Jean-Philippe Rameau and Louis de Cahusac’s lyrical tragedy Zoroastre met with mixed reaction on its premiere in 1749. The opera was then extensively reworked and put on again in 1756, proving more successful this time. At this moment, Toussaint-Gaspard Taconet wrote his parody Nostradamus, which mocks the contemporary trend of making almanacs; his play is only vaguely related to the original work.

The mathematician Laensbergh is angry at his colleague Nostradamus for getting the seasons mixed up in his almanac. To take revenge on him, he joins forces with Aigrefine, the allegory of the previous year: she is jealous because Nostradamus abandoned her and fell under the spell of Follette, who represents the current year.

The peddlers of almanacs summoned by Aigrefine abduct Follette and lock her in the dungeon of the castle of Gaillardin – a friend of Laensbergh. With the help of De la Pierre, Nostradamus releases Follette. He urges her to hide in the Observatory, but she is chased by Aigrefine, Laensbergh and Gaillardin. The four of them end up in an accident when crossing a ford; Follette comes back alone, with the help of Alix, Nostradamus’s servant. Nostradamus and Follette celebrate having gotten rid of their enemies. The play ends with a dance of the Four Seasons.