How Nancy Reagan’s Secret Phone-In Astrologer Became a Powerful White House Adviser

Nancy Reagan had a well-known reputation as a very involved first lady. But behind the scenes, the retired Hollywood actress got frequent advice for herself and her husband, President Ronald Reagan, from a phone-in astrologer who had earned her trust.

Joan Quigley, a San Francisco-based astrologer, reportedly first volunteered for Ronald’s 1980 presidential campaign after reading the star chart of the actor-turned-politician and liking what she saw. But it was after John Hinckley Jr.’s assassination attempt on the president in March 1981 that Nancy began consulting her full-time to cope with her anxiety over Ronald’s safety.

In the former first lady’s memoir, My Turn, Nancy recalled telling Quigley, “I’m scared every time he leaves the house.” She would regularly call seeking advice on the timing of her husband’s trips and meetings, reportedly paying Quigley’s $3,000 monthly retainer — equivalent to more than $10,000 today when adjusted for inflation — through a private ZIP code that would route their correspondence to the White House.

Since the Reagan presidency, there has been some debate over exactly how much influence Quigley had over the commander in chief’s comings and goings.

In Quigley’s 1990 book, What Does Joan Say?: My Seven Years As White House Astrologer to Nancy and Ronald Reagan, the astrologer claimed she was “responsible for timing all press conferences, most speeches, the State of the Union addresses, the takeoffs and landings of Air Force One.”

“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 added.

The astrologer even took credit for Ronald’s success in ending the Cold War. William Henkel, a White House aide, claimed that Nancy asked Quigley to compare her husband’s birth chart with Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

“She came back saying … these two have, by the stars, some good vibes,” he recalled. 

Of the Reykjavik Summit in October 1986, which led to the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Quigley said in her book, “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.”

Then, in 1985, she told the Los Angeles Times, “I briefed the President through Nancy for every meeting with Gorbachev in Geneva.”

The astrological consultations weren’t well received by many within the Reagan administration, especially Donald Regan, who became the president’s chief of staff in 1985 after serving as the treasury secretary during his first term.

Regan developed a tense relationship with Nancy as chief of staff, which came to a head when he reportedly hung up on the first lady during multiple phone calls. At least one of the phone calls involved a fight over whether Ronald was spending too much time at home after recovering from the assassination attempt, according to reports, with Nancy disagreeing that he should get out more.

Nancy was accused of trying to oust Regan from the White House as a result of their spats, coupled with the blowback from the Iran-Contra affair, and he ultimately resigned in February 1987.

After leaving his post as Ronald’s top adviser, the scorned staffer published a memoir, For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington, in which he attempted to shed light on the Reagans’ astrological influencer, whom he described as the administrations’ “most closely guarded secret,” though he didn’t know her name at the time.

“Virtually every major move and decision the Reagans made during my time as White House Chief of Staff was cleared in advance with a woman in San Francisco, who drew up horoscopes to make certain that the planets were in a favorable alignment for the enterprise,” Regan wrote.

Regan shared an example of his scheduling guidelines for the first part of 1986, which were allegedly provided by Quigley to note when Ronald was in the most danger:

Regan’s book brought criticism upon the president and first lady, who attempted to distance themselves from the scandal. In My Turn, Nancy wrote, “While astrology was a factor in determining Ronnie’s schedule, it was never the only one, and no political decision was ever based on it… Joan’s recommendations had nothing to do with policy or politics–ever.”

Still, the first lady stood by her decision to factor in the stars.

“Was astrology one of the reasons [that no other assassination attempts occurred]? I don’t really believe it was, but I don’t really believe it wasn’t,” she wrote in the memoir. “But do know this: It didn’t hurt, and I’m not sorry I did it.”

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Ultimately, it seems Quigley — who died in 2014 — was unfazed by the drama. In the astrologer’s memoir, she recounted her time as an alleged adviser to the Reagan White House, writing, “Each person did their own job and own function.”

“Nancy knew what she had in me. I don’t think she ever wanted to admit it,” she said. “I think she would have preferred for me never to be heard from again.”