Awaken and Align

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

We begin the episode with a recap of the May 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 June 2025, which include Jupiter's ingress into the sign of Cancer. Happy solar return to the Gemini and Cancer babies!

⏰ Timestamps ⏰

• May Recap 00:51
• June Forecast 14:22

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.

Devon is a father, musician, and educator committed to the fight for collective liberation. Our conversation is no holds barred when it comes to critiquing the systems that prop politicians and celebrities over the people. Devon’s moral clarity is at once inspiring and grounding - we are so grateful to be on this timeline together with him.  

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. 

 

Devon Instagram

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube

Camille is an astrologer, musician, writer, civil servant from Washington, D.C. To her, Astrology is a marriage of the human condition with the cosmic condition. As above, so below. As below, so above. Over several years, she has seen hundreds of clients and has built a practice that celebrates that connection to the cosmos. Her consults are steeped in the soulful concepts & archetypal poetry of Evolutionary Astrology & are informed by the technical & traditional techniques of Hellenistic Astrology.

Laura adds to Camille's body of work on Neptune & the Black condition. This episode is dedicated to Neptune - the God and Goddess of the sea, of dreams, and of imagination.  

Laura’s hypothesis: Neptune is the illusion and belief that White is superior; when in reality, White People don’t truly believe this. Whiteness is deception and theft. You do not steal from People of the Global Majority if they are culturally and economically poor. Neptune, depending on the natal position or by transit, can inflate someone’s ideal of themselves. Throughout history, a group of people subjugated another group by casting a veil over them to make them believe they are less than. 

In reimagining Neptune, Neptune is seen as a malefic through the cis-hetero patriarchal white supremacist lens because Neptune is anti-capitalist. A Neptune transit can awaken someone to their true essence and in turn, reclaim their sovereignty and agency.

 

⏰ Timestamps ⏰

00:22 Introducing Camille Michelle Gray and her interest in Neptune

5:19 Some facts about Neptune

7:04 Camille’s Neptune significations 

8:17 Laura’s Neptune significations

8:32 Richard Tarnas’ Neptune significations 

12:36 Laura’s Neptune hypothesis 

13:36 Camille’s work Neptune and the Black condition

18:36 Neptune and mythology 

26:26 Neptune as assimilation 

29:50 Neptune as psychedelics, plant medicines, and cultural appropriation of spiritual practices. 

30:53 Neptune as Hollywood and Film 

31:40 Neptune in Aries 

34:47 John Randolph’s chart - The Nottoway Plantation 

38:38 Neptune in Aries historically 

39:48 The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863

45:22 Neptune predictions for the moment 

49:44 Ryan Coogler and Sinners 

1:01:47 Beyonce and Cowboy Carter

1:04:28 Kendrick Lamar and the Superbowl  

1:07:38 Camille’s predictions for Neptune and politics 

1:11:46 Saturn and Neptune in Aries 

1:17:54 How to work with Camille 

 

Show Notes:

• Camille's Website
• Camille's Instagram
• 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.

 

Kim Saira (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist, storyteller, sound bath practitioner, and community organizer exploring realms of community care through creativity and self-reflection.  

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. 

 

Kim Instagram

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube

Pam Brown is a multi-faceted writer, activist, and wellness entrepreneur whose activism includes protesting the Iraq War with African American Women United for Peace & Justice, Occupy Wall Street, and the Occupy Student Debt Campaign. Pam was also the co-host of the WBAI/Pacifica Radio Morning Show and an adjunct professor of sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and The New School. Ever the academic, she has degrees in Philosophy, Media Studies, and Sociology.   Pam traveled to Occupied Palestine with fellow filmmakers and activists to document Palestinian organizing for liberation. In this episode, we talk about protesting, revolution, racial capitalism, and so much more.   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. 

Links

Pam Substack

Pam Website

Pam Instagram

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube

 

Nadia Irshaid Gilbert is Palestinian from the American South. She is a creative director, chef, immersive and visual artist, and storyteller. She is also a trained Reiki Master and embodiment facilitator. Nadia combines multiple modalities of study in her life’s work, producing visual media and facilitating multi-sensory experiences that invite us all to dive deep and transform. She believes in changing the world through our grounded, open hearted presence.    Nadia’s food, presence, and spirit are simply delicious.  

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. 

Links

Nadia Instagram

Nadia Links

Nadia YouTube

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube

In this episode, I break down Ryan Coogler's natal chart and the significant transits he was going through when he was inspired to make the film Sinners. I also break down the symbolism in the film and how that is reflected in Ryan's natal chart and transits. I hope you enjoy!

⏰ Timestamps ⏰

1:14 My intention for doing this

6:08 Movie stats and background

20:58 Ryan Coogler’s Natal Chart 39:23 Transits

46:06 Ryan’s 2nd and 8th houses

48:56 Ryan Coogler and Michael B Jordan Synastry

55:07 Themes and symbolism in Sinners

 

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.

We begin the episode with a recap of the April 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 dates. We cover the major transits of May 2025, which include an unexpected Full Moon in Scorpio and all the planets will be out of their retrograde post shadows! Happy solar return to the Taurus and Gemini babies!

⏰ Timestamps ⏰

• April Recap 0:00
• May Forecast 32:01

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.

Joel Leon also known as Joel L. Daniels, is a Bronx born and raised performer, father, author, and storyteller who writes and tells stories for Black people. Joel specializes in moderating and leading conversations surrounding race, masculinity, mental health, creativity, and the performing arts, with love at the center of his work and purpose. He is the author of Book About Things I Will Tell My Daughter, God Wears Durags, Too, and Everything and Nothing at Once: A Black Man's Reimagined Soundtrack for the Future. His TED talk on healthy coparenting has been viewed over 1.5M times. He’s worked with The Gates Foundation, HBO, Nike, Twitter, and the TODAY Show, and has been featured in EBONY, The Independent, Newsweek, Medium, BBC News, Sirius XM, Forbes, the Huffington Post, Blavity, and others. Joel currently works as the Creative Director at the NY Times T Brand Studio.

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. 

Links

Joel's Links

Joel Instagram

Laura Instagram

Laura Website

Laura YouTube

Leah Instagram

Leah Substack

Leah YouTube