First Lady Florence Harding and Astrology
By | June 28, 2022
You have probably heard that Nancy Reagan was a strong believer in astrology and, during her time in the White House, she consulted with her favorite astrologer before making important decisions. Well, it turns out that Nancy wasn’t the first First Lady to look to the stars and believe in the predicting power of astrology. Several first ladies before her also relied on astrologers. One of them was Florence Harding, the wife of Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the United States. While living in the White House, from 1921 to 1923, Florence Harding appointed her favorite to be the official astrologer of the White House.
Florence and the Supernatural
Growing up in Ohio, the former Florence Mabel Kling clung to many traditional European beliefs about the occult, evil spirits, curses, evil eyes, and the supernatural. She was always on the lookout for omens and was superstitious about many things. She had Tarot cards. Her niece recalled a time when she and Florence stood gazing into the night sky. Florence told her that the stars were the only constant in her life, the only thing she could truly believe in that would not change on her.
German Upbringing or Something More
There are several reasons why Florence may have decided to put her whole faith into astrology. For starters, spiritualism was a fad in the 1910s and 1920s. Public seances and fortune tellers were commonplace. It could also be Florence’s German upbringing. As the child of German immigrants, her family brought their beliefs with them from Europe. It could also have been because Florence endured several medical emergencies and was, perhaps, seeking answers to life’s mysteries, such as fate or life after death.
Madame Marcia Chaumprey
Madame Marcia Champrey was a well-connected astrologer, fortune teller, and clairvoyant of the time. Florence Harding’s good friend, the extremely rich Evalyn Walsh McLean, who incidentally owned the Hope Diamond (and its famous curse) at the time, took her to meet Madame Marcia. The astrologists foretold that Warren Harding would be elected as the next president but added that it would cost him his life. Despite this ominous warning, or maybe because of it, Florence continued to see Madame Marcia.
Who Cares What the Press Says?
When the press first caught wind of Florence Harding’s reliance on an astrologer, they sought to use this as fodder to discredit her in the newspapers. Florence countered this by openly admitting to consulting an astrologer, but she made light of it to reporters. Surprisingly, they all seemed to agree that it was a non-issue and didn’t pursue this storyline.
Warren Harding often minimalized or poked fun at his wife’s supernatural beliefs as a way to deflect scrutiny away from him. He never tried to deny Florence’s dabbling with astrology and fortune-telling. He never seemed like he was ashamed or embarrassed by Florence. Just to be discreet, Florence quietly sent a secret service agent to fetch Madame Marcia and bring her to the White House for astrological readings. She had the astrologer brought in through a non-public entrance. Occasionally, Madame Marcia would bust out her crystal ball and give details to Florence about members of her husband’s administration who could be up to no good. Several times, Madame Marcia warned that President Harding could be in danger. Florence always managed to rearrange her husband’s schedule to thwart the stars.
