Didi Daze Brings Queer Energy to Astrology in Venezuela

"Originally, I was going to be a photographer," he begins. "In fact, I built a brand around my photography, and did editorials and campaigns. Overnight it was like, 'Full moon in Leo!'" He laughs, his charisma and charm making me feel like we've previously met. He helps others feel special, as well, which is highlighted in the testimonial section of his website; people go to him looking for answers and leave feeling seen.

Venezuela is a predominantly Catholic and fairly conservative country, but after years of economic crisis and disappointments provided by both sides of the political spectrum, people have had to get creative in their search for hope. Which is why Daze has emerged as a figure to help make sense of all the chaos.

Born Adrián Díaz, Daze has also become a source of pride for the LGBTQ and spiritually curious communities, through viral memes and illustrations that portray him as an elf-like cartoon interpreting the stars with Gen Z slang that older astrologers couldn’t dream of emulating. He feeds young Venezuelans with mysticism and a new type of refined, queer imagery they haven't previously been exposed to.

After two years of developing his Instagram persona, Daze is now ready to provide rituals, readings, soul healings and something he calls "cosmic quickies" with a more mature and fashionable look. It's safe to say we'll be seeing Daze's fairy face a lot more.

Why do you think people connect with you so well? Many have astrology Instagrams, but your followers' engagement seems extra special.

I do everything with so much love and transparency, and it comes from a good place. There is no [intention] to predict what is going to happen to you or tell you who you are, it is more about growing together. I involve people a lot in my own processes, not in the sense that they take up my space, but rather that they can accompany me in what I am going through. I think that is what makes it relatable because, in the end, I am allowing myself to be vulnerable.

Other astrologers do a lot of preaching; they go straight to the, "Mars conjunct Neptune, square Venus!" I do go into technicalities, but what I'm looking for is that anyone who reads my posts can get something out of them and be moved by the words. What I have is this ability to make people see a different reality and give them a drop of clarity to another path that they were not seeing.

Do you see this becoming a sustainable, scalable business?

The romantic and beautiful answer would be that [I'm going to do this] all my life. I do see myself as an astrologer or using my knowledge for the rest of my life, but I want to be something more than just that.

In this phase that I am entering right now, there is an interesting growth, especially with regard to being able to monetize with more people, because there has come a point where the demand for [private] readings is enormous. I can’t keep up, so I am creating group activations and courses that do not have to do precisely with astrology, but with soul coaching that you can get involved in and have an important change.

I am also leaving private readings as something even more personal and unique, because it does not allow me to focus on creating content. Imagine having, I don't know, three or four readings every day, where you completely dedicate your time and open up to a person so that they open up to you. It's a beautiful process, but it's also exhausting and it’s not sustainable in the long term.

What do these group activations consist of?

They can be many different things. So far I've given talks, livestreams, masterclasses, I've spoken at events where I've been hired. But this is the first time I've created a container. I see it as a sacred space where I communicate something important to me. I just started creating one four days ago. I knew I wanted it to be born out of the concept of embracing change. I only just had the idea and suddenly it was like seeing the program right in front of me; I was able to write everything down. A one-day masterclass became three days with three segments.

I want to call day one, "Mimicry," as a metaphor for the moment the butterfly blends in with the environment to explain how that waters you down and turns off your light; day two is "Chrysalis,'' which is about being able to come out of your shell. The whole purpose of this masterclass is that people can see that change is meant to release you from something that has already fulfilled its purpose — to fill that [void] with something else that is much more beautiful; and day three is "Metamorphosis," with a hypnotic track where I repeat mantras and talk to people with the subconscious. I make sure all the information stays ingrained in their minds and in their cosmic DNA.

What do you want the physical space to be like for these sessions?

Zoom, totally. I have more energetic control over online spaces because that's what I've learned, so I want to continue mastering that skill, which is an art. Doing everything online has made us change as human beings — our understanding of what it’s like to connect with others. We are very used to physical contact, therefore, we know how to read a physical room, but I swear you can feel the energy of a Zoom meeting. And, honestly, I think it's a very good skill to have because the world is moving in that direction: understanding the value of an NFT, living in the metaverse, we are all training ourselves to exist in other dimensions, which is so exciting to me, like the good Aquarian that I am.

What was your first contact with astrology like?

When I was around seven or eight, there was a book fair at school. I saw one about Aquarius and was totally drawn to it, everything that was in there. But I shut that down quickly because I come from a very science-driven family and a very scientific school. So I thought, "This has to be bullshit, I can’t be reduced to a sign."

Ten years later, I was on YouTube and I came across this mystical girl and I loved her aesthetic. I'm a Libra rising and I love photography, so it piqued my interest. She was talking about Wiccanism, a Neo-Pagan religion, and how they believed in a sun god and a moon goddess. Obviously, it had a lot of esotericism involved, and it was through her that I discovered tarot.

I went into Mercado Libre, [an Argentinean company dedicated to electronic commerce in Latin America], and I bought a deck and picked it up at a local pharmacy. Almost immediately, I began having these precognitive dreams and I realized there was something I had to pay attention to. I began working on further developing my intuition.

How did the scientific side of your brain react to all this? How did it make sense?

It did not, there was a huge hole. Something that is not talked about much is the huge religious guilt you can feel. I hid the tarot cards from my mother because she is Catholic and would have died if she found them. She thought they were the devil and now she loves them. She already sees them as something close and that is what I love about what I am doing. I tell people, "Astrology is amazing, but it's close. You can use it for something good in your life."

And how did your parents handle it when they found out?

My dad has always been super supportive. I once asked him to help me build a fun house for an event where I was going to read tarot cards, as he works in printing, and he did it without asking a thing. When my mom saw that I had clients, that it was something I did every day that monetized well and led me to appear on international media or win prizes, she began to see it was tangible. I also just graduated from uni, so it's not like I abandoned my "day job."

How long did it take for them to realize this was serious and accept it?

It was very tied to showing myself in public as a gay person, so that was in the mix. It was just three or four months ago that I openly spoke to my parents about being gay, so these are times of a lot of change for me. I've been a mess, honestly [laughs], and people don’t value that. Yes, I’m active on social media and I publish horoscopes, but I’ve also been going to therapy for a year and a few months, dealing with my own demons. People don’t see that. I like to share that side of me, so they see that beyond being a content creator, I’m human.

There must be a lot of young people in Venezuela that look up to you. Do you feel a responsibility to stay in the country or be an example to them?

I feel that I have the ability to show a different reality and a different way of being, because I am that catire [blonde] boy with long hair, slightly androgynous, that's called "Miss" on the street, and I speak my truth and I am openly queer. I do what I love and I show people that you don't have to be the person you think you should be, but the person you are. So in part, I do want to get more into this figure, which is Daze, take responsibility and ownership of it, and teach people that beauty lies in being yourself, in being unique.

Growing up, I wasn't into fashion and now I realize I wasn’t because I didn't want to explore that side of myself. I knew there was something I was going to find that I wasn't ready to confront. Not only because I'm gay, but because I've always been quite androgynous and I like to mix things up. There are days when I'm super "straight-passing," with jeans and a t-shirt; another day I can be in a photoshoot with a red lip and a beautiful Mugler suit and I will serve face; or I'll wear a white Roca Tarpeya bodysuit (it’s an amazing Venezuelan brand, you should look it up), with flowy white pants, my hair down and a "fuck you all bitches" attitude. And that was precisely what I didn't like about fashion, it makes you discover who you are.

How would you describe this new face you want to show to the world?

Angelical alien that came to provide valuable information.

Photography: Rafael Franceschi
Creative direction and styling: Sebastian Cabrices
Styling Assistant: Samuel Coelho
Hair and makeup: Judith Padron
Wigs: Ander Bauded