Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Noel.
Hi Leah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The timing of this interview couldn’t be more fortuitous.
I sit here, now, newly on the other side of my “chrysalis journey,” with a deep and unshakeable knowing of who I am and what I am capable of. For years, I’ve been undergoing metamorphosis that has led me into this becoming:
I am an astrologer, storyteller, and metaphysical death doula. I use the art of storytelling, the magic of ritual, and the language of the stars to midwife people through life’s profound thresholds, helping them navigate endings and unravellings that are ultimately new beginnings.
But I didn’t get here without a tremendous underworld journey that tested me to my core.
And it was precisely these tools–storytelling, ritual, astrology, and my training as a death doula–that guided me through the darkness. I always knew my unique quadriad of passions would braid together powerfully, but I couldn’t put my finger on precisely how, until the currents of Life pulled me into this journey of unravelling and I put it all to the test myself.
The road I have traveled is a deeply difficult one, but it isn’t unique: Religious deconstruction (and the loss of relationships and perceived community as a result), conflict and pushback as I became more authentically “me,” and confusion, anxiety, and grief that are part and parcel of such a process. Finally, I went through the necessary but very difficult process of divorce, which also required multiple moves in one year.
I know I’m far from the only one to go through such things. And that’s exactly why I do what I do.
Because I’m deeply serious when I say that the magic of ritual, the art of storytelling as meaning-making, and the power of astrology were my lanterns through the dark–and I want to help others.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Do you think a caterpillar knows what it’s doing when it begins to form its chrysalis?
Or do you think the process sort of intuitively happens, pulling the being along in its tide, perhaps the way labor pains crest and require full surrender?
I have often wondered this. I know my journey has felt so: Sometimes feeling my way in the dark, other times a sudden flash of knowing–but always, a deep understanding that I must keep going, that staying where I was (whether that was stagnant, or simply silent) would mean atrophy. Of heart and soul, of relationship, of life.
Maybe those reading this know the feeling, too.
I grew up in a religious environment that placed layers of repression and expectation upon me, like it does for countless women. I performed the roles I was cast in well, but always felt my true self aching deep within. In 2018, I began to shed these skins, but only in secret, knowing that if the community around me knew, I would lose them (it reminds me of the lyrics from “Defying Gravity,” in “Wicked”: “Too long I’ve been afraid of losing love I guess I’ve lost / Well if that’s love, it comes at much too high a cost.”).
As time went on, I began to take small but meaningful steps toward authenticity, and experienced more loss and rejection as a result. And all the while, I was experiencing literary rejection as well. My second novel was rejected by every agent I queried, and the path I hoped for as an author felt as though it was dissolving underfoot.
COVID inspired me to train as a death doula (talk about a sudden left turn). The pandemic shook up death anxiety in everyone, including me, and I recognized that the only way out, was through: Our culture needs death doulas, and I would train as one. During my training in the Nine Keys Death Midwifery Apprenticeship, my mentor Narinder Bazen said to me, “Leah, I know you’re here to become a death doula, but I feel like you are also here because you are ‘dying’ as well.”
Neither of us could have known at the time how true that was.
While still training as a death doula, I connected with my astrology teacher, Carrie Johnson of Starcrow Astrology. “Leah, I know you are a writer,” she said, “but when I look at your chart, I really think you could speak. When you speak your truth, you will become the wounded healer and build your community.”
I began to write, and speak, and learn who could follow me on my journey and who could not. And yet I had a rejected manuscript and this strange amalgamation of skills that had to do with death, grief, the stars, and stories. Where on earth was I headed? What was I becoming?
One night, I held a ritual for myself.
I cleared out my closet of clothing that represented my “costumes”: The roles I played like an acclaimed actress, but which were only performances nonetheless. The linen lavender dress that represented my “crunchy Christian mom” era; the coiffed and too-perfect clothing of the suburban churchgoer… I laid them all around my back porch, with roses on their center like a funeral for each one. And I stood in the middle like an actress backstage, surrounded by costumes.
And I asked myself, “But where are MY clothes? The ones I came here in?”
I was determined to be me. I would rescue my soul relentlessly, and find out who could meet me in my authenticity. The following years brought hardship, pain, conflict, and loss – but also freedom, authenticity, and true, deep connection with those who really loved the real me, not the woman who performed roles placed upon her by culture.
And meanwhile, I crossed paths with others who were navigating major life transitions and metamorphosis as well. My death doula training didn’t bring me to the bedside of those who were physically dying, but to the chrysalis of those who were metaphysically transforming — and I was uniquely equipped to help them, with my training in death and grief, and stories and stars.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Life is a constant dance of death and rebirth — shedding skins, stepping across thresholds, and becoming someone new. At Chrysalis and Cauldron, I hold space for these metamorphic passages. Through astrology, ritual, and storytelling, I help clients navigate the unraveling, honor what is ending, and emerge from their chrysalis with courage, clarity, and new wings.
As an astrologer, death doula, and storyteller, my work is rooted in the rhythm of the stars and the cycles of nature. Together, we create rituals that bridge the material and the spiritual, turning grief into meaning, endings into doorways, and uncertainty into wonder. Whether you are deconstructing old beliefs, moving through divorce, or entering a profound life transition, I am here to guide you with creativity and care.
This work is midwifery for the soul. It is about meeting you at the threshold of your becoming — weaving astrology, ritual, and story into tools of transformation, so you can emerge from the cocoon fully alive, fully yourself.
I have been the house astrologer for a shop in Roswell, where I led new and full moon rituals, taught workshops, classes, and private readings. I currently practice in Woodstock, Georgia, and online, offering various kinds of astrology readings, as well as ritual design consultation.
This year, I will debut Planets of Transformation: Astrology for Your Death-Rebirth Journey, a six-month group offering that will braid together astrology, playful and magical ritual, and storytelling for those on a journey of metamorphosis. I’m so excited for this!
I am also an author of two novels: “While Cerberus Sleeps” (a dystopian sci-fi story) and “The Innis Forgettance,” a spooky fantasy set in an alternate-Appalachia, which I also adapted into an award-winning audiodrama podcast.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Although astrology has existed on the fringes of society for much of modern history, I see it taking a larger role in helping others find orientation during uncertain times — on levels both personal and collective. Exposure to astrology on social media is helping newcomers see that it is a nuanced modality, going far beyond overly simplified sun-sign horoscopes that we saw in 90s magazines. It is an intricate practice that reflects the complexity of the individual, while also acting as a compass for their highest growth, and shining a light on the shadows so they may be transmuted.
I think the cultural discourse around astrology is changing to reflect this truth, and that it is set to grow astronomically (see what I did there?) as a result.
Much like every other industry, I think AI can pose a significant threat. But nothing takes the place of personal connection and the nuance, wisdom, and intuition that come from having a seasoned astrologer, who has a true and real relationship with her client, look at one’s chart.
Pricing:
- 60-minute astrology reading: $115
- 60-minute ritual consultation: $80
Contact Info:
- Website: http://leah-noel.com/astrology
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/leah.with.a.pen
- Other: https://leahnoel.substack.com
Image Credits
Leah Noel
