Do you know your astrological Sun sign? Chances are you do, even if you don't believe in astrology and you think people who do are unfortunate and misguided.Polls show that there are about one hundred million Americans who "believe in astrology." That is, they believe that the planets, to some extent, have an effect on their daily lives. During this presidential election year, astrological predictions on the internet and print media are proliferating. Will Obama win? Does Mitt Romney have a chance? Will Joe Biden be replaced? If Obama does win, will he have a successful presidency?Can astrology and astrologers offer us any clear view into the future? Is there any validity to astrology? Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke said "I don't believe in astrology; I'm a Sagittarius and we're skeptical."Many historical figures believed in astrology, including American financier J. P. Morgan, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, founding father Benjamin Franklin and President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy. J. P. Morgan was quoted as saying "Millionaires don't have astrologers. Billionaires do." Carl Jung cast horoscopes of his patients and used them to help diagnose their problems. He said, "We are born at a given moment, in a given place, and like vintage years of wine, we have qualities of the year and the season in which we are born." Benjamin Franklin claimed that "Astrology is one of the most ancient sciences, held in high esteem, by the wise and the great."It is widely known that President Reagan and First Lady Nancy consulted a Vassar-educated astrologer named Joan Quigley. Ms. Quigley was the daughter of a prominent hotelier and was raised in the penthouse apartment of the family's Drake-Wilshire Hotel. In the 1970's, Ms. Quigley was introduced to Nancy by talk show host Merv Griffin. Thereafter, Nancy was a regular visitor at the astrologer's Hollywood Hills mansion. This, however, was not the Reagans' first entree into astrology. Their interest dates back to the early 1950's.In Hollywood during the 1940's and 50's, a Philadelphia lawyer by the name of Carroll Righter became the "astrologer to the stars," whose clients included Cary Grant, Marlene Dietrich and Princess Grace. Mr. Righter is said to have predicted his own death at the age of 88.In 1952, Ronald Reagan married Nancy and was getting career advice from Righter. According to Reagan's autobiography, he consulted Righter to decide whether he should launch a Las Vegas act. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Reagan did perform in Vegas - with some chimps. It seems that they stole the show (one chimp reportedly drank from a bottle of Jack Daniels) and that was the end of that. By the 1960's, Reagan's interests moved from Vegas to politics. Jeane Dixon, a noted astrologer who later reportedly predicted the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, was added to his astrological stable of advisers. "She was always gung ho for me to be president," Reagan said. In 1980 Reagan mentioned this to a reporter, and a delegation from the Federation of American Scientists wrote Reagan, stating that they were "gravely disturbed" by all his stargazing. By 1985, President Reagan's Chief of Staff, Donald Regan, said that astrologer Joan Quigley had such an influence on Nancy Reagan that she would cancel trips and change the time and date of scheduled events, based on Quigley's advice. Other Presidents who had an interest in astrology include Calvin Coolidge, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was said that George W. Bush defended the practice of astrology, but later changed his opinion when he began his run for the presidency.Today, a sampling from some of the more popular astrologers' websites reveals that most predict Obama will be re-elected. For you more savvy astrologers, it seems that Saturn will be transiting his 10th house of status and position. That, among other planetary positions, makes him difficult to beat.After his second term is complete, perhaps, like Reagan, Obama should seek an astrologer's advice about launching a Vegas act. On the other hand, after his many Washington experiences, maybe he's been there and done that. Do the presidential candidates believe in astrology? According to Albert Einstein, maybe they should. He said, "Astrology is a science in itself and contains an illuminating body of knowledge. It taught me many things and I am greatly indebted to it."Copyright ? 2012 Elyse DouglasElyse Douglas' novel entitled The Astrologer's Daughter is about the 25 year-old secret affair between a professional astrologer and a politician, and how their illegitimate daughter seeks revenge on her father during the last weeks of his presidential campaign.Visit elysedouglas.com
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