The Meeting

"Get up, you lazy lowlife. I'm picking you up at 10:30 this morning. We're going to church," Carroll Righter said in a very definite tone.

Well, that was unexpected, to say the least. I hung up the phone and made sure my husband, Robert Gaard, and I were ready by 10:30. Carroll was not the type of man you kept waiting.

In the 1950s, Carroll Righter was known as the world's greatest astrologer. He had a worldwide syndicated column in 306 newspapers each week, reaching thirty million homes. He had many famous clients, such as Robert Mitchum, Jayne Mansfield, Arlene Dahl, Peter Lawford, Sylvia Kaye, Polly Bergen—even Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Reagan were among his admirers. Carroll was also featured on the cover of Time Magazine on March 21, l969, with a story on astrology. In addition to his greatness and fame, Carroll was known as an eccentric.

I first met Carroll at the Hollywood Gourmet Restaurant in Hollywood, California, which was managed by my husband. I was a hostess. The renowned ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, father of actress Candace Bergen, owned the Hollywood Gourmet, and Carroll was a regular customer. You couldn't miss him. He was a tall, thin man with a raucous laugh and a great sense of humor. When he sat down at the table, he upset the saltshakers, threw the forks and spoons in the air, untied the waitresses' sashes, and flipped the waiters' ties. This was all in fun, however, since his strict Philadelphia upbringing never gave him a chance to be a child. He often said he was getting even.

Every month, Carroll hosted a birthday party at his home on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood for the people in that month's astrological sign. The animal representing the sign always graced the front lawn. In August, representing the sign of Leo, a real live lion would lie on the grass with a watchful guard attending. In December, an elephant occupied the lawn, and the "Zodiac Parade" continued throughout the year. It certainly attracted attention, and attracting attention was one of Carroll's many gifts.

At one of his many parties, a young aspiring starlet and her escort came in, and Carroll proceeded to untie the bow on the front of her dress. Much to everyone's surprise, the starlet's dress fell to the floor, and she was stark naked. Carroll was visibly shaken, agitated, and ill at ease. He immediately whisked the starlet and her escort out of the house and sent them home.

One Sunday in the spring of 1952, Robert and I, along with several famous actors and successful professionals, were invited for breakfast at Carroll's home. Many aspiring actors wanted to be seen at one of Carroll Righter's parties. Although I was an actress and model, I honestly felt that Robert could benefit more from our association with Carroll and possibly help bring more business to the restaurant.

Carroll's home was always open to people, and I felt extremely privileged to be a guest in his home. Carroll, however, would invite people in and suddenly disappear. There was an air of mystery about him because no one knew when or if he would return, and this particular Sunday morning was no exception.

As I looked around, I realized our host was conspicuously absent, evidently to no one's surprise. I inquired of the beautiful red-haired actress, Arlene Dahl, whom I adored, as to Carroll's whereabouts.

"Oh, he'll be here soon. I think he's in church," she said.

"In church! That's a surprise," I said. It was rare to see famous people in church. No doubt they didn't want to be recognized, or perhaps they thought they didn't need any religion.

"What church?" I asked.

"I don't know. He doesn't talk much about it, and no one seems to know," she said sweetly, as if this feature was yet another aspect of Carroll's eccentricity.

Carroll Righter wasn't always a famous astrologer to the stars. He was an attorney in Philadelphia with little interest in astrology. Due to an old back injury, which became life threatening, he consulted with Evangeline Adams, a famous author, astrologer, and friend of his family, who checked the aspects in his astrological chart. Evangeline told him if he moved southwest, he would regain his health. While still in his thirties, Carroll packed his car, left Philadelphia, and moved to the West Coast. After a short period of time in the California sun, fresh air, and restful Pacific Ocean, his health significantly improved.

Even though he had tried to disprove it, Carroll became convinced there was sufficient help and direction to be found in astrology. Since he had been helped through this science, he was assured he could help others with their problems too, and soon the opportunity was presented.

After reading the astrological chart of the glamorous movie star Marlene Dietrich, Carroll warned her to avoid working on the set at the studio. Dietrich, however, did not heed his advice and broke her ankle on the set. The word of this spread and brought Carroll to the attention of many famous politicians, dignitaries, and other movie stars, such as Joan Fontaine, Grace Kelly, Rhonda Fleming, and Robert Mitchum, who at one time worked as his ghostwriter.

So, as his guests and I waited patiently for Carroll to return, I grew more and more interested in learning of his religion and philosophy since he was a loving, happy, abundant, peaceful, and successful person. I had been a spiritual seeker since my childhood, and I studied many religions in the hopes of finding my own spiritual path.

In my search to find a teacher as a child, I even trudged in the snow in Omaha all by myself to attend Sunday school at the Presbyterian church. As a family, we had stopped attending the Sunday service because Daddy snored. Later, Mother joined the choir, and then nobody could sleep!

By the time I was seven, I was turned off to church. This happened when the minister couldn't answer my question, "What was before the beginning?"

"We have to have faith," is all he said, but that was not enough for me. I could still remember the time before I was born. I'm grateful for the clear memory I had of my life before birth. I will never forget the feeling I had of the vastness of the universe, the oneness, the wholeness, the all- encompassing love of the Presence. I felt like a soul without a body somewhere in space, a child of a protective, loving parent, waiting to be born. I had no fear, but I recall being anxious when I asked the Creator, the all-knowing God, "When will I see light?"

"Soon," was the...