Episodes
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In this episode, I chat with the artist Caris Reid about her artistic process, the liminal space where art happens, astrology, the tarot, and the energetics of objects.
“…breathing life into what otherwise is just a piece of wood and acknowledging that it’s going to become a window into something deeper….” — Caris Reid
Waiting for the Sun
Acrylic on Wood
30 x 24 inches
2019
CARIS’ WEBSITE
Check Out Caris’ paintings on February 14th at the Spring Break Art Show in LA
LUMINOUS PALM TAROT
Caris Reid’s work deploys symbolism, symmetry, and repetition to explore femininity throughout history. The female figures directly meet the eye of the viewer and impress with the strength of their pose. These female archetypes are covered with iconography such as triangles, flowers, eyes, peace signs, butterflies, birds. Reid extensively researches symbols from ancient history through the contemporary emoticon and is inspired by psychology and hypnosis.
Reid has shown her paintings in solo exhibitions at Denny Dimin Gallery in New York and Ochi Projects in Los Angeles as well as exhibiting in two-person shows with artist Amanda Valdez at Denny Dimin Gallery in New York and Circuit12 Gallery in Dallas, and with Elise Ferguson at Monya Rowe Gallery. Her work has been exhibited at the Untitled Art Fair in Miami and The Spring Break Art Fair in New York. She's been included in group exhibitions including Sargents Daughters New York, Longhouse Projects New York, O-O Los Angeles, SEASON Seattle, Ochi Gallery Idaho, and The National Arts Club, New York. In 2016 she completed a 40 foot mural in downtown Los Angeles titled Grace and Grit. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, The Observer, Vogue Japan, Vogue Mexico, W Magazine, Architectural Digest, Forbes Magazine, LALA magazine and The New York Times among others.
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THE AVANT-GALAXY / EMMALEA RUSSO
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In which I have an impromptu talk about tonight’s full moon in Leo (Feb 8/Feb 9) and some other conversations that are happening in the sky. For your easy listening.
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Connect with Emmalea on IG: @emmaleaXrusso
Astrology readings with Emmalea.
Image: Marcel Broodthaers, The Belgian Lion, 1968.
*The quote from the title of this episode is via Robert Plant.
“He not busy being born is busy dying.” — Bob Dylan
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Missing episodes?
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In this deep-diving episode, I chat with my ancient astrology teacher, Acyuta-bhava Das (formerly Adam Elenbaas), about:
Acyuta’s classes and my experience learning from him.
some fundamental differences between ancient and modern astrology
the importance of learning the meaning behind astrological concepts
how Acyuta began studying astrology, his history with Ayahuasca, and his spiritual path and name change
Astrology as part of spiritual practice and a devotional experience
Seeing the planets as emissaries/omens of the gods rather than entities to *get something out of*
the wisdom of ancient astrology and the immutable soul
ways to work with difficult natal chart stuff in a devotional, meaningful way
LOVE as the path
importance of laughter + not taking oneself too seriously
lots more
It was so illuminating and fun chatting with him and please do check out his work below. His insights are rooted in years of spiritual and astrological study and practice and if you like this podcast/newsletter, you’ll likely be into his work, as it’s been foundational for me.
Nightlight Astrology Website
Acyuta-bhava’s YouTube Channel
Nightlight Astrology’s Kickstarter Campaign (get readings from Acyuta, take classes, and support his work)
IG: @nightlightastrology
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IG: @emmaleaXrusso
Astrology readings with me.
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In which I discuss the energies of Sagittarius and read the poem-scopes for the month. I talk about wisdom, visionaries, Jupiter, meaning-making, and words from famous Sagittarian writers and musicians.
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Book an astrology reading with me.
photo credit: Meg Puckett
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I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the writer Sarah Rose Etter. In this episode, we talked about:
her writing process & the origins of her new novel, The Book of X
surrealism
breaking from the “traditional novel” and the form of The Book of X
the internal safe space of creation & the space of engaging with the public
the need for holding space for more innovative/experimental writing
the letter X
Sarah’s experience on book tour
what Sarah’s currently working on
& more…
Sarah Rose Etter is the author of two books, most recently The Book of X (Two Dollar Radio). Her fiction, essays, and interviews have appeared or are forthcoming in VICE, Guernica, The Cut, Gulf Coast, Philadelphia Weekly, and more. She is the recipient of writing residencies at the Disquiet International Program in Lisbon and the Gullkistan Residency in Iceland. She has served as an arts columnist at Philadelphia Weekly and The Austin Chronicle, as well as a contributing editor at The Fanzine.Website: www.sarahroseetter.com ||| Instagram + Twitter: @sarahroseetter
Order The Book of X here
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Emmalea’s Website || Avant-Galaxy Newsletter || Astrology Readings || @emmaleaxrusso
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In which I chat with the wonderful writers Sarah Gerard and Patty Yumi Cottrell. In the first part of the episode, Patty and Sarah read excerpts from each other’s work. Next, we chat about:
dark humor
Scorpio season
similarities and differences b/w Patty and Sarah’s writing processes and work
the capitalist myth of the “writing every day” requirement
toward a more expansive view of “writing”
finding space and energy for writing and deciding where to put one’s energy
writing as a collaboration with the body
the brain as a gentle creature
astrology
Is writing therapeutic?
writing as videogame and compulsion
the importance of diversions
Sarah Gerard is the author of the essay collection Sunshine State, a New York Times Critics' Choice, and the novel Binary Star, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Her short stories, essays, interviews, and criticism have appeared in the New York Times, T Magazine, Granta, The Believer, The Baffler, and the anthologies Tampa Noir, We Can’t Help it if We’re From Florida, and One Small Blow Against Encroaching Totalitarianism. Her novel True Love is forthcoming from Harper in July 2020. She lives in New York City with her true love, the writer Patty Yumi Cottrell. Find her at Sarah-Gerard.com.
Patty Yumi Cottrell (born 1981) is the author of Sorry to Disrupt the Peace and the winner of a 2018 Whiting Award and a Barnes and Noble Discover Award. A devout practitioner of the absurdist method, she teaches fiction in New York.
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Emmalea’s Website || Avant-Galaxy Newsletter || Astrology Readings (use the code POET for a discount on all sessions) || CONNECT: @emmaleaxrusso || SCORPIO SEASON POEM-SCOPES
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In this super fun and wild episode, I chat with poet and editor Ted Dodson about:
poetry as daily spiritual practice
nurturing the metaphysical self with poetry
the importance of a creative community
writing through and about grief
our writing processes
books we love
our meandering recap of the 2010s
being promiscuous readers + writers
Georges Bataille for Scorpio Season
poetry as worldview
Ted Dodson is the author of “At the National Monument / Always Today” (Pioneer Works, 2016) and “Pop! in Spring” (Diez, 2013). His work has been collected by the libraries of the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum. He edits for BOMB and Futurepoem and is a former editor of The Poetry Project Newsletter.
Some things we chatted about on the podcast:
Ted's Book || Five Star || The Poem that Ted Read || Jonas Mekas || Univocal || Dana Ward - Some Other Deaths of Bas Jan Ader || Ted's Website || Connect with Ted on Twitter || Futurepoem Books || Ugly Duckling Presse || BOMB Magazine || Song Cave || WONDER
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Emmalea’s Website || Avant-Galaxy Newsletter || Astrology Readings (use the code POET for a discount on all sessions) || CONNECT: @emmaleaxrusso || SCORPIO SEASON POEM-SCOPES
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Sarah Faith Gottesdiener is an artist and business owner living in LA. She is the creator of the cult classic Many Moons workshops, workbooks, and lunar planner, among other things. She has run her feminist apparel business, Modern Women, since 2007.
Sign up for her newsletter here.
Shop her store here.
Listen to her podcast here.
(Photo Credit: Lani Trock)
Sarah and I chatted about:
Working with the moon and lunar energy
Sarah’s process writing her forthcoming book
Language and visual art as ways of relating to the world
Reframing one’s work to be in service to others
The importance of critical thinking + questioning that which you’re enchanted by
Focusing more on collectivity rather than individualism
Problematic language in the dominant new age culture
Our shifting relationship to time via social media
The book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
Dangers of taking things out of context (including the moon…)
Extraction vs. exchange in Sarah’s relationship with the moon
A LOT more.
CONNECTING WITH EMMALEA:
Emmalea’s Website || Astrology Readings || @avant_galaxy
SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
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A conversation with LA-based artist Maysha Mohamedi. We chatted about:
Maysha quitting her day job.
Her first few days as a painter after leaving her job.
How we met / fortuitous timings.
Financial and nitty-gritty aspects of leaving a day job for art.
Maysha’s decision to put painting first.
The eclipses this month and their impact on Maysha’s (ch)art.
Talent and productivity.
Maysha’s advice for taking the leap.
LINKS
Maysha’s website
Follow Maysha on Instagram
Her upcoming show at San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.
Maysha at the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster.
A new lithograph at Hamilton Press.
Financial Therapist Ron Gallen.
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THE AVANT-GALAXY: COSMIC DIVINATION
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A super candid and fun conversation with multidisciplinary artist and community organizer Seher Sikandar. We chatted about:
Dark nights of the soul.
Learning from others’ reactions to you.
The transformative energy of Pluto/the underworld.
Ascribing language to the ineffable.
The logical mind / the abstract mind.
Seher’s experience with releasing old structures.
A self-worth bombshell.
Thinking oneself into a box.
Channeling + being a vessel for creative information / ways of creating.
Seher’s Instagram writings + writing as service.
Pros and cons of formal artistic education.
When the mind isn’t enough and when the mind is magic.
Lots more!
Connect with Seher:
seher.co | instagram.com/seher | freewrite by seher | lightworksbooth.com
WORK WITH EMMALEA
GET THE NEWSLETTER
READ THE JOURNAL
THE AVANT-GALAXY: COSMIC DIVINATION
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I wanted to ask Ariana Reines many things. In the end, I let our conversation take us where it wanted. We talked of poetry, the birthing process, the writing of A Sand Book, our antennas, time traveling, the necessity of poetry, and dreams. Please do listen to the full episode, as Ariana reads from her book at the end and it’s numinous.
Preorder A Sand Book
Named one of Flavorwire's 100 best living writers and "a crucial voice of her generation" by Michael Silverblatt, Ariana Reines is a poet, Obie-winning playwright, performing artist, and translator. Her newest book is A Sand Book, out June 18 from Tin House. She keeps a private astrology practice at lazyeyehaver.com & constantly performs & teaches around the world.
ARTFUL ASTROLOGY
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ASTROLOGY SESSIONS WITH EMMALEA
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Claire Kiechel is a New York and LA-based theater maker and TV writer. This episode is about all things mystical and mad and I adored chatting with her. We talked about:
Claire’s experience writing for The OA, Season 2
Octopus consciousness
Reframing madness and mysticism
Liminal spaces
Epilepsy, madness, and mystical experience
Dimension-hopping and various kinds of consciousness
Breaking traditional narrative structures
The complications around labeling and defining yourself
Channeling creative work (Hilma af Klint, Leonora Carrington + Remedios Varo)
On Pandering, an essay by Claire Vaye Watkins
SYGYZY
Shadow integration
My book, G
The problems with the literary cannon
Claire’s play, in NYC through May 19th
Find Claire on Instagram: @clairekiechel
http://www.clairekiechel.com/
THE AVANT-GALAXY: ARTFUL ASTROLOGY
VIRTUAL CHART READINGS WITH EMMALEA
THE AVANT-GALAXY NEWSLETTER
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A stellar convo with NYC-based astrologer Patricia Clark Hippolyte. We get real about the planets and stars. Follow her for spot-on and hilarious astro Instagram musings.
Patricia Clark Hippolyte has been seeing stars for almost 3 decades. In international private readings and intensive three-day courses she reveals astrological ciphers that help people work with their current and future planetary involvements. Though the stars often shine a painfully bright light on the realities of daily life, remember, starlight is better than no light at all.
In this episode, Emmalea and Patricia chat about:
Aspects, transits, and degrees in the astro chart
The sun moving from Aries to Taurus
Libra/Aries and Pisces/Virgo polarities
The transformative power of Uranus
What to look for in your chart
Patti’s approach to astro
FOLLOW PATTI ON INSTAGRAM OR DM HER FOR A SESSION
VIRTUAL ASTRO READINGS WITH EMMALEA
THE AVANT-GALAXY JOURNAL
GET THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
INSTAGRAM MUSINGS
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