Joan Quigley facts for kids

Joan Ceciel Quigley (April 10, 1927 – October 21, 2014) was an astrologer from San Francisco, California. An astrologer is someone who studies how the positions of stars and planets might affect people's lives and events. Joan Quigley became famous for giving astrological advice to the Reagan White House in the 1980s. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri.

First Lady Nancy Reagan first asked for Joan Quigley's help in 1981. This was after John Hinckley's attempt to shoot President Reagan. Joan Quigley secretly continued to advise the White House until 1988. Her role became public when a former White House chief of staff, Donald Regan, wrote about it.

Her Special Role with Nancy Reagan

Joan Quigley and Nancy Reagan first met in the 1970s. They met on a TV show called The Merv Griffin Show. After Ronald Reagan became president, a very serious event happened. On March 30, 1981, someone tried to shoot President Reagan.

Why Nancy Reagan Asked for Help

After the shooting attempt, Nancy Reagan asked Joan Quigley a question. She wanted to know if Quigley could have seen the event coming. Nancy also asked if it could have been stopped. Quigley said yes, she could have, if she had been part of the White House staff at the time.

After this, Nancy Reagan began to ask for Quigley's astrological advice often. They would talk on the phone many times. Nancy later explained why she turned to Quigley. She said it was hard for people to understand what it was like to have her husband shot. He almost died and was always around large crowds. Any person in the crowd could be dangerous. Nancy wanted to do everything she could to protect her husband and keep him safe.

Joan Quigley wrote a book about her time advising Nancy Reagan. The book was called What Does Joan Say?. In her book, Quigley wrote that an astrologer had never played such a big role in a nation's affairs before. She said this was true since the time of the Roman emperors.

A Secret Revealed

In 1985, Donald Regan became the chief of staff for President Reagan. A White House aide named Michael Deaver told Regan about Joan Quigley's role. Regan and Nancy Reagan often disagreed. Regan left his job in 1987.

In 1988, Donald Regan published his own book. It was called For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington. In this book, he shared the secret. He revealed that Nancy Reagan had been getting advice from Joan Quigley. He also mentioned that she had previously consulted another astrologer named Jeane Dixon.

After this news became public, many media outlets contacted Quigley. Nancy Reagan later commented on the situation. She said that no one was hurt by it, "except, possibly, me."

Later Life and Passing

Joan Quigley died on October 21, 2014. She passed away after an illness.