Queer Voices
Queer Voices
January 7th - Astrological Predictions for a flaming 2026 and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!
Is that the air on fire, or is it just 2026? Dr. Lana Coble gives us the astrological insight into what 2026 has up its sleeve. Spoiler alert, it's pretty transformational. Things are really going to move, and some of you need to party like it's 1999. After that, Brett Cullum talks with Nimitz High School Graduate Darrel T. Joe about his homecoming to Houston with the 30th anniversary tour of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. It's going to be at the Hobby Center as part of the BROADWAY AT THE HOBBY CENTER series until January 18th.
Tickets can be found at:
https://houston.broadway.com/
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Brett:You're listening to Queer Voices, a radio program that has been on KPFT for over five decades. And we're also a podcast. We are committed to serving as the voice of the LGBTQIA Plus community in Houston. I'm Brett Cullum, and in this episode, I'll be talking with Dr. Lana Koble about 2026 from an astrological point of view. Lana was a student of Lily Roddy, so she is filling her shoes this year for us. And later I talk with Daryl T. Joe, who is coming home to Houston as part of the 30th anniversary Beauty and the Beast Tour from the Broadway at the Hobby Center series. Queer Voices starts now. Hi, this is Brett Cullum, and today I am joined by astrologer Dr. Lana Koble. Now, Lana was a student of Lily Roddy's, and Lily used to always give us the breakdown for what would happen in the coming year at the new year. So now we're just gonna get Lana Koble to take over for us. So that'll be good. So welcome, Lana. Excited to see you. Thank you, Brett. It's great to be here today. Yeah. Well, first I wanted to ask you, how long have you been doing astrology personally?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I just turned the ripe old age of 70, and I started doing this when I was in while I was 28. Oh my gosh. It's been a minute.
Brett:Yeah, you've got it, you've got a a little bit of experience. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And you actually studied with Lily? Well, Lily was actually uh when I first got introduced to astrology, I'd had someone read my chart, and they knew way more about me than I was comfortable with them knowing. And they didn't know me. And I'm I'm sitting there in my chair and I'm kind of freaking out a little bit because I'm a little bit of a control freak. And they're saying all these things about me, and I'm like, how in the hell do you know this? So I went back to Houston and had two or three different readings, and then the one person I like the best is who I went back to, and that was happened to have been Lily Roddy. Back then, Lily was Phil. And um, I went to Phil and said, uh, I want you to teach me astrology. And he goes, I don't do that. And I said, I don't think you understand. When the student is ready, the teacher will come. You're my teacher. I don't care what it costs, teach me.
Brett:So well, you had a great teacher because I know that whenever I read Lily's forecasts, a lot of times I wasn't scared to because a lot of times she was pretty dead on. And tell me a little bit what when you go into looking at a year, what all do you take into consideration? Just give me a 10,000-foot view.
SPEAKER_01:So I look to see, first of all, what are the big planets doing this year? Not the personal planets. The personal planets are the things that that rule your daily lives, the faster moving planets. Mercury, which rules communication, the sun, which rules your life force, the moon, which is your emotions. Those are called the personal planets, okay? Mars, Venus, male, female, those are the personal planets. They move much, much faster. The bigger planets, which are the ones that bring the bigger impacts to us in a year, are typically Jupiter, which rules expansion and growth, Saturn, which rules the 3D material world that we're in, Neptune, which rules our spirituality and our interconnectedness to one another, and then Uranus and Pluto. And so Uranus rules sudden changes. It's electric, all this electromagnetic energy that we're getting from the sun right now, that is very uranian. There's a reason why they called things that work with nuclear rack reactors uranian materials and plutonium materials, because these are the biggest conductible things that we have coming at us from space. I look at those planets to see what's going to happen in the year. And it's kind of interesting this year in particular. You might have read where they're calling the Chinese year this year the year of the horse, the fire horse.
Brett:Yes, I'm already for it. I've got my logos and stuff.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Almost every planet, the major big boy planets, the ones that have the biggest impact on us, almost every one of them are going to be migrating into fire and air this year. Last year, the predominance of the planets was very water and earth. And if you if you follow me on Facebook, I've got a particular page. And one of the last edits I did before the new year was I said we are still in the mud slide. Because when you mix earth and water together, you get mud. So that's why last year felt so heavy, is because there was so much mud created from the earth and the water interactions, and we just couldn't get out of our own way. This next year, it's gonna get lit. I keep telling everybody, kick the tires and light the fires like top gun, because we're going into all air and fire energy. So we've been used to going at this heavy slog, and all of a sudden it's gonna take off. It's gonna be like a Roman candle getting lit. So it's gonna be pretty interesting this year. It'll have some pretty big impacts on specific signs, but before I get into that, what I want to talk about is we start the year, and I the first thing I look at is the retrograde cycles. Retrograde is when it appears and it's a false appearance. Okay? Imagine that you've got plates, all the different planets are plates and they're spinning. Okay? They're gonna spin at different rates. If you have a smaller planet, it's gonna spin faster, right? The diameter of the plate, because we're talking about physics, the smaller planets are gonna spin at a much faster rate. The bigger planets are gonna spin at a much slower rate. Well, the Earth has got a set spin rate. And as we go around, if one of the bigger planets is off to the side and it's spinning at a much slower rate, at some point it will appear from the Earth's perspective that that planet is in retrograde, meaning moving backwards. It's not really. The planets don't stop and start, okay? They just continue on their orbit. But from Earth's perspective, us looking at them, they appear to go backwards. So that's what we call retrograde. And everything is from an Earth perspective, because obviously we're the humans that are being impacted by it, and we're trying to create this language that allows people to understand these energies that are coming at us, these mythological energies, archetypal energies that have been around since the beginning of mankind, okay? And so when it goes retrograde, it's more of an inward movement. It's more of an internalization of the of the energy that's presented by it. Whereas when they're going direct, everything, that's why when they talk about Mercury going retrograde, okay, it feels like it's a good time to clean out closets. It feels like we're going to rehash old conversations that didn't get completely redone. Things are going to break down because they're not moving in a forward direction. It's when you have mechanical issues. So what's interesting, we start this year out with two planets in retrograde. We've got Jupiter and Uranus currently retrograde. Jupiter's growth and expansion, Uranus is that lightning bolt energy. You may be walking along the street doing just fine. All of a sudden, it's like the old biblical story: Paul on the road to Damascus gets hit by a lightning bolt, changes his complete perspective, and now he's on a different bent. Iranian energy is very much like that. Uh, I happen to love the planet Uranus because it's my lead planet, my chart. I used to always say to people that I'm a walking lightning bolt. You never know what's going to happen next. Well, it was because of the Uranian energy I've got in my chart that's constantly that's the lead that you get hit with all the time.
Brett:I have a bad feeling I have none of this, but there you are. But this is what we begin with.
SPEAKER_01:Right, right. But uh so anyway, so in the beginning of the year, we have Jupiter and Uranus retrograde, which means it's more of an internalization. Then about February, the early February, we now will have four of the five big boy planets between Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto. Four of those planets will be direct by February 4th. So we're starting to pick up some speed, okay? And we hadn't had this in a while where all the planets are going forward. Um, February 14th, two of your bigger planets, Sun and Neptune, they are the star players of this year. They are both going to enter into Aries. Now, Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. It's not, it doesn't line up with the calendar year, but it is the first sign of the zodiac. Aries is fire. It is that initial spark. It's the caveman creating fire. And there's only been one other time when it's been not really documented very well, but in 500 BC when both Saturn and Neptune conjoined in Aries. Now, let's go back to what's going on in 500 BC. WTFO, okay? Yeah. Who knows? Don't know. All right. So um every astrologer worth their salt has been sitting back for the last year going, what's gonna happen? Because the way astrology works is it's no different than anything else. We go back and we look to see what planets were where when certain events happened, and then it gives us a picture into the future about what energies we're dealing with in the current day and the coming months. So nobody, no astrologer really knows what happened at 500 BC when Neptune and Saturn conjoined in Aries. Now, the significance of this is Saturn rules the 3D world. It's our three-dimensional structure here on Earth. It's old traditional ways of doing things. It gives you structure, it gives you discipline. I always say about Aries people is the only people that can walk into a room of 300 people and all they see is themselves because they're very self-motivated. That's not a bad thing. That's just the direction of Aries people. I have a lot of friends that are Aries. I don't believe in good and bad. I believe we're either living up to the evolvement of our sign or we're living down to the devolvement of the sign. That's not good or bad. There's no judgment.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So by Saturn going into Aries, and then on February 19th, Neptune and Saturn are both going to be conjunct in Aries. Now, Neptune rules the 5D world. It's that spiritual plane. It's that other side of the veil plane that a lot of people don't like to look at or are afraid to look at because it's not tangible. You can't put your hands on it. You can feel it if you get high enough spiritually, okay? That's why a lot of people are doing uh awasca, ayahuasca, and other drugs like that that you go to these spiritual retreats to. Back in the 60s, people did LSD, whatever it is, it all changes, but it's a way to expand your mind to get to that three dimension, that five-dimensional state. Well, you've got the two planets that rec represent 3D and 5D world converging in Aries, which is self-actualization. So a lot of astrologers think that what this is going to do is this is going to bring a focus back to the individual, that people are going to get more protective of their individual space, both in a 3D world and in a spiritual world. And with some of the other things that are happening, particularly with Uranus entering into Gemini, Uranus is, like I said, the lightning bolt, and Uranian energy is very sudden and abrupt, and it's going into Gemini, which is another air sign. Those are both air. Okay. Uranus rules Aquarius, and Gemini is ruled by Mercury. So those are both very fast intellectual concepts. There's a lot of people that believe that there's going to be a change possibly with uh financial structures with AI. I believe AI is going to go at a whole different level this next year. Once Uranus basically moves into Gemini, which that is happening April 26th, it moves for the first time into Gemini. And Uranus moves very, very slow. So it's going to be into Gemini. It'll only get up to like five degrees Gemini through the year, and then it will start to go retrograde in September again and go back down to like two degrees. So for any of the Geminis who were born between basically 522 and 527, which is the first five degrees of that sign, you need to hang on to your hat because it's going to be a bumpy ride. I it's that electric energy.
Brett:Well, it sounds like we're all going to feel that if we've got all of this coming this year. I mean, we're all going to feel that.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. People, everyone will feel that Uranian energy going into Gemini. They all will feel that. But the people that are that either have planets in Gemini or their sun in Gemini in those first five degrees are going to really feel it. You're going to wonder, why am I changing so fast? And what is this based upon? All I can tell you is just wait till the ride's over. Uranian energy doesn't, it gets rid of things that are not working for you anymore. And it opens up new opportunities, is what that Uranian energy does. Now, Pluto, it's interesting because Pluto is also in an air sign. It's been an Aquarius now for a little while. Pluto is probably this is the slowest moving planet that we track. And Pluto is going to be trining that Uranian energy at about, I want to say, starting in May. So Pluto is the planet of death and rebirth. It's the phoenix. It's what causes you to rise from the ashes. Anything that's not working for you, when Pluto has a transit with you, you will either make changes to only work, only deal with the energies that work for you, or you will probably get sick. Because if you're blocking the energy, Pluto is about getting rid of what you no longer need anymore, both for your soul, your psyche, your physical dimension, everything. It's like walking through a fire pit. You're going to be purified of the energy and you're only going to keep what's working for you. If you do it the easy way, hey, you'll be a lot of changes, but you won't get hurt in the process. If you try and hang on to stuff that doesn't work for you, you're going to get rope burned. Your hands are going to get burned because you're hanging on too tight, because it'll strip away whatever's working. They're both in air signs, which is that mental quick energy. So again, next year, we're going to have almost predominantly everything is going to be in air and fire.
Brett:Yeah, it's a fast moving change, purification.
SPEAKER_01:Boom. Exactly. Those are those are some really, really big things that are happening as a general whole. Jupiter is the is the last of the planets. It's probably the fastest of all these. Jupiter moved has been in cancer, which is why we've had so many interesting water events, major floods. This last year, we were actually tracking like the event that happened at is it Mystic Ranch where the kids that happened with a significant Jupiter transit in Cancer to that area. Because it you can take anything has a birth chart. USA, when it was formally incorporated or made the United States of America, USA has a birth date. Little towns have a birth date. When you go back and compare to those areas, it had a significant transit with Jupiter. Jupiter is growth, it's massive quantities, it's everything in excess, it's expansion, and it's been in cancer. So the the effect on this moving out of water, which is your emotions, your emotional feeling about things, cancer is probably the most protective of all the emotional energies there are. And with it moving into Leo, that's gonna be a big shift. Because Leo is the leader. Leo is the pride of the leader of the pride in lions. So it has to be at the forefront. It has to be leading. So there's gonna be some expansion that takes place. It moves into Leo July 1st. And when it moves into Leo, then all of the major planets on July 1st are going to be in either air or fire. So we've got about six months of the planets getting all direct, starting to move forward, and then come July 1, it's gonna be a sparky 4th of July celebration.
Brett:Well, it is the 250th birthday of America at that one, too. So there you are.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, there you are. Yes, it's gonna be sparky. Then it starts with the retrograde cycles. Pluto and Neptune start going retrograde in about the first week of July. So there'll be a big blip where everything goes into fire and air. And then July 8th, Pluto and Neptune start going retrograde. So that transformational force will be an inward internalization within each of us, as will Neptune. Neptune rules spirituality. So don't be at all surprised. If you're ever on Facebook, you'll see that there's been a big resurgence of spiritual posts because of this Neptune going into Aries, where we're all kind of going back to square one and starting over again and trying to reconnect with ourselves because of the counterbalancing of all this mental air energy. So that's the way that we're trying to naturally balance ourselves out. It's it is a very different year than what we've had in the last previous years.
Brett:Okay. Is it a good year to do something new? Is it uh obviously it sounds like letting stuff go is gonna be the things that we're gonna want to concentrate on, getting more spiritually grounded, possibly.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, absolutely. And with it going into Aries, yes, it's a good time to start new things because Aries is the beginning point.
Brett:Yeah. Well, what's interesting, I I looked up 500 BC and 500 BC, one of the things that happened, it's the birth of democracy. It was Confucius came up. It was the birth of Buddhism. So here you go. All of these different things that are spiritual, educational, or government inventing things, something new for the world, maybe. So that could be a pretty exciting year as far as that goes. Maybe some new structures to things. Like obviously, you were saying finance, maybe something new in there.
SPEAKER_01:AI is gonna blow all of our doors off. Okay. It already has. It already has. I have friends that literally talk to ChatGPT all the time. It was kind of freaked me out as my first exposure to it, because I just did turn 70. Now I use perplexity because it's a more of a research-based AI. I use it a lot for some of my consulting work. So I'm real used to that, but I haven't actually sat down and developed a relationship yet with ChatGPT, like some of my younger friends. Because my friends range anywhere from up to 80. I got a wide expanse because I have an Aquarius Schmid Evan. So I just like everybody.
Brett:AI jibes with what you're talking about. It it jibes with the idea of something growing wiser, being new, becoming higher and air, and anything that's previous to it being swept away by that. So we're definitely gonna see that kind of shift. But are there anybody, is there any, is there anybody that's in for a good year? Is there a certain sign that's just gonna have like a really good time?
SPEAKER_01:So I will tell you that so I did it by sign to kind of give you an idea who's gonna have the most impactful years and then who might have the easiest flow. Okay. Okay. So let's just put it this way Aquarians who are early, like in the first four to five degrees of the sign of Aquarius, which is basically January, people born between January 24th and January 25th. That's when they're gonna have Pluto going through conjuncting their sun. That's when there's gonna be a lot of letting go. So Aquarians, it depends how you how you handle the energy. If you fight it, it'll be rough. If you go with it, it's gonna be one of those. Liberating things you've ever done. Okay. I love Plutonian energy because it's kind of like the universal enema, okay? No. But we probably need that right now. It is gonna wash anything that's not working on the inside, it's gonna wash it out. Okay.
Brett:I gotcha.
SPEAKER_01:So you're gonna feel better when it's over with.
Brett:Yeah, but during it, maybe not so pleasant.
SPEAKER_01:But maybe then you it depends on how you feel about that. Aries probably will have the most intense year of all the signs because of Saturn and Neptune conjuncting their sun. Okay. Now Saturn is Saturn rules structure, and I always refer to Neptune as the fog. Okay? Because just like fog, you can put your hand out as you're driving through it. You can feel it, the moisture on your hand, but you can't see through it because Neptune moves real slow. And you have to allow that stuff to sort of, they're like amoeba. They have to kind of permeate through your cells, okay? And then all of a sudden there'll be an opening in the fog and you'll see clearly, and the next thing, boom, the fog's back. With Neptune, you don't see clearly until the fog is is moved on, until the weather conditions have changed. Okay. So Neptune's going to be in Aries for a while, but basically, the early to mid-Aries people, those people born between March 21st and April 4th, will probably feel the most intensity from these planets going through their signs. They sort of, what you need to understand about Saturn and Neptune, they kind of are the antithesis of one another. Saturn is the 3D world, Neptune is the 5D world. So when you think about it, it's an integration of your current form with a more spiritual elevated mentality. So these early degree, these mid early to mid-degree Aries people, like I said, between 321 and 4'4, they're going to go through some pretty interesting transformational shifts. Okay.
Brett:So this is Aries.
SPEAKER_01:This is Aries.
Brett:They're going to have that.
SPEAKER_01:They're going to have they're going to be probably the most intense. Now, I will tell you that early degree Geminis from 520 that were born between 522 and 527 will be buzzed all freaking year. Okay. Buzzed? Buzzed. Buzzed. Okay. I'm telling you, that that is, I've got an early degree Gemini ascendant. That's how I've been. Waiting for Uranus to come across my ascendant. Well, they're going to be the same thing with their sons. So Uranus rules it's the planet of rebellion, independence, freedom, and it's also conjuncting with the Gemini Mercury, which is speed. So they're going to be buzzed. They're going to be like on uh you think Red Bull's bad? Just wait till you have your Iranian transit in Gemini.
Brett:Okay, so that's Gemini people are just going to be like all over the place.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you take the duality, okay, and you square it, amplify it by four.
SPEAKER_05:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:So they're gonna be into the fourth power. Okay. So don't don't don't put a uh don't put a a a rope around a Gemini's leg this year because they're they're gonna they they'll fly so fast that they'll they'll rip the rope right out of your hands. Okay. Okay. All right.
Brett:Who else has an interesting year?
SPEAKER_01:And then the Sagittarians, they're probably the the next one that's gonna have the most interesting transits. And I'm talking about the early degree Sages. They're gonna feel uh Uranus will be opposing their son, those people born between 1123 and 1126. They'll be there'll be a polarity between be pulling them to more freedom and unique identity, okay, with that Uranian opposing their son. Now, that's not a bad thing for Sagittarians because Sagittarius people are ruled by Jupiter, so they're used to exploring and expanding and moving. Okay. So that's gonna that Uranian opposition is probably gonna feel pretty okay to them. It's not something that they're really gonna feel real weird about. In early July, Sagittarians will feel the boost of the Leo sun energy because cancer moves into Leo and it will be trining, which forms the most. So just as an FYI, if you look at all the, I'm an architect, so I go back to the basic geometry of things. And the most reliable structure shape that we have is not a square. Structurally, it's a triangle. And if you look at all the buildings that you're in, they're all built on triangular trusses, the structure. So the triangle is the most strongest, more efficient flow of energy that you have of all the different shapes. A trine means it is one leg of a triangle. So when you have a planet such as Jupiter moving into Leo, which is the leader, and it's a fire sign, and that's why people make fun of people who have Leo in their charts. My adage about Leo is beat me, bore me, just don't ignore me. I gotta be somewhere out there in the front. This will be a possibly in early July, the Sagittarians will start to feel maybe being propelled into a leadership role. Okay. Maybe they have some promotion at work that pushes them up into a leadership position. And then Saturn and Neptune will be trying their sun starting in early February and continuing for the rest of the year. So with the natural impulse of Sagittarians liking to travel and to journey to different cultures to learn new things, because that's a basis of their DNA, they're gonna have this structure and uh metaphysical understanding of the whole world being connected and at one, okay, because of Neptune. And they're gonna they're gonna get a trying from that. So they may have a uh spiritual growth that particularly impacts them as well. Okay. So I think Sagittarians probably have the easiest road this year because of all the training aspects. They're probably gonna have the easiest road, but it will be a year of growth and development for them as well. Okay. Like it won't be right on top of them, like the Geminis and the Aquarians that are going through this. Um the cancers, hey man, y'all you're gonna you're gonna finally get rid of Jupiter and cancer. Those people born between 7-7 and 721, there's finally gonna be leaving. So you got six months of growth and expansion, and then you're gonna get a break. You'll finally get to curl up in that ball and and nurse all those emotional feelings that you've felt threatened by all year. And you'll go, okay, thank God that's over with. Okay. Can I go back to my crabshell now? Um, a little bit of humor anyway. Pisces, same way. Pisces, the late degree Pisces, those people born between 317 and 320 will finish up their slow cleanse of their life force energy, that Saturn-Neptune transit. They'll be finishing that up early. And like I said, by when when it moves into Aries into February, they're gonna finally get a break. They're not gonna feel the heaviness of Neptune and Saturn working against their sun. Now, remember, when I'm doing this, I'm only talking about the sun sign. Your chart is as unique as your fingerprint.
Brett:Right. And we're definitely talking in generalities here. We're talking generalities. We we can't get specific with everybody. Correct. But we can expect some changes. Some people are gonna feel like, oh my gosh, thank goodness this is gone, that kind of a thing.
SPEAKER_01:There's a lot of people that are gonna feel that, especially the Scorpios. We've had we've had so much stuff going through Scorpio. They finally get a break in February. So the cancers, the Scorpios, they've been feeling this heavy Scorpionic energy. At one point, we had like five planets in Scorpio, and everybody was like on the borderline of feeling like they needed to slit their wrist. This was in October, November. I don't know if well, hey, Lily died October 14th. And for those of us who were with Lily, God, we we weren't sure we were gonna make it till New Year's. Because the energy was so heavy in Scorpio with this Saturn, Neptune dealing with the other realm at the same time trying to deal with the realm here and just being overwhelmed with all that Scorpionic energy. Fortunately, now it has moved into Capricorn. Most of the uh personal planets have. And if you've got an early degree Capricorn sun, which I do, that's part of the reason I'm not sleeping, because I'm just like off the charts.
Brett:But who else do we need to hit? We we've hit what? Okay.
SPEAKER_01:We've talked about pi, we've talked about Capricorn, we've talked about Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurinians, the Taurus clan, they will finish up their Uranus transit of their sun. Um, and that will happen around February. They'll finish that up the early February. The stubborn bulls are gonna get a relief from this uh Uranus energy, which has been probably really messing with them because taur Tauruses are the fixed earth sign. I'm a Taurus, but I'm an early one. You get that. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Totally fixed. Yeah, totally fixed. Yes.
Brett:That's why the that's why the Uranian stuff just so you're you're in for a break.
SPEAKER_01:You're in for a break, okay? Yeah. Um, and then it's interesting, the Libras, I haven't talked about the Libras yet. You will feel the effects of Pluto and Uranus all year. Now, it's not directly on your sun, but what's happening is those early degrees of Libra are the midpoints between Pluto and Uranus. So we talked about before that the Geminis are experiencing end to the fourth degree power. Take that down to end to the two, and that's what the Librons will experience because it's a midpoint. It's not a direct impact on them, it's not a direct hit, but they're gonna still feel that energy and the early degree Libra signs. So they're gonna have a certain sense of unrest, a certain sense of restlessness because that's what that Uranian energy is, and Pluto causes unrest because it's making you evaluate what doesn't work and change it into what does work. Librons will will not go unscathed, but it won't be nearly as bad as the Geminis and the Aquarians right now. Geminis and Aquarians, man, you y'all just better just just think like it's 1999, party like it's 1999 all year, and you'll be fine. Just expect the unexpected, okay?
Brett:That's that's that is definitely that's an easy way to get out of it, isn't it? I mean, yes. But it sounds like it's gonna be a year of letting things go, new things coming up, a little bit of a shake up, maybe. Yes, yes, a little bit of that. Yeah. Um, so and it sounds like the first part of the year possibly more intense than the second half. Is that what I was getting?
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Yes. When the planets start moving direct. Uh about February, you're gonna see the January. I mean, we we started January off with a bang with uh, you know, US invading Venezuela. I mean, like, seriously. And I saw something this morning from one astrologer about they looked at the astrology of it and it's like, yeah, it's all right here. Well, okay, great. That's that's that's awesome. But it's gonna get way more than that. And it's gonna be a personal thing for all of us. Like you said, you went to 500 BC and that's when democracy was developed.
Brett:So Yeah, it was just starting. I mean, it was like that was this the cradle of it.
SPEAKER_01:So maybe this is where a major shift to democracy happens.
Brett:Maybe. Let's hope. I mean, I I think there's there's some times that you you want to see it as long as it goes in the right direction.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I mean, not I'm not gonna get political. I think that most people are to the point now where they're just exhausted. I feel that.
Brett:And that's everybody feels that. And you were saying that that's astrologically kind of because of this muddy time that we've been in. So we're actually gonna get out of that a little bit more and a little bit more active. Yes. Which I don't think necessarily is a bad thing.
SPEAKER_01:It could be a good thing. Correct. Well, I think it's all very positive. I think it's I think it's gonna be an upbeat year. I think if you're not prepared to move forward, you might struggle a little bit.
Brett:Okay. So it's all about moving forward. It's all about moving forward. So let's keep that in mind. Okay, so that's 2026. Move forward. Let go of things that don't serve you. Right. Get rid of that, or or be prepared to get that rope burned. Correct. If you try to hold on too tight.
SPEAKER_01:Try and hold on too tight, you're gonna get rope burned. And and just don't be surprised. Just expect the unexpected. And if you go in with that mentality, then you'll enjoy the ride a lot more. Okay. Is sort of where I'm coming from.
Brett:Yeah, telling that to a Taurus. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I understand. I get it. I'm not sure. I'm gonna be all like, oh, I don't like it. I know, I know. But you've been going through it. You've been, you've been, you've had your own, you've already been through the Taurus people have already been experiencing this energy uh because Uranus has been in Taurus.
Brett:We have the preview.
SPEAKER_01:We've got the preview, but just understand that electromagnetic energy, it so this is an interesting thing because I like to study the science and I like to study the art of astrology. I like to bring it all together. And the science is we have electromagnetic energy in the form of coronal mass ejections and sunspots off the earth coming into our atmosphere all the time. All of our systems in our body are based off of electromagnetic frequencies. So we as humans are intended to experience electromagnetic energy. If we disrupt that too much, then we don't feel quite right. One of the things I've been doing this last year is I've been taking a lot of nature walks and doing photography. And I feel so much better. I feel so much more grounded.
Brett:So people already talk about that, about getting out, fresh air, all right. And so there you go.
SPEAKER_01:Because your body needs it. Your body, it's called the Schumann resonances. And you can actually, and I'm gonna plug Stefan Burns because he talks about it all the time. He's a geophysicist that's also into astrology. So he's trying to bring science and art together. I'm a Carl Jungian fan, so I come at astrology from a very personal Jungian impact because I think that helps us to develop better. To me, astrology is about a roadmap that everyone is born with certain DNA. Our charts all reflect between the planets and the asteroids in them and the signs and the houses. They're exponentially as intricate as your fingerprint. And some people are born with backhoes, some people are born with shovels. Some people come in with D8 loaders, okay? They can move a lot of all right, but it's what we do with what the tools that we have that make us successful in our life, whether it's on a spiritual plane, a physical plane, an emotional plane. It doesn't matter which plane you're on. It's about utilizing those tools to be the best that you can in life. And so to me, the map that we're the roads we're turning down this year are that of some important changes, some important adjustments that we need to do.
Brett:Well, the meeting of the 3D and the 5D. Correct. Coming together. Coming together to the 4D. Okay. Well, I'm talking to Lana Koble, and how do we find you?
SPEAKER_01:So I have a uh Facebook page. I I don't have my website up yet. My my Facebook page is called Up Up Uranus.
Brett:Okay. I think everybody's gonna be able to do that.
SPEAKER_01:Up yes, on Facebook. I have had that name since I started doing astrology consulting when I was 28. It has remained the same. I rebanded branded the logo to make it look a little bit more modern, but um basically, if if people don't have a sense of humor, I don't really want to read for them anyway. Okay. So if you don't laugh, I'm not interested.
Brett:All right. Well, I did definitely laugh. And it works on queer voices, I'm sure. I think a lot of fans of this. Well, thank you so much for taking big shoes, obviously. Lily was a treasure of our community, but we are so excited to have your input and your view. It's almost like having her still here in a way.
SPEAKER_01:That's that's the nicest, that's the nicest compliment you could ever give me, Brett.
unknown:Okay.
Brett:Oh, well, we all just loved her and we love you, and and we're so glad to have your input into this coming year. So I'm gonna I'm gonna mark, okay? Yeah, like get ready for changes and the merging of kind of spiritual and physical things and a lot of a lot of stuff. But of course, 2025 was in the indication. Five was a full-on bitch, okay. I could see that. I I would vouch for that. All right, well, thank you.
SPEAKER_01:Anytime, anytime you want you ever need anything, just reach out, Brett, okay? Oh, yeah, no, we will. All right. All right.
Deborah :This radio program, Clear Voices, has existed since the 1970s on KPFT. We have this little crew of folks working every week to produce what's no longer unique because we're almost mainstream now, but we're still an important voice that might not otherwise get heard because it's not on that many places. So KPFT is very important to give voices to those who might not otherwise have voices. So, as Glenn always says, you participate by listening, you should also participate by supporting the station. So please go to KPFT.org and make your donation right away.
Brett:Hi, this is Brett Cullum, and today I am joined by Daryl T. Joe, who is currently in Beauty and the Beast. It's a tour coming to the Hobby Center January 6th through the 18th. It's part of the Broadway at the Hobby Center season. And it's a big deal because let's face it, Beauty and the Beast hasn't toured in a while. So now the thing about Daryl is that he is from Houston. He graduated from Nimitz High School. And while there, he was in a production of Guys and Dolls that gave him the theater bug. So welcome, Daryl. We'll talk all about your H-Town theater experience. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_04:Happy New Year.
Brett:Yeah, happy new year to you. And this is the first show that's actually coming through the Hobby Center uh this year. So Beauty and the Beast, you guys get to sweep in. You know, we can be your guests.
SPEAKER_04:I'm I'm realizing as you said that this is probably this is the first time I've been performing in Houston since uh 2008. So yeah, well, I'll 2008 though?
Brett:Okay, well we'll we'll get into all of that. Yes, but you grew up here. Tell me about that. I mean, you obviously Nimitz High School, and I think you volunteered for the Hobby Center at one point.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, all these memories are coming back. Yeah, I went to Nimitz High School. I haven't heard anyone else say that. I guess I must have written that down somewhere. But yes, Nimitz High School, I'm from like the north side of Houston, C I-45 area. Yeah. Oh my gosh, brethren. But I I was a big band nerd throughout high school. Like I played the French Horn, the marching band, the regional band, all that stuff, and thought that I was gonna do that professionally. But then um my sophomore year of high school, Harry Morris, shout out to her. They were looking for more guys for the guys and dolls um production that they're doing, and they asked some of the band kids, and I auditioned and got it, and fell in love. And it's so funny how you can think you're going one direction, and then one little change makes you completely change your course. So I love that kind of butterfly effect.
Brett:Oh, it is, and it's always the way in high school and college. Like there's a sh guys that they can get for these productions. So they're always reeling in anybody they can kind of trick into being in it. And it's so funny because you do, you end up like going, oh wait, I don't know. This might be kind of fun. Okay, so you went through high school here and did you go to where did you go to college?
SPEAKER_04:Did you study theater after high school or so um little continuation of that? Uh in that musical, there was a choreographer that had a studio. I started training with her, and then I went to um where'd I go? UT Austin for one year, and then I heard of it. But um, they didn't have a musical theater program, so I ended up transferring to Sam Houston State, Eat Em Up. Right down the street.
Brett:Everybody seems to go to Sam Houston to do musical theater. What is that?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I mean, for the longest time it was one of the only programs in Texas. I think we have Texas State now, but yeah, it was it was a Lone Ranger for a long time. And it was a great school. Still is, I'm sure, but I haven't been there in years.
Brett:Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so you go to there. And now you live in New York, correct? Is that where you are?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. Um, so went to school, did a couple cruise ships, and then I moved to New York with two bags and a tuba chapstick, and I've lived there for about 15 years now, which makes me official, I think.
Brett:I think you're you're official then. Yeah. And it's so funny. I cannot tell you how many people come up through cruise ships now. A lot of people that I talk to on these tours or the big parts, I guess it's a good training ground. Because let's face it, if you can dance on a moving boat, you can probably dance.
SPEAKER_04:Amen. Yeah, it's a good way to like save some. I just graduated from college and need some money to move and start my life because you're not um paying for housing or food or anything. You're just drinking and collecting checks. So that that was how I got enough to get me on a plane to New York for sure.
Brett:So, okay, this tour, Beauty and the Beasts. I think you were telling me a little bit. You guys started rehearsing way back before the summer, and then like what is this tour? Is it a it's it's pretty close to the original Broadway show, or is there any things that you tinkered with?
SPEAKER_04:Sure. So this is um a they're calling it the 30th anniversary tour, the Broadway production that was mounted. Actually, it's uh its very first out-of-town tryout was at the Hobby Center in Houston in I believe in '94. And so it's the original team has reunited to mount a newly imagined, more up-to-date modern version. So we have our the original, I mean, we have Matt West, who is the director and choreographer, who was the original choreographer of the Broadway production. And then we have the writer, the same scenic design, the same costume design, and we're just taking what we know works and updating it and making it more fit for today's audiences. So um, I think I would like to say Bell is more of a woman than a girl in this production. That's my easiest way to explain it.
Brett:Well, Gerald, it's kind of cool because the show kind of has Houston roots, so do you. So a little mirror moment happening here. And who are you playing in this? I am a proud member of the ensemble for extraordinaire. Yeah, but like wait, I know that that can mean like various things. You probably play a uh quite a few characters, but like what are what are some of the things that you're doing?
SPEAKER_04:Well, to begin the show, I am the egg seller. You know the famous line, I need six eggs! I am the one selling the eggs in the beginning. And I am actually the very first, you can see my bonjour shirt I'm wearing. I'm the very first bonjour of the opening number. So if you're looking for me, you'll see me there. And then we play some some townies in Gaston's bar a little later. Become an enchanted object. I'm a fork for a little while.
Brett:That's what I was waiting for.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, I am a very, very talented fork and VR guest. And, you know, we have a dream ballet in act two, and then I'm a mobster. I and the angry mob at the end, you know, some fun character bits.
Brett:That's always what I've enjoyed about being part of the ensemble is that you're not stuck doing one thing. You just run around and you get to do the whole show as different people. But I was waiting to see what like you were in the BR guest, because I was like, oh my gosh, please tell me he's playing colory.
SPEAKER_04:This production, we kind of um, hmm, how do I explain this? We're kind of more leaning towards sort of dinner guests in a conceptual way. Like there's a bit where we have forks and knives, but then and spoons, but then there's a moment where I have some plates, and there's a moment where um I'm uh what's the other thing? I have like some napkins. Like we're just sort of enchanted objects at this very fancy dinner party. You have to see it too, I understand. But until the moment, so yeah.
Brett:Yeah. Well, do you have like a favorite part of this particular show?
SPEAKER_04:Yes, I always plug, I just sort of briefly mentioned the the dream ballet in act two, and this number is not in the original movie uh human again. Act two is a uh this uh this sort of the beginning of Act Two. The uh the enchanted objects are sort of reminiscing on what their lives used to be when they were human, and while they're sort of singing about oh, I can't wait to be human, so I can do this, so I can do that, there's um there's a dream ballet happening behind them, and we're kind of sort of acting out, dancing out their memories, and I just think that's a really beautiful moment in the show, and the lighting is very angelic, and we're wearing these beautiful all-white costumes. I don't want to give too much away, but yes, that is my favorite number in the show, I think. And I think audiences really resonate with that one. Yeah.
Brett:Well, I definitely think this story is interesting because it seems to work so well on stage. What do you think it is about Beauty and the Beast? Because I know sometimes I go to a Disney musical and there's a some work better than others when they get green to stage. But Beauty and the Beast works. I mean, it it really does. What do you think it is about it?
SPEAKER_04:Oh, that's a good question. I think I'm gonna get on my high horse a bit. I think Beauty and the Beast is when you're talking the classic Disney animated films. This was the golden age, you know, the the 90s when they had uh Little Mermaid, Lion King, Dinvis, uh Aladdin. Those are my top four. And Beauty and the Beast is definitely one of my favorites of that era. And I think with that just comes a built-in audience of people that already that already hold the story so dear to them. So many of us have grew up with it. So many people say, This was my first community theater production, this was my first show I ever saw on Broadway. Like this story has something personal to just about everyone. So I think that's one thing that makes it special. Two, I really like the message. What is the message? I'm gonna get preachy, but I think right now and today we're kind of living in this unfortunate circumstance where differences are dividing us as a nation. And I think one of the themes in this story, one of my favorite lines from the show is we don't like what we don't understand. In fact, it scares us, which happens in the mob song when we're angry and wanting to kill the beast. And I think this is a story about two oddballs who aren't really liked by the outside finding each other, and we see that you know, beyond the exterior, there's beauty and kindness within. And I think that is an important message for us today as a society. Woo!
Brett:That's okay. No, breach on. We'll go. Now it seems like we know a couple of the same folks here in H Town, and I wanted to ask you just really quickly, are you part of the LGBTQIA plus community? I am proudly. Okay, but resist. And it's definitely a show. I think there's a it's a show that does appeal to our community, even though it's not explicitly about that. Uh, but you summed it up so nicely in the sense of that what we don't understand, we fear. And I think that seeing that so much today. Oh my gosh. I mean, there is, especially here in Texas, and of course you grew up here, so you know that there's kind of this power dynamic that makes it a little bit uncomfortable. And and right now I feel like we're at this point in our community where there's a lot of legislation and different things going on at people. So glad to what do you think of the differences between living here and living in New York? I mean, what did you see? Exactly what I was gonna say.
SPEAKER_04:I tend to realize that I'm I kind of am fortunate enough to kind of live in a bubble because in New York, nine times out of ten, everyone thinks like you do. Like people sort of migrate to that city because they want to feel included. So it's it's a little humbling when you're back in Texas. We've been in Dallas, we've been in Austin, we've been in San Antonio, and you remember, oh right, the whole nation isn't necessarily on your side. Granted, I've always felt that the metrop metropolitan, excuse me, the metropolitan cities of Texas have always been a little more liberal leaning than the smaller cities. Today I was driving, actually drove in from Houston. I'm in Dallas right now, and I I saw some billboards that I didn't really like on my drive. And I was like, all right, I'm in Texas. It was something about um get rid of the illegals or something, and I was like, oh my gosh, on a billboard, really? Yeah. I'm I'm fortunate to live in New York where lots of people think like me, but we are there's wonderfully open-minded liberal minds and hearts all throughout Texas, especially in Houston. And I'm excited.
Brett:Well, Houston, yeah, and and Houston, I would say, uh has gone blue every election. Yeah. We had a lesbian mayor. I mean, come on. I you know, I think that we're a little bit more, but every once in a while I am reminded. And it it definitely is when I see the audiences, especially at a Disney show, because the Disney show attracts a wide swath, really strong swing in the audience itself. And it's always wild to see that. And that's one of the things I do love is that at least we all come together in the dark and kind of watch this beautiful story, regardless of our politics.
SPEAKER_04:And yeah, I'll comment on that. What I love about the show, the audiences have been so diverse. We'll see a ton of little girls in bell dresses, we'll see some boys dressed as bees, and then we see our share of Disney adults who we love who are also dressed up. And it's just, I think people just come into this theater and they forget the outside world and they're living their Disney dreams. I think that's a beautiful thing.
Brett:Well, I will say, drug, I drug my husband to see The Little Mermaid, and I think he was horrified at the amount of 12-year-old girls in red wigs.
SPEAKER_04:Why are we here? You are wearing a red wig?
Brett:You know, I saved it until intermission, but you know, can I yeah, no, I mean it would definitely, it's it's interesting the uh the connections there and and the I always love going to see like my favorite is The Lion King, seeing that in Houston, and not even because I mean it's a brilliant show, totally designed very well, but it's just so much fun to watch all the kids and have them all dressed up as these animals and stuff is so cute. So I'm looking forward to that actually. I always appreciate that about the Disney shows, is there is that that factor of it that you you just can't escape, and you get to be like a little kid again for a little while. And that's my job, and what a privilege that is, you know.
SPEAKER_04:I gotta remind myself those things when I'm you have a great job, Daryl. Yes.
Brett:Yeah. So how long is this tour? You've you've got a while, right? I mean that you said you were about halfway.
SPEAKER_04:We've been on the road for about six months now. This tour, I believe, is at the moment open-ended. So no end date yet. You're gonna be in trouble.
Brett:You're gonna be doing us for a long, long time.
SPEAKER_04:Hey, maybe I'll never leave. Who knows? But um, I have some friends that did that.
Brett:The like joined Phantom of the Opera and just never left.
SPEAKER_04:This could be the next Phantom or Lion King or Wicked. We'll see. But we have dates out announced up until I think September, but the tour is gonna go at least another couple more years.
Brett:Well, let me ask you this because uh we were talking about this beforehand, but how do you keep it fresh? I mean, you've been doing it for six months, you're gonna be doing it for at least six months more. It's gonna be open-ended. How do you approach this material night after night and and keep it fresh? I mean, how do you like say, okay, I'm gonna be a fork again, and I'm gonna be excited about it.
SPEAKER_04:That is actually such a great question. I've been asked this before. Um, I think one thing on tour that is very, very important is to I keep talking about bubbles. Remember that you are a person outside of this job, outside of the circle of the same people you see every day, the same routine. Anytime, and it's it's a great thing when you're touring to take advantage of this. Anytime you're I'm in a town, this person I went to college with lives here, or my my aunt so-and-so, my uncle Baba Ba lives here. Like, it's really important to go and see somebody that isn't in your circle of people that you see every day because it really fills your cup in a way of, oh, right, this is who I am outside of this job that I do every day. So the little moments like that of just checking in with the outside world really kind of make me more excited to get back to work because you're like, all right, you get to step outside uh and look at yourself and what you're doing and the cool things that you're doing every day and you know, reflect and be grateful. But as far as actual performance, I think it's always fun. We we joke a lot about um we kind of go on autopilot to like anytime we have rehearsals or cleaning session, they'll be like, oh, what's that step? And you you don't know what it is unless you do it full out because your body is just like a rope. So sometimes um friend, a colleague, a castmate of mine, we we sing this little moment in the beginning of the show and we try to change up the gestures that we do. Like the line is cuz her head's up on some cloud, and sometimes I'll point to the clouds, or sometimes I'll nudge her. We just make sure that whatever we do to relate to each other is not the same thing every day. You just have to like stuff that's allowed to change, of course. Not changing pot of a raid, double turns, steps, but just like any kind of little small things you can do each day that stay within the story but keep it fresh is really fun. Little things like that.
Brett:Okay, now you mentioned, yeah, you mentioned dance. Obviously, you're a big dancer. You're singer, actor. Of the three, what do you like the best? Like if you had to pick one. Ooh.
SPEAKER_04:You know, that answer changes every time I'm asked. I I'm actually like lately, I've been wanting to get more into like acting, acting. Like, I think my next chapter, I really want to explore more like the the TV film world. Because that's probably the least that I've gotten the opportunities to pursue. Because being a strong dancer, that kind of like kind of automatically puts you in this box of oh, this is the person who dances. So we can put them in the ensemble and then maybe they can understudy. I really I really am interested in acting more. But but I but I love dancing, I love singing. I also really like uh teaching dance and I'm hopeful hopefully gonna be able to do some master classes while I'm in while I'm in Houston. But yeah, I think and then I love singing. I love it all. It's a selfie's choice. It's a selfie's choice, but yeah, at different periods in my life there there have been different answers. But currently I'm most more interested in pursuing some acting opportunities. So we'll see what the future holds.
Brett:Well, that's it, and you don't know yet because you're on this eternal tour. There's who knows how long it'll go on for. But yes, no, but at least you get to know that you've got this gig. As an actor, good gosh, that is a nice feeling.
SPEAKER_04:And like what the world is going through right now, but these possible recession and all of this, it's good to have some steady work that is good work. So I'm very grateful for that.
Brett:Well, we are totally excited to see you. Hobby Center, January 6th through the 18th, of course, Beauty and the Beast, the tale is all the time. Coming back for this 30th anniversary tour. And it's so amazing because obviously we were the try-out city for a lot of the things that got developed in that Broadway show. So we can come back and see how it's changed after we do that. Daryl, thank you so much though for hanging out with me talking all things Beauty and the Beast and some other things, and and celebrating our legacy of Nimitz and North's I use it. I would I would decline for us. So there you go. Okay, I was gonna ask. Yeah, and I didn't do guys and dolls, I did music man. So that's another life problem, for sure. Where they yeah, where they get the guys and grab them and go, hey, you come here. We're doomed once that happens. Thank you, break legs. We'll see you at the hobby center. Thanks so much. Thank you for listening to Queer Voices. As all shows on KPFT 90.1, Houston, we are listener-funded. Please consider going to kpft.org and making a donation. Queer Voices is produced by a team of volunteers. You can find out more about us at queervoices.org. Producers include Brian Lavinka, Deborah Bell, and Brett Cullum. Frequent contributors are Arlie Ingalls, David Smendoza DeRuzman, Joel Tatum, and Jacob Newsom.
SPEAKER_03:This has been Queer Voices, heard on APFT Houston, and as a podcast available from several podcasting sources. Check our webpage queervoices.org for more information.
