Nostradamus C3 Q86: The European astrologer whose domination of rural areas precedes a great event.
Copyright: Allan Webber, December 2015

This verse is one of those that contributed most to my earliest views on how Nostradamus incorporated astronomic data into his poetry (See my paper on Astronomy for more).

My attention was drawn to it because of similarities in its anagrams to those found in C2 Q35, where the anagrams for astronomers was accompanied by two adjacent anagrams for ill powers. I proposed in the earlier vers its anagrams this gave evidence for Nostradamus' strong interest in astronomy and his rejection of astrology.

The current verse carries an anagram for astronomers (res ſa mort on) that is adjacent to one for graver (verra g) which is suggestive of arts to be condemned.

 It also carries an anagram for auspex (aux Eſp), one of the other divining arts with limited scientific basis.

In addition, like C2 Q35, this one has pointers to things being ill and it has a vague hint of Satanism all of which is in the context of a particular personal journey.

 This constructs a scenario in which an individual who rejects science and practices the art of astrology, not astronomy is the central character.