Awaken and Align

Jonathan Louis Dent is a father, Assistant Professor of Theatre, writer, consulting astrologer and numerologist, and an initiated priest of Ifá and Ò̩ṣun. He weaves ancestral wisdom with astro-numerological insight to support clients in navigating both personal transformation and collective shifts. With a rich background in theater and performance, Jonathan’s writing lives at the intersection of mysticism, politics, and the depth of the human experience.

In this episode, we talk about how the outer planet transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto portend to a period of revolution. Jonathan and I discuss how to meet this historic moment with astrology.

Show Notes:

• Jonathan's Website
• Jonathan's Instagram
• Astrology 101 Interest Form
• Join the Patreon
• Natal Chart & Transit Readings 
• ORDER MY BOOK HOW TO MANIFEST
• Laura Chung Instagram
• Laura Chung's Website 
• Laura Chung's Tik Tok
• YouTube Channel
• Awaken and Align Instagram
  

Connect with Awaken and Align:

• If you enjoyed the podcast and you feel called, please share it, and tag me!
• Subscribe, rate, and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Your rating and review help more people discover it!
• Follow on Instagram @awakenandalign
• Let me know your favorite guests, lessons, or any topic requests.

 

Sammy Kim (they/them) is a multifaceted individual: a queer artist, writer, healer, sex worker, community organizer, caregiver, and friend. From a young age, Sammy took on a caregiving role when their mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, moving in with relatives as her condition progressed. Seeing their mother struggle with her health, Sammy naturally came into a role of caregiving, grounding themselves in gratitude while extending empathy towards their family. By their pre-teen years, Sammy knew they were queer but felt compelled to hide it due to their Christian upbringing, even trying to "ungay" themselves to avoid eternal damnation. Operating out of fear, Sammy didn't come out to their parents until their mother approached them about it, by which time they had been living openly for three years. Although their mother struggled to accept this part of Sammy, she affirmed her love, signaling a need for more time to understand.

 

Through sex work, what began as a caregiving role to provide for men seeking to feel wanted eventually evolved into a way for Sammy to heal from their early childhood trauma of sexual abuse. Their work became a way for them to deeply question their relationship to the sexualization tied to their identities. As Sammy continues to unravel the many intersections of their experiences, they choose with intention to feel alive in the present, living in the joy that stems from simply being themselves without distraction.

 

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. 

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!

 

Sammy Kim Instagram

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube

Cha Patreon

We begin the episode with a recap of the July transits that correlated with some big news stories. Stephanie and I recap some of the predictions we got right. Make sure to have your pen and calendar ready to mark down some important dates. We cover the major transits of August 2025, which include Mercury going direct and a Venus and Jupiter conjunction! Happy solar return to the Leo and Virgo babies!

⏰ Timestamps ⏰

• July Recap 00:00
• August Forecast 18:11

Show Notes:

• Astrology 101 Interest Form
• Join the Patreon
• Natal Chart & Transit Readings 
• ORDER MY BOOK HOW TO MANIFEST
• Laura Chung Instagram
• Laura Chung's Website 
• Laura Chung's Tik Tok
• Stephanie Campos Website 
• Stephanie Campos Instagram 
• Stephanie Campos Tik Tok
• YouTube Channel
• Awaken and Align Instagram
  

Connect with Awaken and Align:

• If you enjoyed the podcast and you feel called, please share it, and tag me!
• Subscribe, rate, and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Your rating and review help more people discover it!
• Follow on Instagram @awakenandalign
• Let me know your favorite guests, lessons, or any topic requests.

Bianca is an award-winning sociologist, speaker, and author of Unassimilable. She is completing her PhD at Rice University, where she researches the intersections of race, religion, and politics. She is published in top academic journals and has been featured in major media outlets.    Over the last decade, Bianca has served Asian American community organizations and taught Asian American Studies. Through her work in academia and the community, Bianca is committed to the praxis of solidarity and collective liberation.   

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. 

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!

 

Bianca Website Bianca Instagram Laura Instagram Laura Website Laura YouTube Leah Instagram Leah Substack Leah YouTube Cha Patreon   차 logo designed by grimeninja

Kalaya'an Mendoza is a Queer, Hard of Hearing, Filipino American human rights defender, street medic, and community safety and mutual protection trainer. He is an award-winning facilitator of holistic safety and security, as well as a recognized expert in disaster preparedness. He currently resides on occupied Lenape land. Kalaya'an serves as the Director of US Programs at Nonviolent Peaceforce, and is the co-founder of Across Frontlines, an organization that works with frontline human rights defenders.

He has inspired, trained, and mobilized thousands of activists in the US and abroad to advance human rights using nonviolent direct action.

Kalaya’an has worked his entire decades long career to help people use the resources they have to build the power they need to make the change they want to see in the world.

 

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. 

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue creating this work together. For a one-time donation, you can Venmo Laura. For monthly support, you can join our Patreon. Thank you!

 

Kalaya'an Mendoza Instagram

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube

Cha Patreon

Fred is a Yonker, NY raised three-time New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. His books include a poetry collection, We Alive, Beloved and his most recent title, a YA novel, This Thing of Ours.   Fred's writing and philanthropic work go hand-in-hand and he has been recognized by many organizations including Forbes 30 Under 30, Comic-Con, and The Root100 and has worked with fortune 500 companies and presidential candidates on their DEI efforts. 

 

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. 

 

Fred Instagram Fred Website Fred Substack Laura Instagram Laura Website Laura YouTube Leah Instagram Leah Substack Leah YouTube   차 logo designed by grimeninja

We begin the episode with a recap of the June transits that correlated with some big news stories. Stephanie and I recap some of the predictions we got right. Make sure to have your pen and calendar ready to mark down some important dates. We cover the major transits of July 2025, which include Uranus' ingress into the sign of Gemini! Happy solar return to the Cancer and Leo babies!

⏰ Timestamps ⏰

• June Recap 00:00
• July Forecast 28:19

Show Notes:

• Natal Chart & Transit Readings 
• ORDER MY BOOK HOW TO MANIFEST
• Laura Chung Instagram
• Laura Chung's Website 
• Laura Chung's Tik Tok
• Stephanie Campos Website 
• Stephanie Campos Instagram 
• Stephanie Campos Tik Tok
• YouTube Channel
• Awaken and Align Instagram
  

Connect with Awaken and Align:

• If you enjoyed the podcast and you feel called, please share it, and tag me!
• Subscribe, rate, and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Your rating and review help more people discover it!
• Follow on Instagram @awakenandalign
• Let me know your favorite guests, lessons, or any topic requests.

Janea Brown is a liberation marketing strategist currently founding Earthlings Undone, a collective connecting frontline movements with content creators through proven systems. After building a successful influencer career (193K Instagram, 195K YouTube) working with brands like IKEA, Nike, and Target, Janea walked away from her $400K annual income to investigate alternatives to oppressive systems.

Having navigated 22+ jobs across seven industries, Janea now focuses on making anti-capitalist and decolonial solutions more discoverable through coordinated campaigns and resource sharing. Currently in its foundational phase, Earthlings Undone is conducting research and fundraising to amplify grassroots movements by providing liberation educators with ready-made campaigns while connecting system-weary audiences to existing alternatives.

As a fellow earthling exploring the art of breaking free from harmful systems, Janea shares capacity-aware pathways to transformation through her platforms. Her work aims to bridge digital organizing with becoming useless to systems of harm, supporting the collective journey toward becoming better ancestors for all beings and the planet.

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. 

Janea Instagram

Earthlings Undone Instagram

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube

Cassandra is our Restie Bestie! She is a neurodivergent Vietnamese-Chinese daughter of refugees. As a somatic healing facilitator and liberatory rest educator, Cassandra guides tired and trauma-impacted organizations, communities, and individuals to rest.    Cassandra's mission is to uplift rest as a necessary modality for collective healing and social change. Her holistic approach examines the cultural erasure of rest, integrates the spiritual as well as scientific pillars of rest, and helps people discover what their bodies need to feel safe enough to slow down. Cassandra is committed to building a world where love and liberation are the dominant culture.   Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation.    Cassandra Instagram Cassandra Website Laura Instagram Laura Website Laura YouTube Leah Instagram Leah Substack Leah YouTube   차 logo designed by grimeninja

Suzy is a Palestinian-Californian fashion designer whose parents instilled in her a strong Palestinian identity. She has been drawn to traditional Palestinian clothing and textiles since her youth. After studying Fashion and Textile design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Suzy designed a modern interpretation of the traditional Palestinian thobe which was showcased at the UN headquarters in NY.   Suzy uses Tatreez to bring about awareness and to share the beauty of Palestine. Her latest collection - Freedom Fighter - is a political and humanitarian expression, implementing indigenous fabrics and innovative textile design to pay homage to the past with eyes to the future, hand-embroidered by Palestinian women refugees.    In our conversation, Suzy shares learnings from and stories about her friend and mentor Wafa Ghnaim (@tatreezandtea), who is a dress historian, writer, and educator.   

Welcome to 차 with Laura and Leah! Cha is a podcast and video series featuring conversations with our friends over tea. We are two diasporic Korean women who were inspired by Nina Simone's quote, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Cha is our offering to the collective and we hope our conversations inspire you to start having meaningful dialogues and reflections with your own communities. So make sure to brew a pot of cha and join our conversations about art, spirituality, culture, and liberation. 

 

Suzy Website Suzy Instagram Laura Instagram Laura Website Laura YouTube Leah Instagram Leah Substack Leah YouTube