Stars and Stars with Isa

Award-winning author, poet and clinical psychologist Hala Alyan has always turned to storytelling as a way to make sense of the world around her. Her new debut memoir, I’ll Tell You When I’m Home, offers an exploration into motherhood, exile and her Palestinian identity. As a Sagittarius rising, she naturally seeks to make meaning of these transformative experiences in her life, while her Leo sun...

W. Kamau Bell is an Oakland-based standup comedian, host, director, and producer. From his CNN docuseries, United Shades of America, to his weekly newsletter, “Who’s with Me?” Kamau connects with communities across the country and across differences by asking the questions that are often avoided. Isa Nakazawa sits down with Kamau to discuss how his Aquarius sun, Scorpio moon, and Taurus rising cre...

Artist and activist Tourmaline always grounds her work in archiving and honoring legacy. It’s why her new book Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson has been named the definitive biography of the Black trans activist and icon. As a Cancer sun, Tourmaline puts deep care into exploring the histories and experiences of Black, queer, and trans communities. Isa Nakazawa and Tourmaline discu...

Host Isa Nakazawa sits down with New York Times bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi to discuss divinity, transformation and the erotic. With their Gemini sun and Libra moon both shining in the hidden houses of the dream world, Akwaeke’s writing often delves into indigenous spirituality. Their newly released novel, Son of the Morning, continues that pattern, diving into the underworld. Isa shares how...

From his critically acclaimed memoir, Heavy to his new children’s book City Summer, Country Summer, award-winning author Kiese Laymon has a gift for writing with courageous honesty, even while naming the things that are too tender to say out loud. The sensitivity Kiese brings to his work and relationships is characteristic of a Libra rising ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty and values. Isa Naka...

Fresh off creating and executive producing Marvel’s Ironheart on Disney+, screenwriter Chinaka Hodge is not interested in playing it safe. A true Leo sun with a Capricorn rising, Chinaka thrives in new experiences and opportunities. Chinaka joins the podcast this week to talk about her creative process, embracing her own neurodivergence, and what she finds attractive in others.  Hosted by Simpleca...

In her newly released album, The BPM, Gemini rising violinist and singer Sudan Archives gives voice to parts of herself that once lived in the shadows. In the dazzling, chrome-plated future she creates, her sexy, silly, and nerdy sides all have the freedom to play and be disruptive. In this episode, Sudan shares what she’s looking for in a relationship and why she loves devoted and freaky-deaky Sc...

Writer and oral historian J Wortham is ready to set boundaries, slow down and laugh at the hard stuff. With so much Scorpio in their chart, J spoke to Isa about why they feel they are of the water. It’s where they feel expansive and fully themself. In this episode, J shares how they’ve transformed and learned to re-parent themselves through their closest relationships. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ads...

Actor, drag king and activist Vico Ortiz thrives in the often messy space of “becoming.” In May, Vico debuted their solo show, Rise of a King, where they blend drag, astrology and the Sagittarian power of storytelling to take audiences on a journey through their childhood. As a charismatic Libra sun, Vico craves connection and adventure. But their Scorpio moon shows up to rein in and steady those...

Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum selling rapper and Chicago’s very own Vic Mensa is a master at owning his voice. In June, Vic released his newest record Sundiata independently, allowing him to take complete control over his music for the first time in over a decade. As a double Gemini, being open and real about all the versions of himself comes naturally, whether it’s dealing with addiction or ge...

Hailed as a woman of the year in 2025 by Time Magazine, Raquel Willis has been a natural storyteller since she was a child. In 2023, she published her riveting memoir, “The Risk It Takes to Bloom” in which she describes her story as a “proud Southern Black, trans, queer woman.” She is also the co-founder of Gender Liberation Movement and as you’ll hear, a true Gemini. Raquel and Isa Nakazawa discu...

On Stars and Stars with Isa, host and astrologer Isa Nakazawa sits down with some of the most talented creators and thinkers of our time, to find out what their birth chart reveals about their purpose, relationships and challenges. Winner of the Signal Award for “Most Inspirational Podcast” in just its first year, Stars and Stars will help you make sense of today’s complicated times, even if you a...

adrienne maree brown is always cultivating a garden of healing ideas. Informed by decades of movement facilitation, somatics, science fiction scholarship and doula work, adrienne has authored essential works such as Emergent Strategy, Pleasure Activism, We Will Not Cancel Us and their most recent, Loving Corrections. From the mystical to the earthly, adrienne finds the equilibrium she needs in car...

Content creator and authority on all things culture & fashion, Jade Fox is the internet’s go-to expert on androgynous and masc style. Her work has been featured in outlets like Paper Magazine, Hypebeast and VH1. As a Leo moon conjunct Chiron, the asteroid representing wounds and healing, Jade shares how her early relationship with her parents now manifests in her romantic relationships.  Hosted by...

Curatorial director at PACE Gallery in New York, writer, and fulltime Leo, Kimberly Drew is a curator of beauty and pleasure. Kimberly has published two books – Black Futures and This Is What I Know About Art. She is also known for her work in arts institutions ranging from the Met to New York Fashion Week. Kimberly’s careful curation of everything in her life, especially her style, screams fire s...

Independent singer, songwriter and producer, Madison McFerrin has deep roots in music. Her grandfather Robert McFerrin Sr. was the first Black man to sing with the Metropolitan Opera. Her grandmother, Sara McFerrin, is a classically trained vocalist who toured as a background singer for Sam Cooke. And of course, there’s Madison’s father, Bobby McFerrin, the Grammy-winning jazz vocalist. Yet, Madis...

Sophia Roe is known for her delicious meals, gorgeous plating and blunt honesty. She’s also a James Beard Award winning chef, writer, and Emmy-Award nominated TV host. Her relationship to food is deeply informed by her experience in the foster system and with food insecurity. Sophia’s vision for a more liberated world starts with the stomach. Isa Nakazawa sits down with Sophia to discuss how her S...

Diane Guerrero rose to fame in her role as Maritza Ramos in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. As her platform grew, she sought ways to make an impact for kids like her – with undocumented parents at the whims of the immigration system. With time, Diane realized that telling her story over and over again was retraumatizing rather than healing. After the death of her father, Diane turned i...

Growing up on the border, Mexican-American singer-songwriter Renee Goust is unafraid to transgress artificially drawn lines. She works within and also transforms traditional Mexican music, writing and singing about people like her, who have historically been left out of roots music. She has written some of the most iconic feminist and LGBTQ hymns in Latin America and the U.S. Renee and Isa Nakazaw...

Writer and model Naomi Shimada grew up between Japan and Spain in a multilingual family. She entered the fashion industry as a model at age 13 when she was scouted at a local restaurant. As she grew up in the industry, she became known for talking publicly about the dirty secrets behind the plus-sized fashion world. In 2019 she co-authored the book Mixed Feelings with fashion journalist Sarah Raph...

Jill Louise Busby is affectionately known by her social media handle jillisblack. In 2016 she went viral for critiquing what passed as progressive. But the longer she operated under the social media handle, the more it became a character – cutting her off from her true self. In 2021 she published her book “Unfollow Me: Essays on Complicity.” Today, she is the Artistic Director at Northwest Film Fo...

Award-winning journalist Tonya Mosley is motivated by deep curiosity and a true interest in understanding people. That’s what informs her work as the co-host of NPR’s Fresh Air program. As a kid her friend’s father nicknamed her “scoop,” and she’s been following that destiny ever since. Tonya’s Taurus Sun and Virgo Rising keep her grounded and put together, but lately she’s been learning to be com...

Shannon Shaw’s signature is to channel her layered feelings into her art. As the founder and vocalist of the indie punk band Shannon and the Clams, she has shared about some of the hardest things in her life through her music. Earlier this year Shannon and her band released their latest album: The Moon is in the Wrong Place. Tasked with the uniquely difficult need to express and explore the variou...

Chef and creator Nasim Lahbichi grew up eating Puerto Rican meals with his mom, learning Moroccan recipes from his dad and eating Italian dinners at his childhood best friend’s house in New York City. Now Nasim cooks and shares recipes with millions of people online. Isa Nakazawa sits down with Nasim to discuss the deep appreciation his food expresses for the variety of cultures that raised him, h...

Gabby Rivera is a writer, podcast host, and storyteller. Her young adult novel Juliet Takes a Breath was critically acclaimed and she is the first Latina to write for Marvel comics, bringing superhero America Chavez to life. Gabby’s work often combines experiences  from her own past, the political realities of present-day America and the future she envisions for her queer kin. The stories she writ...