Liz Vazquez is an LA born filmmaker and writer who draws astrology charts for their characters to bring them to life. As a consulting astrologer, they use the language of story and sky to empower their clients by helping them map their personal narrative. From 2021-2022, they wrote monthly horoscopes for the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), where they held the position of astrologer-artist in residence.
It’s here, at PRS, where I met Liz when they attended my astro workshop. I kept calling on them to participate because I’m humble enough to know when someone knows more than me. Liz is a fine astrologer with a talent for making the technically complicated comprehensible — and someone who genuinely cares about people.
Which is why it’s been a delight getting to know them.
The following interview was conducted over the Internet and is a supplement to our recorded TALKTALKTALK.
Vivi Henriette: In the podcast we recorded you tell this super creepy puppet story. Did you have a lot of supernatural experiences as a child?
Liz Vazquez: I've definitely had a substantial amount of weird and eerie encounters since as far back as I can remember. I was a sensitive and isolated kid, so I guess it kind of comes with the territory.
Vh: Do you see astrology as a divinatory practice? How so?
LV: For sure! Just like with my art and writing practices, when I read charts I often feel guided by something outside of myself, directing me to focus on specific symbols, themes, and stories that end up resonating way more than anything I calculatedly approach.
Vh: I’m super excited we’ve gotten to know each other through PRS because you’ve quickly become one of my favorite astrologers. You have this way of making astrology relatable. It feels like part of you. How do you integrate astrology into your everyday life?
LV: Thanks so much Vivi! Astrology is the lens I've chosen to view my reality through, and it's the language I've learned to convey that reality through. I have found immense comfort in it as a tool of reflection and connection in my everyday life. And if I only have this one life to live, I'd rather live it with a curious sense of wonder and magic.
Vh: As a screenwriter, you’ve been known to create astrology charts for characters. For those who aren’t so astro savvy — welcome to the conversation! — can you break down this process and explain why this might be helpful? In other words, pretend I’m that skeptic on the project.
LV: The planets, and the zodiac signs those planets are in, serve as an outline of each character's journey — a journey usually navigated by what a character wants or seeks, and what they end up realizing they need or needed. The astrological archetypes have such epic yet relatable stories ingrained in them that I struggle not to see them play out in everything.
From there, I start with the classic BIG three of each character and then I just start building on top of that. For example: who are they? (Sun), who are they becoming? (Rising), how do they feel? (Moon), how do they act? (Mars), how do they communicate? (Mercury), what/who do they love? (Venus), what challenges them? (Saturn), what transforms them? (Pluto), are they lucky? (Jupiter), are they lost? (Neptune), what catches them off guard? (Uranus). Figuring out how these placements interact with one another, tension and conflict naturally progress to create compelling stories, as well as worlds, that hopefully feel more real than fictional.
Vh: When people ask me about astrology — usually at social gatherings, where I feel the need to defend myself — I tell them astrology is a way of locating oneself in the story of their lives. In your personal life and professional life as a filmmaker, where do story and astrology intersect?
LV: I think we're all constantly telling ourselves stories because storytelling is inherent to our survival. It's where our beliefs, belief systems, and ultimately our faith-— or lack of faith — emerge from. And even if one's not religious, that doesn't negate the need to believe in something like one's own potential, for example. In my life (personal and professional), astrology serves as an affirmation for the story I feel I'm meant to be telling.
Vh: Are there any writers or filmmakers whose work has shaped your astrology practice?
LV: In a way, every film I've watched and every book I've read has shaped my astrology practice because they have served as reference points for my understanding of humanity, history, and the world. Saying that, David Lynch has been a consistent reference point for me for integrating mythology and mysticism into my art and filmmaking practice. I'm also deeply inspired by the writing of astrologer and author Alice Sparkly Kat.
Vh: Where you first started your practice, you helped build a divinatory collective of practitioners where you shared clients and resources and overall made readings accessible to all. At least, that’s my crude version of the story. Did I get those facts right? Fill in the story for me.
Yes, you got it all right! Alongside Ana Estela, an Akashic Records practitioner and channeler, and Richard Contreras, an astrologer and curandero, we started "Mensajes Para Tu Sol" (Messages for Your Sun) as a way to provide free and affordable resources for the communities we felt needed the most access to spiritual healing modalities.
I met Ana at PRS and then she introduced me to Richard who she had been working with at a QPOC owned crystal shop in Los Angeles. In that time, I was meeting all sorts of mystics and practitioners, but Ana, Richard and I really bonded because we're three queer, Latinx fixed signs (AQUARIUS, LEO, SCORPIO) from Los Angeles who were drawn to the occult through our interest in connecting with our ancestry. For nearly four years, we built up a dedicated little community through our instagram page and dabbled in a bit of everything: horoscopes, memes, virtual workshops, DIY tutorials, podcasting, free readings, etc. We all ended up getting caught up with personal projects and general life stuff, so after being inactive for a while, we decided to deactivate our account and close up shop.
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Vh: In your practice and belief, how do you see astrology playing a role in community building?
LV: I see astrology as a way to initiate deeper conversations with one another, and as a way to understand our roles within the histories we are witnessing and experiencing — collectively and interpersonally. By getting to know one another within the context of the times we're living in, we can organize better — with hopefully more empathy and trust, to then build lasting relationships and infrastructures.
Vh: What’s next? Where can people find you?
LV: I'm currently in post-production for a short film I wrote and directed this summer, so hopefully that will be completed soon for a Los Angeles premiere and *fingers crossed* festival run. It's titled Encuentro Americano (American Encounter) and it's the first major project under my new production company Fish Head Mortuary Productions. I'm definitely hoping to do more with that in the new year! I've also started offering more astrology and tarot readings thanks to PRS, so I'm also aiming to start more astrology-related projects next year.
Liz Vazquez is an LA born & raised artist, writer, and filmmaker who has been studying Hellenistic astrology since 2016 and consulting clients since 2020. From 2021 to 2022, they wrote bimonthly horoscopes for The Philosophical Research Society as part of their PRS artist residency.
ABOUT VIVI
Vivi Henriette is an LA-based astrologer and tarot reader whose collaborative approach to divination weaves in storytelling and mythology to create a container for her clients to explore their personal narrative. She’s the host of the Los Angeles Astro Salon and the podcast TALKTALKTALK.
Los Angeles Friends, this December Liz and I are cohosting an astrology and creative writing workshop at The Philosophical Research Society, Writing Our Way Through Messy Times.
