At 1:30 PM on December 8, 1987, when Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met for the historic signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, their top military advisors stood beside them. Yet, behind the scenes, another set of secret advisors was present: Soviet intelligence and a California astrologer. This astonishing detail reveals a lesser-known facet of the Reagan presidency – his daily schedule, meticulously managed by his wife Nancy, was heavily influenced by astrological predictions throughout his eight years in the White House.
The White House Under Celestial Guidance
This reliance on astrology sparked a major scandal and widespread protests across America when it was exposed by White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan in May 1988. White House officials, embarrassed, quickly denied Nancy Reagan’s belief in astrology and any influence of astrologers’ opinions on the decisions of the world’s most powerful leader. However, both the President and Mrs. Reagan had publicly admitted their faith in astrology before moving into the White House, asserting its influence on their daily lives.
Astrology’s Pervasive Reach: More Than Just Presidents
The Reagans were far from alone in believing in the power of stars and zodiac signs to influence not just individuals, but nations and states. In America alone, there are an estimated 5,000 professional astrologers, collectively earning $35 million annually. Furthermore, nine out of ten newspapers in the United States, Europe, and most parts of the world feature a daily horoscope column, eagerly read by millions.
Many people, from businessmen and industrialists to kings, heads of state, engineers, athletes, and thousands preparing for marriage, consult astrologers before undertaking important or risky ventures. Who among us doesn’t know their zodiac sign or hasn’t read their daily horoscope? The enduring question remains: can the movement of celestial bodies truly impact human lives on Earth?
Astronomy vs. Astrology: A Timeless Distinction
It’s crucial to distinguish between astronomy and astrology. Astronomy is an objective science using tools to scientifically study celestial bodies and their movements. Astrology, however, is merely a belief in the influence of planetary movements on our daily lives. Both fields are ancient, with astrology tracing its roots back to the ancient Babylonians (600 BCE), who charted planetary movements and linked them to floods or natural disasters. The first known book on astrology was by the Greek astrologer Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD, who categorized stars into “houses” and linked birth within these groups to earthly fortunes like wealth, poverty, health, and specific calamities.
Ptolemy was a brilliant astronomer and geographer, whose studies dominated global understanding for 1400 years. His predictions gained immense trust in 1066 when astrologers, relying on his theories, foretold the death of a king whose passing would alter world history. Indeed, just months later, Harold, the Saxon King of England, was killed at the Battle of Hastings, shifting British rule to the Norman conquerors.
Scientific Challenges and Unintended Reinforcements
Ptolemy’s theory, however, was built on a massive misconception: he believed the sun and planets revolved around the Earth, the center of the universe. This was famously corrected by Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who, before his death in 1543, proposed that all planets, including Earth, orbit the Sun. Copernicus’s discoveries were expected to put an end to astrology, but surprisingly, they didn’t.
About 140 years after Copernicus, English astronomer Edmond Halley identified a comet, now bearing his name, that orbits the Sun every 75 years, famously appearing in 1066, the year King Harold died. Halley linked his comet’s appearance with disasters, which might have dealt the final blow to astrology. Yet, Halley’s contemporary and friend, Isaac Newton, inadvertently bolstered belief in astrology with his groundbreaking work on gravity. Newton showed that gravitational forces from the Sun and Moon cause tides on Earth. Astrologers then argued: if the Sun and Moon have a measurable effect on Earth and ocean tides, why shouldn’t celestial bodies influence human personalities and fortunes?
The Enduring Grip: From Churchill to Corporate Hiring
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence against it, astrology continues to captivate people from all walks of life. Winston Churchill reportedly used an astrologer to advise him on Hitler’s movements, as Hitler himself was a strong believer in astrology. In the Middle Ages, kings and barons consulted astrologers before dangerous undertakings. Queen Elizabeth I even had astrologer John Dee as a personal advisor. In the 17th century, astrologer William Lilly accurately predicted the Great Fire of London and the Great Plague, becoming a close advisor to Charles I and Oliver Cromwell.
In modern times, few leaders openly admit to consulting astrologers, though President Theodore Roosevelt was an exception. Hollywood’s millionaire astrologer Carroll Righter, who died in 1988, greatly influenced politicians, businessmen, and movie stars like Robert Mitchum. Today’s astrologers even use expensive computers for rapid calculations, performing complex charts in seconds.
Many employers now incorporate astrology into their hiring practices. Vanita Higginson, a London recruitment agency head, stated, “I check people’s zodiac signs to discover certain traits. Many successful sales representatives are either Aries or Sagittarius because they handle people well and have leadership qualities and appealing personalities.” Trevor Thwaite, an insurance company director, awards important positions to Geminis and Leos for their eloquence, charm, and persuasive power, also favoring Sagittarians for their diligence and loyalty in financial roles. A study of stock market professionals even revealed that half of all financial managers and investors consult astrologers before making major deals or decisions.
The CIA’s Astrological Intrigue and Reagan’s Vulnerability
The reliance of politicians and diplomats on astrology has sometimes ignited fierce global controversy. In the 1950s and 60s, the CIA covertly identified world leaders who consulted astrologers. Through bribery and blackmail, they planted their own agents, disguised as astrologers, into the political circles of figures like Albanian Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, Indonesian President Sukarno, and Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah. A former CIA officer confessed that their agents fabricated predictions to steer the policies of these leaders. They even prevented a bloody civil war in Ghana by advising President Nkrumah to visit China, during which a peaceful coup occurred in his absence.
Yet, even CIA officials were powerless to stop their own President from consulting the stars. Ronald Reagan was one of the most superstitious U.S. presidents, often carrying good luck charms to crucial meetings, including disarmament talks. In his 1965 autobiography, before becoming Governor of California, he admitted that he and his wife relied on astrologers’ predictions. He wrote of Carroll Righter: “Nancy and I would ask him what he was going to tell us every morning.” He even faced criticism for insisting his gubernatorial inauguration take place precisely at 12:10 AM on January 19, 1967, based on an astrologer’s advice.
When Carroll Righter failed to predict the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan, Mrs. Reagan turned to San Francisco astrologer Joan Quigley, who subsequently controlled the President’s schedule for the rest of his presidency. Donald Regan lamented how the President’s appointments were frequently altered based on Ms. Quigley’s phone consultations, made from 3,000 miles away.
When the CIA learned that Soviet intelligence was monitoring Mrs. Reagan’s calls with Ms. Quigley, they feared the President’s weaknesses and moods could be exploited during crucial disarmament talks with Mikhail Gorbachev. On May 5, 1988, they went to Ms. Quigley’s apartment, only to find she had fled to France, informed by her charts that San Francisco and much of California would face a devastating earthquake. When she later returned, California was intact, but President Reagan’s reputation as a thoughtful politician had suffered immensely.
The Enduring Question: Do Stars Shape Our Destiny?
Despite skepticism and the scarcity of definitive studies on the matter, the question persists: can the stars control our personalities and predict our future? In the 1970s, French psychologist and statistician Michel Gauquelin surveyed birth dates of a large group of famous people in various professions. His analysis revealed non-random links between professional abilities in business, politics, sports, and arts, and their birth times. He expanded his study, sending detailed personality descriptions to the first 1,000 people who consulted him, and received confirmation from 85% of their partners regarding the accuracy of his character assessments.
This ongoing debate, punctuated by historical figures and modern-day practices, highlights humanity’s persistent fascination with the cosmos and its potential influence. Whether it’s a guide for daily life or a tool for political manipulation, astrology, in its various forms, continues to weave its way through the fabric of human existence.
