In this episode, Britten LaRue is joined by artist, astrologer, and mom extraordinaire, Janessa Quinn, for an intimate and revealing conversation about what it's like to live inside the active moment of political crisis in Minnesota. Janessa shares firsthand experiences of community response to ICE activity, the emergence of underground networks of care, and the psychological and logistical realities of daily life under what many are calling an occupation. Together, they reflect on astrology as a contextual anchor and explore what it means to stop asking systems to save us and instead build something new through relationship, proximity, and care.

Topics They Cover:

Janessa's personal and geographic context: growing up between South Florida and Minnesota, and how Minnesota's rule-following culture shapes both resistance and collective response
How the murder of George Floyd marked a turning point that seeded long-term mutual aid, underground care networks, and community organizing that are now being reactivated

What daily life looks like inside the current situation in Minnesota: hypervigilance, checking maps, encrypted group chats, anonymous coordination, and the emotional toll of living in multiple realities at once

Parenting through crisis: how Janessa talks with her children about ICE, safety, kidnapping, and the presence of helpers without sugarcoating what's happening

The concept of occupation: why that word fits, how it feels psychologically and physically, and how it echoes historical moments of wartime normalization

The role of local businesses, neighbors, and mutual aid becoming acts of resistance

Astrology as both a witness and compass: Pluto in Aquarius, Jupiter in Cancer, the Aries Point, and the tension between urgency, force, love, and long-term capacity-building

Capacity building and self-care as survival skills: tending energy, restoring capacity, and preparing for what may continue or spread beyond Minnesota

About Janessa Quinn:

Janessa Quinn is an artist, astrologer, and mom extraordinaire located in Minnesota. As a tender of flame and keeper of hearth, she is here to inspire and encourage others to liberate themselves by remembering their fire within. With the help of her 8th house Libra sun and fiery chart ruler, Jupiter in Aries, Janessa illuminates the treasure we can only find in the dark and boldly shares it with the world via her many offerings, including one-on-one consultations, workshops, writing, and her podcast, The Astro Garden.

You can find out more about Janessa's work at her website, byjoveastrology.com or on Instagram at @byjoveastro. Janessa's podcast is available on all streaming platforms, including YouTube, and her writing is available both on her website and her Substack, https://byjoveastrology.substack.com/.

Website: byjoveastrology.com

Instagram: instagram.com/byjoveastro

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@byjoveastro

Substack: https://byjoveastrology.substack.com/

Resources:

ICE Observer Training: https://open.substack.com/pub/statesatthecore/p/community-defense-and-ice-watch (they have a website, https://www.stacup.org, but this substack post seems to be the best place for upcoming virtual trainings)

Stand With Minnesota: This link has multiple options for donating and as well as a really solid list of local and independent news sources to keep informed about what is actually happening here: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

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Learn More about The Magician's Table:

The Magician's Table is a 3-month container for personal growth, community connection, and practice growing one's tools as an intuitive and magical practitioner. Doors open on Sunday, February 22nd, with an early bird window and a Pick Your Tuition model offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Britten invites you to take your time attuning to the container, exploring the course page, and feeling into whether this experience is a true yes for you.

Join the waitlist: https://mailchi.mp/brittenlarue/tmt-2026-waitlist

Visit the course page: https://brittenlarue.com/course/the-magicians-table/

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Introducing the 13th Readers for 2026:

Arizona Smith: @arizonasmithhealing

Leanne Thurogood: @oftheearthesoteric

Lily Hussey: @goodhussey

Suprasensory Shahir: @suprasensoryshahir

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Learn More about The Dream Real:

Coming February 20, as you may well know, we have a major astrological moment in time. The planet of Dream (Neptune) conjoins the planet of Realization (Saturn) at the ZERO degree of Aries, the very first degree of the whole zodiac.

This is rare. This matters. This is the moment.

You are invited to join us for The Dream Real: a global spell for personal and collective dream-realizing.

We're doing BIG MAGIC. It'll be wild, and weird, and effective.

We hope to see you there!

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E M E R G E N C E A S T R O L O G Y

⁠⁠https://brittenlarue.com/

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@brittenlarue

Order Living Astrology

Join my newsletter here

Check out my new podcast CRYSTAL BALLERS on Spotify, Podbean, and Apple.

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Podcast art: Angela George. Podcast music: Jonathan Koe.

221. Living Inside the Occupation with Janessa Quinn