Nostradamus' 2025 Predictions That Appear Eerily Accurate So Far

When the French soothsayer Michel de Nostrodame, aka Nostradamus, laid down his prophecies in a collection of verse quatrains known as "Les Prophéties" way back in 1555, he did so with the claim of having had visions reaching hundreds of years into the future. Having appeared to have correctly predicted — according to adherents at least — such major world events as the French Revolution and the rise of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Nostradamus continues to be the subject of wry interest from media outlets each new year, with people looking to his prophecies to try and get a handle on what might happen in the 12 months ahead.

Nostradamus prediction round-ups are an annual certainty, but it is a rare occurrence that outlets take the time to report on whether the seer's predictions turned out to hold water. So with 2025 entering its final stretch, here is how Nostradamus' predictions for 2025 are looking today.

One of the major predictions Nostradamus apparently made for 2025 appears to relate to one of the biggest world news stories of recent years: the ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian tanks first rolled into the Eastern European nation in February 2022, with reports indicating that Russia intended to secure Ukraine's defeat in a matter of days. However, more than three years on, the war shows no sign of coming to an end, and remains a central issue in geopolitical politics, with the Western military alliance NATO backing Ukraine with funds and weaponry in the face of their nuclear-armed foe.

At the start of the year, outlets reported that Nostradamus had predicted a major shift in the Russia-Ukraine war. Four lines in particular seemed to chime with the fact that the war, now entering its fourth year, was beginning to deplete resources on both sides. Nostradamus wrote: "Through long war all the army exhausted / So that they do not find money for the soldiers; / Instead of gold or silver, they will come to coin leather, / Gallic brass, and the crescent sign of the moon" (via LadBible).

As with almost all of Nostradamus' writings, the passage seems to mix direct literal prophecy with more symbolic images. 2025 has indeed seen reports that the soldiers involved in the war are exhausted, but more eerie is the prediction that money would begin to dry up, as has proven to be the case, especially for Ukraine. Having been the recipient of U.S. Aid since the outbreak of the war, Ukraine has seen this funding cut, meaning that the shortfall has had to be made up by European allies, increasing pressure on an already weary alliance.

Other passages seemingly related to the lines quoted above seemed to suggest that 2025 would be the year that the Russia-Ukraine war was likely to escalate, with Europe possibly on the brink of being brought into the conflict directly. Specifically, the United Kingdom had been singled out in the lines: "When those from the lands of Europe / See England set up her throne behind / Her flanks, there will be cruel wars / The ancient plague will be worse than enemies."

What exactly this means is unclear, although it is true that the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has reiterated the U.K.'s support for Ukraine and helped spearhead Europe's ongoing financial backing of the besieged nation. As a member of the NATO alliance, a central tenet of which is Article 4 stating that an attack on one member country is an attack on all, it seems unlikely that the U.K. could be dragged into a war that the majority of other European countries would be able to avoid. Indeed, in recent months, Poland has become more of a hotspot when it comes to the prospect of escalation, with Russian drones violating Polish airspace in what analysts suggest has been an intentional test of NATO's resolve.

However, the "cruel wars" and "plague" that the U.K. may face could be figurative, with internal disputes within the island nation seemingly reaching a boiling point in the fall of 2025. A 110,000 person "unite the kingdom" march led by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, led to violence on the streets of London in September, with billionaire supporter Elon Musk telling marchers by video link that "violence is coming" and "you either fight back or you die," and calling for the dissolution of parliament (via The Guardian).

Ultimately, however, Nostradamus' quatrains are notoriously vague in content and it is arguably possible to ascribe meaning to them retroactively to fit world news events. Sadly, though the world is populated by advanced societies that you would hope would have the capacity for debate and diplomacy, wars, conflicts, and social strife are common in the modern world, and the idea that conflict leads to tired soldiers and depleted funds is self-evident throughout history. At the end of the day, the prophecies of Nostradamus should be treated the same way as other forms of divination, such as Tarot cards: as a source of fun and titillation, that, while they may act as an effective springboard to reflect on life and the world in general, should not be taken as gospel.

Indeed, several of the predictions that news outlets cited at the start of the year have not come to pass, even allowing for the widest and most generous attempt at figurative interpretation. Among those events that — this far at least — have failed to emerge in 2025 following tentative interpretations of Nostradamus' quatrains is a supposed catastrophe in the Amazon — there have been no newsworthy volcanic eruptions, while environmental damage caused by logging has thankfully decreased in recent years. Elsewhere, some have interpreted the quatrains as suggesting that 2025 is the year of the dawning of a New World Order, a mainstay in conspiratorial thinking which, as far as we can tell, isn't quite in charge of things just yet.