Podcast Summary: "Listener Stories: Vol. 112 feat. Aliza Kelly"

And That's Why We Drink – Feb 1, 2026
Hosts: Christine Schiefer, Em Schulz
Guest: Aliza Kelly (Spiritual Empowerment Expert, Astrologer)

Episode Overview

This special Listener Stories episode is a blend of chilling personal tales—both paranormal and true crime—with a heavy dose of astrological insight courtesy of guest Aliza Kelly. The hosts, Christine and Em, bring their signature humor, banter, and curiosity, exploring their own birth charts, listener-submitted stories tied to their birthdays, and probing questions about the intersection of astrology and eerie real-world events.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Introduction of Guest Aliza Kelly ([02:26]–[03:58])

• Christine introduces Aliza with a rundown of her many accolades in astrology and spirituality.
• Aliza jokes, "It's always so embarrassing when someone says [your accolades] in front of you." ([03:40])
• Christine: "You deserve the accolades because that's a lot of time put in. So. Congratulations." ([03:46])
• Aliza: "I'm a Capricorn Rising, so. Yeah, it never stops." ([03:58])
• Astro banter: The hosts admit to being astrology dabblers with recurring jokes about Gemini and Scorpio dynamics.

2. Listener Stories Tied to Hosts’ Birthdays ([06:44]–[14:29])

A. Haunted House and Gemini Daughter ([07:03]–[11:16])

• Story from "Yorgina" involving haunted happenings in a house after giving birth to a daughter on Christine’s birthday (June 4th).
• Creepy details: baby stares at stairs, says there are "eyes on the stairs", talks to "friends under the floor" (described as hot), mentions "the other mommy" and a "man in the bedroom".
• Gemini commentary:
  • Aliza: "The more she's able to talk, the creepier things got. That is a tale as old as Gemini. And that's not even exclusively paranormal." ([08:41])
  • Christine & Em riff on Gemini’s talkative, “double trouble” energy paralleling the story’s twins and “the other mommy”.

B. Astrological Connections to Paranormal Sensitivity ([11:19]–[14:03])

• Em asks if certain zodiac signs are more spiritually attuned.
• Aliza: "Every sign can be connected...it’s less about the zodiac sign itself, and more about chart configuration—levels of open-mindedness, identifying experiences as supernatural." ([12:04])
• Memorable: "Every sign is witching. Every sign just has a different way of being able to tap into that." ([12:44])
• Aliza personally relates: “I have a very spooky chart...astrologers of yore would have considered a hard, difficult, challenging chart.” ([13:07])
• Empowerment theme: “Making sure that people recognize the opportunities in their chart, even when they're more challenging ones.” ([14:03])

3. True Crime Listener Story for Em’s Birthday ([17:14]–[27:39])

Story: How Well Do You Really Know Your Neighbors? (Guelph, Canada, 2014)

• Listener "Tay" recounts neighbor Stefan Dietrich’s murder of his wife, Mimi, in a chilling, underreported Canadian crime.
• Key points: Mimi disappears; months later Stefan is arrested—her body is found buried in the yard. He had forged documents, misled family, and had an ongoing affair.
• Gritty humor in response, e.g.:
  • Em: "His writing really threw me off. I have a family. Yes, I'm happy. No. What sign is that? Because that's the worst sign." ([22:43])
  • Aliza: On Stefan searching “where can I buy chloroform?” on Ask.com: "If he's going on ask.com...say less." ([24:19])
• Discussion follows about event charts and whether major events shift astrological energies ([28:00]–[31:03]).

4. Astrology of Events vs. Births ([28:31]–[33:11])

• Aliza explains that significant historical events, like births, have their own charts. An event’s energies and a person’s birth chart of the same day share cosmic "weather" but outcomes differ.
  • Aliza: “Events also have birth charts… mystically, that energy is the same. Right. It's just manifesting differently.” ([28:31]–[29:15])
• She shares personal resonance: "I was born August 18, 1989, which happened to be the Menendez murders, at that exact same day."
• Notable: 2026 is a landmark year in astrology, "Saturn and Neptune connecting for the first time in 36 years...last time was 1989, corresponding with the fall of the Berlin Wall." ([31:06])

5. Special Listener Story: The Brownie and the Heimlich ([33:11]–[41:12])

• Amy’s story: At 9, Amy saved her brother with the Heimlich maneuver just after earning her Girl Scouts badge; 24 years later her own son did the same.
• Humorous but touching banter about badges, Girl Scouts, and trying (or not) to be handy in a crisis.
• Aliza speculates: “This feels very Aries to me...I will take the bear attack if I get the badges.” ([34:13])
• Amy’s story is validated with a newspaper clipping—prompting more joking, “I learned how to make rice balls in Girl Scouts. Not, not this.” ([38:17])
• Broader theme: skills, preparedness, and generational heroism.

6. Astrological Hot Seat: Sun, Moon, and Rising Deep Dive ([44:08]–[55:21])

A. The Hosts’ Charts, Explained

• Aliza gives a detailed breakdown of Christine and Em’s big three signs, reframing common misconceptions.
  • Sun: identity, ego, external traits.
  • Moon: internal state, emotional variability.
  • Rising: your lens on the world, not a “mask,” but the “why” behind you.
  • Virgo Rising in Em: “How we distinguish sun, moon, and rising...the world through your eyes.” ([50:01])
  • Insight: “Your commentary is also really, at its core, your mission is to help other people find the confidence to talk too...to communicate their truth.” ([55:21])
• Em: “Maybe I can see it now...I feel like I needed the reframe of what a rising sign was, I think, to understand that.” ([54:11]–[54:18])

B. Christine’s Chart: Double Aquarius ([55:34]–[57:36])

• Christine: Gemini Sun, Aquarius Moon and Rising.
• Aliza: “Let’s be real here. Like, nothing matters.” ([56:36])
• Christine laughs: "That's my favorite line... Usually I broke something and we'll always just say, nothing matters. It's fine. Nothing matters." ([56:44])
• Aliza: "For you, being lunar is actually a very important part of your identity...your feelings about things are an important part of who you are." ([57:38])

7. Chart Compatibility and Cosmic Connections ([59:08]–[61:54])

• Christine and Em are “twins” astrologically: born one year and one day apart, with the same Sun degree in Gemini.
• Aliza: "Every Gemini's pursuit is to find its twin. That is the mission of every Gemini." ([60:42])
• Aliza’s own signs revealed: Leo Sun, Pisces Moon—demonstrating the diversity in astrological types, even among astrologers.

8. Auspicious 2026 Astrological Forecast ([62:33]–[63:41])

• Christine is entering a “Jupiter return”—a once-every-12-years “lucky abundant” period, highlighting partnership opportunities.
  • Notable: Last Jupiter return (2014) was the year Christine met her husband.
  • Aliza: “So there’s gonna be another important partnership coming through this year.” ([63:20])
  • Em’s Jupiter Return comes in 2027.

9. Aliza’s Plug and Episode Wrap ([64:00]–[65:02])

• Aliza directs listeners to her podcast, Horoscope Weekly, for weekly astrological guidance.
• Classic group signoff, blending podcast and astrological humor.

Selected Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• Aliza (on Gemini energy): "The more she's able to talk, the creepier things got. That is a tale as old as Gemini." ([08:41])
• Aliza (on astrological openness): "Every sign is witching. Every sign just has a different way of being able to tap into that." ([12:44])
• Em (on true crime story): "His writing really threw me off. I have a family. Yes, I'm happy. No. What sign is that? Because that's the worst sign." ([22:43])
• Aliza (on event astrology): “Events also have birth charts… mystically, that energy is the same. Right. It's just manifesting differently.” ([28:31])
• Christine (on existentialism): "Let's everybody be serious and remember that nothing matters. Yes, exactly." ([56:51])
• Aliza (about hosts' cosmic connection): "Every Gemini's pursuit is to find its twin. That is the mission of every Gemini." ([60:42])
• Aliza (forecast for Christine): “There’s gonna be another important partnership coming through this year.” ([63:20])

Important Segment Timestamps

• [03:40] – Aliza's intro and humor about accolades
• [07:03] – Gemini-themed haunted house listener story
• [17:14] – Canadian true crime story, tied to Em’s birthday
• [28:31] – Aliza on astrology of events vs. people
• [33:11] – Girl Scout Heimlich rescue listener story
• [44:41] – Deep dive into sun, moon, rising
• [55:34] – Christine’s chart and “nothing matters” Aquarius inside joke
• [60:42] – Twin Geminis: chart overlap, cosmic friendship
• [62:33] – Aliza’s 2026 Jupiter forecast for Christine

Tone & Energy

• Warm, playful, banter-heavy: The hosts are unafraid to riff, roast, and share personal vulnerabilities and humor, balancing spooky stories with irreverence and camaraderie.
• Curious and reflective: The astrology Q&A brings out honest admissions about self-knowledge, skepticism, and personality.
• Empowering and affirming: Aliza’s approach to astrology is inclusive and uplifting, aiming to see potential in every chart—even the “spooky” ones.

For New Listeners

This episode is an engaging entry point to “And That’s Why We Drink,” showing off their blend of horror, humor, genuine listener connection, and a deep-dive into an ever-popular topic: astrology. The cosmic angle offers entertaining self-reflection alongside true tales of the strange and chilling—from ghosts on the stairs to grim backyard secrets—making for a lively, relatable, and dynamic hour-plus of podcasting.

Explore more: Listen to Aliza’s Horoscope Weekly for ongoing astrology insights!