Joan Quigley
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Joan Quigley (born April 10, 1927), of San Francisco, is an astrologer best known for her astrological advice to the Reagan White House in the 1980s. Quigley was born in Kansas City, Missouri.
She was called on by First Lady Nancy Reagan in 1981 after John Hinckley's attempted assassination of the president, and stayed on as the White House astrologer in secret until being outed in 1988 by ousted former chief of staff Donald Regan.
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[edit] Astrologer
[edit] Early relationship
Quigley first met Nancy Reagan in the 1970s on the The Merv Griffin Show. She reportedly provided astrological advice during Reagan's bid for the Republican nomination in 1976.[citation needed] Their association grew significantly larger in the 1980 presidential election between candidate Ronald Reagan and then president, Jimmy Carter.[citation needed]
[edit] Reagan White House
Nancy Reagan grew concerned after the attempt on her husband's life on March 30, 1981 and asked Quigley if she could have foreseen, and possibly prevented, the assassination attempt. Quigley answered affirmatively, that had she been looking, she would have known. Mrs. Reagan enlisted Quigley's astrological advice on a regular basis, and would hold regular telephone conversations with her. Explaining why she turned to Quigley, Nancy later wrote, "Very few people can understand what it's like to have your husband shot at and almost die, and then have him exposed all the time to enormous crowds, tens of thousands of people, any one of whom might be a lunatic with a gun... I was doing everything I could think of to protect my husband and keep him alive."
Quigley concluded that Reagan's charts were very similar to assassinated President Abraham Lincoln's astrological signs, with both being born in February, and both being elected in a year that ends in zero.[citation needed]
Quigley later wrote a book about her experiences, titled What Does Joan Say?, which is a phrase Reagan used often during his presidency.[citation needed] Quigley writes, "Not since the days of the Roman emperors—and never in the history of the United States Presidency—has an astrologer played such a significant role in the nation's affairs of State." Although that phrase is certainly debatable, Quigley's insight was used frequently. Other First Families known to rely on astrologers include the Lincolns, and the Hardings. Likewise, President Richard Nixon relied on Jeane Dixon during certain situations.[citation needed]
After Donald Regan took over as Chief of President Reagan's staff in 1985, he was told by Reagan aide Michael Deaver about Quigley. Regan, who frequently quarreled with Nancy Reagan, resigned in 1987 after the Iran-Contra affair and mixed reviews of his job performance. Claimed to be revenge by some, Regan revealed to the nation that Mrs. Reagan consulted Quigley in his autobiography For The Record. He said, "Mrs. Reagan passed along her prognostications to me after conferring with [Quigley] on the telephone—she had become such a factor in my work, and in the highest affairs of the nation, that at one point I kept a color-coded calendar on my desk (numerals highlighted in green ink for "good" days, red for "bad" days, yellow for "iffy" days) as an aid to remembering when it was propitious to move the President of the United States from one place to another, or schedule him to speak in public, or commence negotiations with a foreign power."[citation needed][unreliable source?]
In 1989, in an NBC News story, reporter Andrea Mitchell said, "Intelligence officials say the CIA went nuts when it learned the First Lady was discussing US-Soviet relations with an outsider [Joan Quigley] on non-secure lines. Some White House officials were also horrified that presidential security was being breached. And, according to former White House officials and Quigley, the astrologer was involved in everything. She picked the departure time for the Reykjavik Summit, the optimum time for signing an arms control treaty, the best time for the trip to Moscow. And, when Mrs. Reagan was upset about a controversial trip to Germany in 1985, Quigley plotted every takeoff and landing. Her scheduling for that visit to the Bitburg cemetery was so complicated that former White House aide Michael Deaver sought permission from Mrs. Reagan to talk to the astrologer directly."[citation needed][unreliable source?]
[edit] The end of the Reagan years
After the leak, Quigley was swarmed with media attention, although rarely gave advice to the Reagans again. Of the entire incident, Mrs. Reagan stated, "Nobody was hurt by it—except, possibly, me."
[edit] Astrological beliefs
Quigley has been quick to note that she considers astrology a science, related to astronomy, and that it is more precise now because of the discovery of modern planets. Quigley believes that astrology is not related to psychic abilities, nor has she ever claimed to be psychic. She says astrology has a long history, that the New Testament magi were astrologers, and astrology was even used by Biblical prophets in the Old Testament.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- Quigley, Joan. "What Does Joan Say?: My Seven Years as White House Astrologer to Nancy and Ronald Reagan". Carol Publishing Group. New York, NY; 1990.
- Regan, Donald. "For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington". Harcourt. New York; 1988.
