Nostradamus is said to have predicted a number of major global events in his work Les Propheties - and he has some chilling things to say about the year 2026.

09:38, Wed, Dec 10, 2025 Updated: 09:42, Wed, Dec 10, 2025

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(GERMANY OUT) Farbdruck, Nostradamus, Michel de Nostredame, vor Buch, in La Maison de Nostradamus, Salon de Provence, Frankreich, (Photo by Rainer Binder/ullstein bild via Getty Images) (Image: ullstein bild via Getty Images)

As the festive period draws near, many view the New Year as a fresh start. However, according to Nostradamus, 2026 may bring unsettling developments - including further wars, tensions between East and West, and even a cryptic reference to a 'swarm of bees'.

The renowned 16th-century seer Michel de Nostredame - commonly known as Nostradamus - is credited with prophesying major global events, including 9/11 and the COVID pandemic, centuries before they occurred.

His publication Les Propheties, released in 1555, has been analysed as forecasting numerous significant historical events that unfolded in the subsequent four hundred years.

Regarding late 2025, he foretold the "end of a long war", which numerous observers have linked to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, stating: "Through long war all the army exhausted, so that they do not find money for the soldiers."

Yet looking ahead to 2026, he has envisaged additional strife - including a troubling scenario reminiscent of last century's global confrontations, as he anticipated a collision between East and West.

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TOPSHOT - AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2025 US President Donald Trump (R) reaches out to shake hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they pose on a podium on the tarmac after arrival at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025.. Putin is in Alaska at the invitation of Trump in his first visit to a Western country since he ordered the 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has killed tens of thousands of people. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images) / AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2025 (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

He penned: "When Mars rules his path among the stars, human blood will sprinkle the sanctuary. Three fires rise from the eastern sides, while the West loses its light in silence."

Mars, the ancient Roman god of war, appears prominently in Nostradamus's predictions for the coming year, suggesting potential conflict ahead. Yet interpretations vary - some experts believe this could signal an economic struggle, with Europe lagging behind nations like China and Japan in the artificial intelligence race, according to the Daily Mail.

Another cryptic verse for 2026 reads: "The great swarm of bees will arise... by night the ambush..." Whilst this might literally reference bees or perhaps invasive species such as Asian Hornets, many scholars interpret bees as symbols of authority and collective power. This prophecy could therefore indicate world leaders uniting towards a shared objective.

Such an interpretation might point towards Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaching a settlement over the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, or alternatively Trump's proposed peace agreement for Gaza.

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Regardless of the precise meaning, further conflict appears inevitable, as Nostradamus declares: "Seven months great war, people dead through evil / Rouen, Evreux the King will not fail."

A separate passage warns: "Because of the favour that the city will show... the Ticino will overflow with blood.."

Ticino represents Switzerland's southernmost region - a country renowned for its neutrality. Whilst direct Swiss involvement in warfare seems improbable, this prophecy could allude to broader European turmoil.

These passages originate from the 26th quatrains of Les Propheties, which numerous devotees of Nostradamus interpret as pertaining to 2026. Whilst many of his predictions seemingly herald catastrophe and despair, he does provide a glimmer of optimism for the coming year.

"Shadows will fall, but the man of light will rise," he wrote. "And the stars will guide those who look within."

The interpretation of this remains open to speculation - though perhaps following conflict and financial instability, a fresh, more optimistic perspective on global affairs will materialise.

One can only hope!