Nancy Reagan, Former US President Ronald Reagan’s wife and retired Hollywood actress, had the reputation of being a very involved first lady. According to reports, she believed in astrology and got advice for herself and her husband frequently. She used to get advice from a phone-in astrologer, and reportedly trusted the astrologer a lot.
Who was that astrologer?
A San Francisco-based astrologer, Joan Quigley, volunteered for Ronald’s 1980 presidential campaign. Notably, it was John Hinckley Jr.’s assassination attempt on the president in 1981 which convinced Nancy to consult her on a regular basis.
Nancy once told Quigley “I’m scared every time he leaves the house.” She used to regularly call and take advice on timing of her husband’s trips and meetings. She reportedly paid her $3,000 monthly retainer through a private ZIP code that would route their correspondence to the White House.
Many even questioned as there had debates over how much influence Quigley had over major decisions.
What were the shocking claims she made?
The astrologer stated in her book, What Does Joan Say?: My Seven Years As White House Astrologer to Nancy and Ronald Reagan, that she was “responsible for timing all press conferences, most speeches, the State of the Union addresses, the takeoffs and landings of Air Force One.”
She also said, “I picked the time of Ronald Reagan’s debate with [Jimmy] Carter and the two debates with Walter Mondale; all extended trips abroad as well as the shorter trips and one-day excursions.”
She even went on to take credit for ending the Cold War.
On one occasion, she even went on to say, “The President had asked Nancy to ask me about going to Reykjavik; he and [Secretary of State George] Schultz followed my advice to negotiate there as long and hard as possible, and, following my advice, they stayed longer than planned.”
She also said, “I briefed the President through Nancy for every meeting with Gorbachev in Geneva,” according to Los Angeles Times.
Quigley died in 2014, and in her memoir, she recounted her time as an alleged adviser to the Reagan White House, saying, “Each person did their own job and own function.”
She said, “Nancy knew what she had in me. I don’t think she ever wanted to admit it.”
“I think she would have preferred for me never to be heard from again,” she added.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
