The world stage might be more psychic than you think.
From ancient empires to nuclear nations, leaders have whispered with mystics, followed the stars, and consulted crystal balls, all while holding the fate of millions in their hands.
Let’s face it: running a country is hard.
There are treaties to sign (or shred), wars to avoid (or start), and egos to stroke (usually your own). So it’s no surprise that some of the world’s most powerful leaders have reached beyond the boardroom and into the cosmos for a little… extra insight.
That’s right. Many of history’s heavyweight decision-makers had a psychic on speed dial before it was cool.
In a time when your phone can predict the weather, your smartwatch can remind you to breathe, and your fridge can order milk, is it really that strange to think that Churchill, Reagan, or even Napoleon might’ve explored the occult?
Let’s explore the weird and wonderfully psychic side of political leadership. It is here that séances meet statecraft and mystics move mountains (or at least influence foreign policy).
Joan of Arc – France’s OG Psychic Warrior
Before there was a general in a combat jacket, there was Joan of Arc. She was a peasant girl, military leader, and patron saint of hearing voices. Claimed by some to be a divine vessel, Joan famously led French forces during the Hundred Years’ War based on messages she said came from saints and angels.
The king listened. The army followed. France rallied. Whether you chalk her success up to divine intervention or just good instincts, the message was clear: when your kingdom’s falling apart, a psychic teenage girl in armor might just be your best bet.
Queen Elizabeth I and Her Astrologer Extraordinaire
Do you know what Queen Elizabeth I had as a substitute for Google Calendar before there was any concept of it? She had Dr. John Dee who was a mathematician, astronomer, and alchemist. He was the astrological advisor to Queen Elizabeth I.
But he wasn’t just some back-alley tarot reader. He was one of the most respected scholars of the 16th century. But along with charting the stars, he also claimed to speak with angels through a black mirror (yes, seriously).
Elizabeth leaned on him for major decisions. These included choosing auspicious dates for her coronation and wartime strategies. Forget chess now because the real Game of Thrones involves horoscopes and hexagrams.
Lincoln and the White House Séances
If you think Washington D.C. is spooky now, wait till you hear this: Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln held séances in the White House.
Distraught after the death of their son Willie, the Lincolns turned to spiritualism which was a booming movement in the 19th century for comfort and guidance.
Mediums were invited to the East Room. Ghosts were allegedly contacted. Even Honest Abe, a rational man by all accounts, was rumored to have prophetic dreams, including one predicting his own assassination.
The line between politics and the paranormal was thinner than Mary Todd’s nerves.
Hitler, Himmler, and Occult Obsession
Yes, even the darkest chapters of history have their bizarre psychic footnotes. The Nazi regime was obsessed with the occult.
Heinrich Himmler was the head of the SS and dabbled in everything from astrology to rune magic. They even sent expeditions to Tibet looking for “ancient Aryan wisdom.”
Though Hitler himself reportedly mocked the mystics (after all, there’s only room for one self-proclaimed prophet in a dictatorship), he was known to consult astrologers in private. One thing’s for sure: they weren’t just flipping coins when planning their invasion schedules.
Reagan, the Stars, and Strategic Astrology
Fast forward to the 1980s, the era of shoulder pads, Cold War tension, and, apparently, astrological briefings in the Oval Office. Ronald Reagan’s wife, Nancy, famously relied on astrologer Joan Quigley to help schedule her husband’s public appearances, travel, and surgeries.
According to former chief of staff Donald Regan, “virtually every major move and decision… was cleared in advance” with the astrologer. That means missile treaties may have been signed under the right moon phase.
Who needs the CIA when Mercury is in retrograde?
Gaddafi, Gold Dust, and Witchcraft Accusations
Let’s take a brief detour to Muammar Gaddafi. He was Libya’s late ruler and part-time cosplay enthusiast.
Gaddafi was no stranger to the supernatural. He claimed to have seen visions in the desert that “called him” to leadership. During his final days, he even accused rebels of using witchcraft against him.
This wasn’t metaphorical. He literally blamed his overthrow on magic. If nothing else, it was an imaginative defense strategy.
Vladimir Putin and the Psychic Olympics
It might sound like a Bond subplot, but the Soviet Union (and later Russia) invested heavily in psychic research.
During the Cold War, both the US and USSR scrambled to weaponize “remote viewing” which was the alleged ability to see far-off places or events with the mind alone. Think psychic spies reading missile codes over breakfast…pretty crazy.
Rumors persist that Vladimir Putin, a former KGB man, took interest in Russia’s “parapsychological” programs. While he probably won’t be swapping speeches for seances anytime soon, the Kremlin has never fully abandoned its mystic streak.
So, Psychic Diplomacy – Fact or Fiction?
You are probably skeptical about this question, right? That’s fair.
Most historians will tell you there’s no hard evidence that psychic advisors ever dictated policy. But history isn’t just about facts. It’s also about belief. And the belief in unseen forces has shaped diplomacy in subtle, strange ways.
Even today, some leaders quietly consult astrologers, numerologists, or spiritual guides before launching campaigns, either political or military.
They may not broadcast it, but behind every televised debate or surprise policy shift, there might just be someone clutching a deck of tarot cards and whispering, “The cards say now.”
The Takeaway Is…Never Underestimate the Weird
As much as we love the idea of a cold, rational leader backed by advisors and experts, the reality is messier.
The personal beliefs of world leaders, including psychic ones, have nudged history down unexpected paths.
So the next time a a president changes a flight path, a prime minister delays a press conference, or a dictator starts ranting about hexes, remember; that the future of nations might just rest on a whisper, a dream, or a particularly persuasive palm reading.
In politics, as in life, sometimes you don’t need a strategy. You just need a good psychic and a bit of luck.
Maybe the next global summit won’t be at the UN…but at a crystal shop in Sedona.
