Stars and Stars with Isa

4.9 (97)
Society & Culture
Updated Weekly

Stars and Stars with Isa is the podcast where we look to the stars above with the stars below. Each week our host and astrologer, Isa Nakazawa, sits with the most talented artists and thinkers of our time to read them their birth chart and discuss their life’s purpose and why they love, create, and walk the world the way they do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 12

Saul Williams on Poetry, Palestine and Why Artists Must Take Sides

Saul Williams is a visionary poet, musician, actor, and filmmaker whose work has long challenged power. He just released his debut graphic novel Martyr Loser King, a cyberpunk fable rooted in Black radical imagination that questions our relationship to technology, capitalism and colonialism. In our season two finale episode, Isa sits down with Saul to discuss poetry, his unwavering solidarity with Palestine, and how he embodies his Scorpio rising and Virgo moon by refusing to look away from injustice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 5

Molly Crabapple Is Bringing the Rebel Dead Back to Life

Artist and writer Molly Crabapple has covered all facets of human life, from the underground burlesque world to active war zones. Her new book Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund, which debuted at #4 on the New York Times bestseller list, dives into the history of the revolutionary socialist Jewish labor movement that fought for anti-Zionist ideals and asserted the right for Jewish people to live with dignity. Isa sits down with Molly to discuss how her Virgo sun and Sagittarius moon have primed her to dig into the historical archives of her Jewish lineage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 28

Kelsey Lu Has Enchanting Venus Energy

Kelsey Lu is impossible to confine to just one genre. The singer, cellist, and composer is known for creating sonic landscapes that move fluidly between classical to futuristic, grounded to celestial, and softness to edge. They embody the Taurus and Libra signatures in their chart. In this episode, Isa Nakazawa sits down with Lu to talk about how music has been a throughline in their life, guiding them toward a deeper connection with themselves and their audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 21

Lauren Chan on Desire, Pride, and Redefining Beauty

Aquarius rising Lauren Chan was born to challenge the status quo. From becoming the first out lesbian to appear solo on the cover of Sports Illustrated to founding her own size-inclusive fashion brand, Lauren embodies her Leo sun’s need to express herself authentically and her Aries moon’s drive to blaze trails. As a model, writer and entrepreneur, she has consistently pushed against the boundaries of who gets to be seen and celebrated. Isa Nakazawa and Lauren discuss how she has redefined norms around beauty and desire in her work and personal relationships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 14

Sonya Renee Taylor Knows We Are All Inherently Divine

Best-selling author, activist, poet and astrologer Sonya Renee Taylor is committed to radical self-love and collective liberation. As founder of The Body Is Not An Apology, she has inspired millions to embrace themselves more fully, and return to a self that exists prior to shame and conditioning. Isa and Sonya discuss how Sonya’s Cancer moon fuels her desire to nurture and provide care for others, while her Scorpio stellium pushes her to go even deeper and investigate her desires. They also talk about the role Saturn has played in allowing Sonya to access her full power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 7

Hip-Hop Visionary Ishmael Butler on Finding Freedom in Music

This week, Isa Nakazawa sits down with Grammy-winning rapper and producer Ishmael Butler. Known for his work with the groundbreaking 90s hip-hop trio Digable Planets and the hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces, Ishmael’s music has always felt like it exists in its own dimension, merging jazz, philosophy and a kind of sonic world-building that feels both deeply rooted and completely otherworldly. In this episode, Isa talks to Ishmael about how his Cancer sun and Pisces moon help him navigate this push and pull in both his music and personal relationships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 31

Laraaji Takes Us to the Cosmos

For decades, musician and composer Laraaji has used sound and laughter to help listeners access deeper awareness. A pioneer of ambient music, Laraaji’s use of instruments like the zither and autoharp have opened portals into presence, spaciousness, and what he often calls the cosmic field. With both his sun and moon grounded in Taurus, his work steers listeners toward a deeper connection to both body and the metaphysical. Now in his 80s, Laraaji sits down with Isa Nakazawa to talk about how to access the part of us that exists beyond titles and roles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 24

Diane Guerrero Is Channeling Her Aquarian Weirdness

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 inward to focus on transformation. Along the way, she has discovered how much she just wants to be a weirdo – a true Aquarius moon. This episode originally aired in January 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Hailed by Ira Glass as the “best new show I’ve heard in years,” and winner of the Audio Memoir Award of the Tribeca Film Festival, Reaching Out is a story about fathers, sons, and the distance between. The story begins on the eve of twin brothers’ Sayre and Connor’s 30th birthday, when they set out to find the biological father who abandoned them before they were born. Their search pulls them through desert raves, drunken nightclubs, and across borders of time and language, forcing the brothers to confront the truths they’ve hidden from each other and themselves. And it’s not long before the twins discover that their father is closer than they ever could have imagined. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.6 (222)

Documentary
Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting The U.S is the only country in the world that allows minors to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Approximately 2,500 juveniles have been effectively sentenced to die in prison — considered “irredeemable” by the state for crimes committed when they were just teenagers. One of them was David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez, who entered prison at 17 expecting to leave in a coffin. Suave tells the story of what happens when your whole world is a prison cell, and you suddenly get a second chance at life. It’s the story of one man’s incarceration and redemption and an unusual relationship between a journalist and a source. Selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.8 (1585)

Society & Culture
La Brega tells stories of the Puerto Rican experience. The critically acclaimed podcast La Brega is back! Recognized by the The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Atlantic as one of the best podcasts of the year in its prior seasons and named as an Apple Podcasts Essential, La Brega has cemented itself as podcast canon. For three seasons, audiences have demanded one thing of La Brega: more episodes! Now, the team is meeting that demand, returning with a more permanent format. For three weeks out of each month, host Alana Casanova-Burgess and the La Brega team will bring listeners fascinating stories about Puerto Rican identity, from historical deep-dives to joyful conversations with some of the most creative artists and thinkers of today. La Brega is la plaza central– a place where people come to learn the latest, laugh, and to dream together about the future. Whether you’re Puerto Rican or not, La Brega brings you the humanity, storytelling and joy you need to start your week. La Brega cuenta las historias de la experiencia boricua.¡El aclamado podcast La Brega está de vuelta! Escogido por Apple Podcast como un “Apple Podcasts Essential” y reconocido por The New York Times, The New Yorker y The Atlantic como uno de los mejores podcasts del año en sus temporadas pasadas, La Brega ya es parte del “canon” de la historia del podcast. Durante tres temporadas sus audiencias han pedido una cosa de manera consistente: ¡más episodios! Y ahora el equipo de la Brega está listo para complacerles estrenando un nuevo formato más permanente. Por tres semanas de cada mes, el equipo junto a su anfitriona Alana Casanova-Burgess, les traerán a los escuchas historias fascinantes sobre la puertorriqueñidad, recuentos históricos profundos y conversaciones emocionantes con pensadores y artistas creativos. La Brega es una plaza central donde nos encontramos para aprender, reír y soñar juntos un poco sobre el futuro. Ya seas boricua o no, La Brega te trae humanidad, buenas historias y mucha alegría que te ayudará a empezar bien tu semana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.8 (1148)

Society & Culture
In 1964, an Italian-American ex-cop and a Dominican musician in New York City opened Fania Records, the “Motown of Salsa.” The artists from Fania toured the world, sold millions of records and changed culture forever. But Fania Records also became mired by royalty divisions, lawsuits and falling-outs. This is the story of the birth of salsa in Nueva York and the rebellious, seductive and political label that defined it: Fania Records. Hosted by Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress and Brooklyn native Rosie Perez and produced by Pulitzer Prize-winning Futuro Media. It is the most comprehensive audio narrative yet made about the birth and wild heights of salsa, a genre that continues to shape global culture today. New episodes available every Tuesday. Follow the show and don’t miss an episode! Join Futuro + and you can binge the entire season of “Our Thing: Birth of Salsa in Nueva York” right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.9 (173)

Music History
Este podcast se adentra en la vida de los soldados latinoamericanos que han viajado a Ucrania para combatir en una guerra muy lejos de casa. A través de sus historias, la corresponsal Carolina Chimoy explora qué los llevó al frente de batalla, cómo han vivido la guerra y qué han encontrado allí: violencia, miedo, pérdida, pero también pertenencia, propósito e incluso el amor. A través de la historia de Cóndor y otros soldados, este podcast plantea una pregunta central: ¿qué busca alguien cuando decide arriesgar su vida por un país que no es el suyo? Esto es Alias Cóndor, Soldados latinos en la guerra de Ucrania, una producción de DW, LA Times Studios y Futuro Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5.0 (2)

Documentary

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4.9

out of 5

97 Ratings

All the stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Apr 14

LittlestLion

I am obsessed! I can’t get enough of the insights Isa brings forth and the connections she makes with her guests. Isa is a gracious host and listener and I love everything about this podcast.
Neeeeed more

06/14/2025

mr14d

I am OBSESSED with this podcast Isa is so wonderfully poetic when it comes to breaking down placements in astrology and I need more! Season 2 wya 👀
Amazing

01/18/2025

lkjhgffdsaa

I can’t get enough of this podcast! There’s something very special about the way Isa is able to both hold space for the stories of her guests while also threading in her astrological mastery. I deeply appreciate how she doesn’t shy away from difficult truths and find myself always wanting to play another episode. Healing, refreshing and magical. Thank you!
THE BEST!

12/10/2024

K Beeeeee

Have you ever listened to a podcast and thought to yourself, “Man it would be cool if I could be a guest on that show!” Well this is the show that’s on the top of my list. So fun to hear Isa’s analyses and also to hear the guest’s excitement and resonance with what she’s reflecting to them. Lots of hoity toity words just to say this is a fantastic podcast and I look forward to listening, even when my sign isn’t being discussed! I’m not a Leo, after all :) Shots fired! Scorpio Sun - Cap Moon - Taurus Rising, yo! ✨

Stars and Stars with Isa is the podcast where we look to the stars above with the stars below. Each week our host and astrologer, Isa Nakazawa, sits with the most talented artists and thinkers of our time to read them their birth chart and discuss their life’s purpose and why they love, create, and walk the world the way they do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.