Summary: <br> Episode 68 features a discussion with Nick Dagan Best about the famous astrologer Joan Quigley and her work for Ronald and Nancy Reagan while they were in the White House.<br> Nancy Reagan died recently, on Sunday, March 6, 2016, and her use of astrology to help her husband while he was President was mentioned in her obituary. This became a major story in May of 1988 after an expose was published that detailed Nancy’s consulting with an astrologer in order to elect auspicious dates for her husband’s political activities.<br> Some of the details surrounding this story are still murky though, so the purpose of this episode is to put together all of the known facts and discuss what we know versus what we don’t know about the Reagans’ use of astrology.<br> I’m going to include a more extensive set of notes below than I usually do, followed by links to download or stream the recording at the bottom of the page. I’m doing this mainly for search purposes, and people should listen to the full discussion before commenting on the episode, as we used the notes mainly as a starting off point for the discussion.<br> Extended Show Notes<br> Extensive outline of the points that we touched on during the course of the episode:<br> Introduction<br> <br> * Genesis of this show is that Nancy Reagan died recently, on Sunday, March 6, 2016.<br> * The New York Times ran an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/us/nancy-reagan-a-stylish-and-influential-first-lady-dies-at-94.html">interesting and touching obituary</a> that mentioned her use of astrology.<br> * I was surprised that they made it seems like she only turned to astrology after the assassination attempt on March 30, 1981.<br> <br> * This was part of the damage control narrative after the story broke in 1988.<br> * The problem with the narrative is that the Reagans had consulted with astrologers prior to 1981.<br> <br> <br> * Purpose of this episode is to give an overview of what happened, and discuss some lingering questions and issues that are still points of debate.<br> <br> The Sequence of the Controversy<br> <br> * In early May of 1988 the media started talking about a new book that was coming about by Reagan’s former White House Chief of Staff, Donald Regan.<br> <br> * <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Record-Wall-Street-Washington/dp/0151639663/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457495285&sr=1-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=apoteastroblo-20&linkId=a45c68a3edabed03027036d0d2e28a5f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington</a><br> * Book asserts that a large part of President Reagan’s schedule is dictated by astrology, and that Nancy controls this by consulting astrologer from California.<br> <br> <br> * The press had a field day with the story, and it became a media sensation.<br> * White House was forced to release a statement on whether it was true.<br> <br> * <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/04/us/white-house-confirms-reagans-follow-astrology-up-to-a-point.html">On May 3 the White House confirms</a> it is used for scheduling, but says it doesn’t affect policy.<br> <br> <br> * The press quickly identifies the mystery astrologer Nancy was consulting with: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/25/us/joan-quigley-astrologer-to-a-first-lady-is-dead-at-87.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joan Quigley</a>.<br> * The following year, 1989, Nancy releases a book titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Turn-Memoirs-Nancy-Reagan/dp/0812992113/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457495234&sr=1-1&keywords=my+turn+nancy&linkCode=ll1&tag=apoteastroblo-20&linkId=941abc733ed37674c43e6ea2fac41454" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">My Turn</a>.<br> <br> * Dedicates a chapter to the astrology controversy.<br> * Tries to frame the use of astrology as a reaction to the assassinati...
