select verses referring to this planetary body. There are three references to 'Lunaires' in the Centuries one of which has already been covered (C.I.49). This verse specifies a date which vindicates 'Lunaires' choice for extending the ciphers. The first of the other two is C.III.4

The first two lines make it clear that when more than one name is mentioned in the verse they are usually neibouring 'themes' but if not then they are not too greatly separated. This is the principle used earlier in my determination of the position of 'war'. The third line identifies a region of 'natural disaster'. The fourth affirms that the beginning of Nostradamus' cycle begins with the theme of 'his prophecies. These two regions are separated by two zones (13 & 14).

The other 'lunaire' verse is C.V.93

The reference to Mercury is probably classical, meaning men of business and science, invention and commerce. The glowing lamp invented by the Island of Escosse supports this concept. Under the terrain or soil or earth is a pastoral reference suggesting that 'Commerce' precedes 'Agriculture'.The lamp was a reference in an earlier verse identifying man-made objects. This places 'Agriculture' as the 19th cipher.

Still more verses are needed to complete the task and the obvious extension is those containing the word 'Lune'. There are eleven of which five are included in the preceding analysis. The first of the six new verses is C.I.25 which contains similar ideas to verses detailed earlier.

Here there is a lost-secret found and  long centuries. The timing is set by the Moon achieving its great cycle. There are two points where this term could be used by Nostradamus; at the change of the indiction cycle in the eighteenth century or at the end of the 532 year period from the time of his writing. Earlier analysis clearly marks this secret as revealed at the end of the 532 years. It is the time of revelation. In mythology the benevolent winds were locked in the caves of a mountain by Aeolus. The harmful winds were given to Odysseus in a bag but his inquisitive crew released them. There is therefore an Odyssean flavour to this verse and its theme is of natural elements impacting on man and his struggle against their adverse impact.

The second of the Lunar verses is C.I.56

This verse alludes to revolution as a human act and a mechanical motion. This is its theme and its location is at the time the moon is led by its Angel. The location of this could be determined by the reference to early and late, which places it at the middle of the 532 years with a cipher of  4 or 5.In the order of Angels, Virtue is 4th and Power is 5th. The Angel leading the revolution is more likely to be power than virtue and so the 4th cipher is Power and Leadership and the 5th is Revolution.

The next of the Lunar verses to be considered is C.IV.31

This verse is about 'mental effort and spiritual leadership'  and its location is determined by considering a clock. The plain-of-night high over the mountain is clearly a time of observation and by the use of middle of the day implies its night-time equivalent of midnight. The reference to disciples and immortality imply an affinity with power and leadership and the religious masses. This positions it as the third cipher for this is a middle-cipher sandwiched betweeen 'the masses', 'religious wars' and 'leadership/power'.. 

The next of the Lunar verses is C.IV.33

This verse is about the celestial bodies. The first line identifies that the Moon is not a signal for this theme (for it serves as the definer of the parts of the cycle). The white fullness places this theme after the Moon passes its high point (i.e. beyond   and close to cipher 5)

The next of the Lunar verses is C.I.84

This verse describes assassination of a brother who through the reference to iron, is likely to be a warrior.  Just as fullness and brightness placed earlier themes at the centre of the cycle the darkness of this verse places these themes further away. The great are hidden for a long time  refers to the 'king' theme and the iron blade in the bleeding wound refers to the 'war' theme.  The new theme is 'death, murder,conspiracy, betrayal'

There is one place left unfilled and verse C.V.24 resolves the space and shows the correctness of the established order.

This verse establishes the relation betweeen the  'Celestial' theme and a new theme of 'law, kingdom and empire'

All the attributes of the 19 CL (or lunar cycle) ciphers can now be set out in more detail. These form the first classification of each and every one of Nostradamus verses.

Only four of the CS ciphers (or Solar cycle) ciphers have been established (Africa:13,Italy:15, Mid-East: 21, N-S-E-W: 22) and the next task is to fill in the gaps.

In order to know where to look for the remainder it is helpful to consider the nature of the likely place names.

There are a logical set of regions for Nostradamus to use. One set is geograhical and uses divisions of France,  divisions of Europe  such as Spain-Portugal, Britain & Germany, divisions of the mediterranean, including Italy, Greece, Mid East, and the Africa and also the Eastern countries across to Asia. There is also another division based on logical placement such as E-N-S-W, left & right and latitude & longitude. Another set is more emotive and descriptive, it includes local places, local buildings, countryside, marine, sky, land, heavens, home, mind and literature.

In searching for the position where Nostradamus may have hidden the key it is essential to find a compact passage that relates numeric order to a distinct set of names. such a passage is difficult to find but there is one in the letter to Henry. It appears immediately after the first 'Biblical' dating of the calendar and begins as follows.  

The passage then uses the terms 'first' and 'second' which can be applied to 'places of worship' ('Temples of God') and 'rural/pastoral/countryside' ('those who sustained by the earth').

In the next section of the passage Nostradamus outlines a family's matriarchal   lineage and the accompanying history in which mother and daughter are beset by difficulties of bearing children with both dying from the process of child birth. However during their shortened lives they give birth to two and four children respectively. This story may well be a device in which to set place-name references.

The next section follows on from the 1st and 2nd reference in the earlier section of the passage for it uses the terms 3rd and 4th. This enhances the probability that the passage refers to the numeric order of a set of 'place-name ciphers'. It identifies the third and fourth ciphers as being parts of Europe.

The story now mentions the youngest son and two region names: Arabia and kingdoms. The younger son being born later implies a later part of the cycle and earlier I indicated that the region 'Mid-East'  was shown to be the cipher 21.

The next section implies that cipher 5 involve places of the anatomy, i.e. hands, feet, head etc. The 5th cipher is indicated by the reference to the oldest child who, being first born. follows the ciphers  marked out by the daughter (3 & 4).

It is then stated that the next reference applies to a greater number of ciphers ('the second is more profound'). The reference 'accompanied by the Latins suggests it covers the ciphers 6-15 (Italy: 15). The second region of Europe is defined in the verse for it specifies it as below the Pyrenees i.e Southern Europe. The words 'tremble' and 'second' identify that it specifies the second region of Europe outlined in section 5 of this passage but it also defines another cipher in this set. These are names of prominent features such as mountains, bridges, trees etc. and its cipher is the one next available in descending order from cipher 15 (Italy). This makes it cipher 12.

The next section refers back to the youngest son and implies that one of the later name-sets is 'the heavenly bodies' ('Mars'); it implies that the astronomical subset is at odds with the many earthly grouping ('stops the people finding'). The reference to Lent may imply it is in the second quarter of this subset and is likely to be cipher 23.

The remaining section of ciphers aligns to references to the daughter for she covers from ' the Christian church' (i.e. after Italy:15) to the 'paganistic sects of the new infidel' (i.e. Mid-East: 21). She therefore covers ciphers 16 to 21. Her ciphers refer to the broad range of countries other than France and those listed elsewhere. These countries are diverse in their religious belief but the ciphers can be divided into two, the Christian countries and the pagan (these are associated with her two children).

I have now established a reference system to divide the ciphers into various subsets. It is as shown below.

In the next section there is an identification of Europe1 as marked out by those countries between 48 and 52 degrees. There are distinct countries  in this class between 50 and 52 degrees (i.e. Belgium and West Germany) but it also includes Paris and Northern France. There is great difference in the distance between these and southern Europe which contains the lower part of Italy (Romans) and Spain. Europe 2 is bounded in the South by latitude 48 degrees. All of this is confirmed by the continued reference to 'shaking',  a term used in each section relating to these regions. A further pointer is the regions are constrained 'by the military hand' (i.e. anatomical name-group previously established as cipher 5 which bounds ciphers 3&4 for N.Europe and S.Europe )

But in the next section this idea of a 'trembling state' is extended to another set of names, that of the four directions ('those of the Occident etc') . The 'directions' cipher group is the 21st and as such is greatly separated from the other two regions (3rd & 4th cipher). This is in accord with section 11, 'making three regions with extreme differences unite'

In the next section Nostradamus says that the next two available ciphers after the Great Lady and her daughter refer to Eastern Europe and the Adriatic. It states these two regions are bounded by  Germany, Northern Italy and Mirmidon and Barbaric sects. The Mirmidons were a Macedonian tribe. These surrounding countries imply that  Eastern Europe is Switzerland,Austria,Hungary and the Balkan states whilst the Adriatic region cipher refers to coastal Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece & Sicily.

In the next section the pagan countries mentioned earlier are identified as Persia-India (cipher 20) and central Asia  (cipher 19).Xerxes (Zerses) was the king of Persia  a descendant of the people of the sub-continent and Attila the Germanic king of the Huns was a descendant of the Hsiung-nu, an Asiatic tribe.These are preceded by a cipher (17) that identifies places of the mind ('sense like that of the Holy Spirit') and a cipher (18) for middle France ('proceed to the 48th degree').

In section 15 Nostradamus seems to pause and restate some of the order of places, perhaps as confirmation. This is a retrogression going backwards from the ciphers of the Antichrist (19-21). These are preceded by the ciphers of religious meaning '16-18' and then by the country heading the Church of Jesus Christ (Italy= cipher 15). This is preceded by a cipher for placing time ('solar eclipse', 'October' & 'vernal equinox'. Thus cipher 14 is defined as Calendary place names.  The vernal equinox is clearly indicated as the precedent of this group of ciphers  (14-21).

Section 16 goes back even further for it covers ciphers 3 to 13. It states 'and these [ciphers 14-21] follow extreme changes, permutating kingdoms and great trembling of the earth [ciphers 3 &4]'. The NW-Africa (cipher 13) may well be the new Babylon and '73 years seven months'  may refer to man's life time or the anatomical cipher 5. This is given added weight by 'daughters will not bear child in great number' which can be another anatomical allusion to the lowly number 5. From this it is possible to conclude that at least one of the remaining ciphers 8-12 refers to a range of permutating kingdoms.

This backward progression through the ciphers is completed in the next section for it returns to the Great sterile lady (ciphers 1&2) and Northern Europe (cipher 3='from fifty degrees')  and then to the Places of worship (cipher 1= 'the Christian church'.)

And in the next section Nostradamus may be playing with words stating his strategy is a union of forward and backwards moves  based on this family lineage that brings together the diverse range of ciphers.  He then continues to hint at cipher names. 'Residences'  stands for the 'home, rooms or chambers' and 'military factions' for ' places of 'war, military encampment or military environment' and 'kingom of the Rabbis who imitate the wise ones' alludes to the Biblical lands of the Jews, including the lands of the wise Chaldeans and Egyptians'. Nostradamus set the placement for these in the previous section with his allusions to ciphers 6 and 7.

Many of the ciphers have now been allotted positions. The following table maps the ciphers given above.

Returning to Nostradamus passage, section 19 shows four place-name-sets namely country-villages, cities, kingdoms & provinces. There is an implication they read from left to right  and  via 'old customs'  and 'craft-wisdom' there is a hint of astrology which links to cipher 23. Kingdoms were mentioned as part of the ciphers 21-28 in an earlier section (6). Cipher 24 is therefore 'country towns & villages', 25 is 'cities', 26 is 'kingdoms' and 27 is 'named provinces or regions'

In the next section there is a clear reference to a return to cipher 1 ( 'rebuilding of temples of the first times'). The section follows on from the previous and logically fills in the last cipher (28) of the cycle. The new cycle is rebuilt starting with cipher 1 ('temples of worship'). The only place for names in this section is in the 'original writings'. It implies that historical names, particularly for places, forms a group of its own.

This reference to temples is reinforced by the next section which mentions a thousand crimes. Section 2, where the temples were first mentioned, contains a similar reference- 'there will be a thousand other calamitous adventures'. It implies the process is complete and that with the ciphers can come an enjoyment and measurement of the ten centuries [of Nostradamus].

Despite this supposed completion ciphers 11 and 16 have not yet been allocated values. Cipher 11 is in a band supposedly containing 'permutating kingdoms'. The Biblical lands partially fill this classification and a logical completion to the name set and to the permutating kingdoms is to assign England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the celtic lands to cipher 11.

To complete the ciphers I refer back to section 15 which referred to the church of the great Vicar Jesus Christ and then "which some will rank as the one single deed translating the pleasant nature of the earth  with all natural movement lost, and taken into a perpetual abyss". This seems to be an oblique reference to space. Space is measured by number and degree and as cipher 16 follows the home of the Roman Catholic church (Italy) then measurements of space is the name set for this cipher.

The complete table can now be given.

This whole process outlined above can be justified by the words of Nostradamus in a section preceding  the above and following immediately after the first Biblical calendar in his letter to Henry. In this he mentions the import of both 'places' and 'themes' (emotions) in his calculations of the years.

My interpretation of the cipher calendar of Nostradamus can now be fully set out.