We had the good fortune of connecting with Danny Santos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danny, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
Currently, I’m working full-time with my business Santos & The Crystal Visions. I’m a professional astrologer, spiritual life coach, tarot reader, sound healer, reiki practitioner, I’m hosting wellness events and retreats, and I’m studying plant medicine through an indigenous Peruvian tradition. The end goal for my career is to create a holistic center for healing that uses spirituality, psychology, plant medicine, and modern medicine to help heal the trauma of the world. Specifically, for members of the LGBTQIA+ community as well as victims of sexual assault and human trafficking. I’d also like to tour the world while performing my original music and have my songs placed in television and movies. I just released my first single, “Poppies for Edwin” on Spotify in February.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Born and raised in Michigan, I started studying astrology and music at 11 years old, writing songs and singing at 15, and studying the Tarot at 18, but I’ve been a healer as long as I can remember. When I began studying the Tarot, I had no idea that I was following the footsteps of my great-grandmother Bresilla. She was a healer in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, and little did I know that I would take the circuitous path toward also becoming a healer.
My entire life, I’ve struggled with fitting into the mold the world has set up. I was diagnosed with ADD as a child [before it was called ADHD], I was partially deaf for the first 5 years of my life, I had a horrible lisp, eczema covered my entire body, and I was also struggling with my identity as a Cuban-America gay astrologer born to two Catholic immigrant doctors from Cuba. Eventually I moved away from Michigan after transferring out of Michigan’s Oakland University Film School program and made my way to USC Film School where I graduated with honors in Critical Film Theory with an emphasis in Freudian and Jungian psychoanalysis.
Soon after, I began my work in the entertainment industry. This was a very strange choice for me considering I don’t consume much contemporary cinema, media, or television. But I was drawn to the avant-garde art forms and film history. I loved learning about film movements such as the French New Wave, German Expressionism, surrealist and psychic film works, and the horror genre. My favorite movies are “The Exorcist,” “The Piano” by Jane Campion, “Meshes of the Afternoon” by Maya Deren, “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” and “Cleo from 5 to 7.” I don’t know too much about contemporary media past that.
After graduation in 2017, I drove Uber for 9 months. To pass the time I would play recordings of my original songs for passengers and read tarot cards as I drove. I would ask my passengers to shuffle the cards and hold them up in the rear-view mirror. My passengers loved stepping into the “Crystal Vision Cab” as I called it and it was a wonderful way to get to know Los Angeles.
Eventually, my brother-in-law and sister helped me land a job at one of LA’s top talent agencies. I worked there for two and a half days, and the day after a solar eclipse, I marched to the HR office and quit. I hated wearing a suit to the office in the mailroom and felt very disconnected to the work I was doing. Had I stuck it out, I probably could’ve gotten one of my original songs heard by someone important, but I couldn’t fake being someone I wasn’t.
My family was so devastated they didn’t speak to me for a week. It was yet another reminder that I was different, and if I wanted to live an authentic and fully integrated life, it would mean I would have to disappoint people along the way by being myself and doing what I felt in my heart was right for me.
Sometime shortly after in 2017, I got an interview at a documentary film production company [which recently won an Oscar]. After 8 months of working at the company, I was fired due to my poor ability to handle administrative and detail-oriented tasks. I would’ve fired me too – my brain could not stop dreaming about astrology, tarot, music, and being a healer. Being fired was the most devastating thing that ever happened to me, until it wasn’t. My dear friend Ann who worked in the finance department introduced me to the plant medicine tradition I’m currently working in and she also helped me land my first corporate gig reading Tarot for a design company’s corporate Halloween party.
Shortly after, I got a temp job covering desks in entertainment at The Friedman Agency and requested to be placed on desks focused in music. It was my dream to move closer to the music, again hoping that maybe someone would hear one of my songs and put it in a movie. I kept telling myself all of the years in film school would’ve been worth it had one person heard one of my songs. I temped at Kobalt Music Publishing, Dick Clark Productions, and landed a longer temping job stocking the pantries at MGM Studios. Well, MGM was just about ready to hire me full time until I got a job working as the executive assistant to one of the top music contractors’ offices in the world.
Finally, I was working closer to the music! In the first month there I got to go to the Sony Pictures sound stage while Hans Zimmer was recording the live action “Lion King” movie. I was bumping elbows with the likes of Pharrell Williams, as well as the top orchestral musicians contracted for Hollywood’s film and television. I knew Pharrell liked astrology, but never had the opportunity to ask him about it.
I was hired into the company along with a second assistant. I was responsible for the CEO’s day-to-day and the second assistant was responsible for casting sideline musicians for television and film appearances. Within the first two months at the company, I was demoted to the second assistant position. If I was devastated from being fired from my last assistant gig, this demotion took me to the lowest point I had ever been in. My parents were really worried about me during this time and I would spend every lunch break crying to my mom on the phone why wasn’t I good enough to hold my own anywhere. This was when my dad finally said to me that he thought I should start a business as a professional astrologer. But I kept pressing forward in entertainment.
Well, just five months into the second assistant job, I was fired yet again. Instead of wallowing in my sorrows, a flame lit beneath me and I reached out to a friend who always had a lead. It turns out Darren Criss was looking for an executive producer’s assistant for his upcoming Quibi release “Royalties” with Kether Donahue. I *loved* this job and flourished working on set. Having worked two executive assistant jobs and multiple temp jobs, my administrative prowess has sharply improved. The hazy astrologer quickly grew into the flourishing assistant, and for the first time, I was being recognized for my hard work and dedication.
On set I learned everyone’s names and zodiac signs on set, and always wore outrageously colorful shirts. Darren took a liking to me and once the show wrapped, asked me if I would be willing to be the personal assistant to him and his wife Mia. I took the job in a heartbeat. Once again, I had moved closer to the music! Working for Darren and Mia was the best experience I had in a professional setting. Darren and Mia are two of the loveliest people I have ever met, and to this day I still think Mia’s voice sounds like flowers.
I worked for Darren and Mia with as much dedication as I could. Most of my duties included getting the mail, picking up groceries, running errands, and coordinating home improvements. But devastation struck the world in 2020 with the Corona Virus pandemic. Darren’s Quibi show “Royalties” was unable to air because Quibi’s launch party was completely canceled, which caused the company to completely go under. While Covid-19 was painful and horrible for some, it was one of the greatest blessings of my life.
During the pandemic, I was taken down to part time. In need of making extra money, I began putting my skills and abilities as an astrologer and tarot reader to good use. People were looking for answers and I had the stars. It felt like my business had become an overnight success, and I was regularly streaming my Free One-Card Tarot Reading show on my personal Facebook page once a week as a way of attracting new clients. My hour sessions began at only $50.
I registered for my LLC on the grand conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 21st 2020 – Santos & The Crystal Visions, LLC. This was when I felt like my life truly began. During the pandemic, I began seeing a sexologist to deal with some shadows that arose within my sexuality with Dr. Stephanie Hunter-Jones. I saw her as a guest on Anthony Padilla’s YouTube channel and reached out to her immediately. Dr. Stephanie and I instantly had a deep connection and it felt like meeting a soulmate and dear friend. To this day, she is still one of my closest confidants and we share clients and biweekly meetings. Soon after, I got certified for reiki by LA’s very own “Reiki Daddy,” Scott Holman. Scott is an incredible healer because he believes that if you’re going to do anything in life, you better do it right. You can imagine how much benefit this is to the hazy astrologer.
During the pandemic, I was even able to land a gig doing the Marketing Team’s Quarterly Seminar for Tony’s Chocolonely thanks to my dear friend Karin Campbell who is another mentor and friend who really helped launch my business. From there I began teaching courses on astrology and tarot, and was invited to be on Damona Hoffman’s Podcast “Dates & Mates.” I had initially met Damona while driving Uber in 2017, but it wasn’t until 2020 that Damona finally got her reading from me and we made the full connection. It was then that I learned she was the dating coach for The Drew Barrymore Show! I also got invited to be the monthly astrologer for “The WITCH Podcast” with Krystal Kennedy, was a guest on Nicoletta Heideggar’s “Sluts & Scholars” Podcast, and performed a 4 month long exorcism with a woman struggling with horrible paranormal and supernatural activity in her home. The psychic attacks ended on Easter Sunday of 2021.
Most recently, I was featured on BuzzFeed’s page Goodful for my work as a professional astrologer, tarot reader, sound healer, and spiritual healer. I was a guest on LATV’s talkshow The Zoo, and I am in the process of producing my first record of original music. I was also featured on The National Alliance on Mental Illness’s YouTube channel for their “Self Care University” series with Corinne Fox.
I’ve been doing events for organizations like Leya Tanit’s “Pineapple Support” with members of the adult entertainment industry, a sound bath for the ACLU, and many other corporate clients. I’ve also been working with one on one clients weekly in a 3-month long program called the “Soul Regeneration Program.” I help clients unlock their potential through dismantling trauma, get better jobs, heal painful family dynamics, leave toxic relationships, and generally help people get what they want. This work is done through the use of astrology, spiritual coaching, and sound healing. I’ve also officiated a wedding in Spain and one in Southern California for a gay couple!
They say all who are wounded aren’t necessarily healers. But all who are healers are certainly wounded. Getting fired twice, facing multiple setbacks and struggles, and facing my own personal demons has been a journey. I promise to dedicate my life to bring healing to the planet and am so grateful to have an opportunity to share my message with ShoutOut LA! I think my story is just a testament to the not-so-linear path that one can take in order to find themselves.  As I continue forward, I am optimistic that my dream of creating a center for healing, sharing my love of spirituality and astrology with the world, and touring the world playing music will all come true! For anyone who is struggling with finding their place on this planet I’ll give you the advice of one of my greatest mentors: Master thyself and you can do anything. Love is the greatest force in the Universe. If you love yourself, life will work in beautiful harmony with you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

If you were to come stay with me for a week in my West Hollywood apartment [given that I wasn’t working], here’s what I would plan! Ideally you would come in the springtime so that the flowers would be blooming in the superbloom.
My most favorite place in Los Angeles is The USC Rose Garden. Right next door to it, The Natural History Museum currently has a butterfly exhibit filled with my favorite creature on earth: blue morpho butterflies! Anything involving nature and plants is going to be my go-to choice first and foremost. I’d love to walk you through USC’s campus as it is beautiful in the spring.
I used to live one block away from The Hollywood Forever Cemetery, so I would certainly love to show you around the gorgeous lake there filled with swans, ducks, fish, turtles, and of course the peacocks, and other beautiful animals running amongst the fields of graves. We would drop into the morning cemetery yoga class on Fairbanks Lawn, and then I would show you one of my favorite silent film star’s graves – Rudolph Valentino! The stained glass at his grave site is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen in the world.
For lunch, I’d take you to Govinda’s Vegan Buffet, located in Culver City at The International Society for Krishna Consciousness. From there, we would go down to Venice Beach to watch the rollerbladers and dance! For dinner, we would head over to Grand Central Market since they have all options from butcher meat and oysters to the most delicious falafel in LA. It’s a great place to take a group for varying diets and you’ll love the variety!
For another dinner option, I’d love to take you to my FAVORITE restaurant in Los Angeles – Hodori! It’s traditional Korean food with the most incredible menu and the zestiest kimchi I’ve ever eaten. I promise you, I eat there multiple times a month!
I’d also love to head up to the California Poppy Reserve for a day trip to see the California Poppies — one of my favorite plants and a big inspiration for my single “Poppies for Edwin.” I’d also love to do a hike in Griffith Park and head over to The Griffith Observatory to show you the best view Los Angeles has to offer.
If you’re up for a good workout, I’d love to take you over to Yumi Lee’s CrossFit Gym, The Reebok LAB. I’ve made some of my closest and dearest friends in LA there, and as someone who dreams of creating my own center for healing one day, I’d love to follow the example Yumi has set up over there.
I’d also love to take you to one of my favorite spaces – The Descanso Gardens! They have a huge variety of different plant gardens, including a rose garden, a Japanese Garden, and so many beautiful trees. But no trip to LA would be complete without singing karaoke and playing Dance Dance Revolution at Round1 Arcade, Karaoke, and Bowling Alley in Burbank!
Some other wonderful places to eat would include India’s Restaurant in Los Feliz, Queen of Sheeba Ethiopian in Inglewood, and Coni Seafood in Inglewood. While in Inglewood, a must-stop location would be Motherland Music for their variety of African drums and other wordly percussive instruments!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my mentor Dr. Stephanie Hunter-Jones! Dr. Stephanie has stood by me through so many of life’s challenges and her mentorship and friendship has been one of the greatest blessings on my life. Dr. Stephanie is a Clinical Sexologist, Intimacy Advisor, Intuitive Healer, Artist, and Professional Writer. She has her PhD in Human Sexuality, a Masters in Clinical Psychology, is a Certified Sex Coach, and is a Certified Anger Management Specialist. I love you Dr. Stephanie! Thank you for always believing in me, it means the world to me.

ersonalDannySantos__S

Instagram: @SantosCrystalVisions

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/santos-and-the-crystal-visions-hollywood

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