Meet Rachel Lang and Leslie Rule

Plus: A ruling for Rule, astrological insight into the Ojai City Council, a mountain of legal fees, and a few local stories not to miss.

Greetings! What follows is a continuation of Ojai City Council WTF Part I: The Characters. Later, I dig into the ruling in a civil suit against Councilwoman Rule. These reports would not be possible without subscriber support. Thank you for being here.

Introducing Ojai City Councilwoman Rachel Lang

Tisha Morris and Ojai City Councilwoman Rachel Lang. Via Rachel Lang.

Rachel Lang and her partner Tisha Morris moved to Ojai after suffering multiple personal tragedies, including the death of their newborn daughter Stella in 2020. The loss inspired Lang to make a commitment. “If I couldn't be her mom, I would think of myself as a mother in a bigger context,” she said during a wide-ranging conversation in Libbey Park. 

Lang — an astrologer, author, and public speaker —  grew up on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri in a town called Arnold. Her grandfather, Ferd B. Lang served as Arnold’s first mayor after the city was incorporated in 1972. Mayor Lang owned a funeral home in town which his granddaughter Rachel remembers as a hub of activity. “Anytime there were emergencies in town, my grandparents were the first to know,” she recalled. “They lived in one part of the building, and when we visited, we'd have to stay quiet when a funeral was happening.” At one point, when finances were tough, Lang’s family moved into the residence with her grandparents.

As a result of her grandfather’s influence, Lang says, service, volunteerism, and activism have always been part of her life.¹ She discovered her passion for astrology as a teen. An avid reader, Lang discovered a book on astrology² in her local library and quickly got to work constructing birth charts³ for herself and her family. The accuracy, she said, stunned her. Still, she never imagined making the practice part of her career — until the early 2000s. “I did a business plan and figured out that I could make a certain amount of money doing astrology,” Lang recalled, “And so I did. I worked [9-5] at a nonprofit and did weekends and nights as an astrologer and built up a practice.” As her practice grew, a professional opportunity drew Lang out west. For the first time, she was able to mix business, marketing, and astrology as the Marketing Director/Astrologer for the LA-based fashion company Project Artisan. Today, Lang works with entrepreneurs, political leaders, activists, and individuals to help them accomplish their goals via astrological insight. “In addition to that, I also teach, I speak all over the world, I facilitate trainings, and I lead retreats,” she said. (Sounds like the business plan worked!)

Lang reads her original children’s book, “As Above, So Below.” Via Rachel Lang.

Lang and Morris, after a stint in Woodland Hills, ultimately found their home in Ojai in 2021 — with an assist from Mayor Betsy Stix. During a visit to Ojai, Lang met Stix at a birthday party for a mutual friend. Later, after telling Stix that she and Morris wanted to make their home in Ojai, “[Stix] said, ‘There's a house for sale right behind us,’” Lang recalled. “As soon as we sort of got landed, I asked her how I could get involved. I said, ‘I really want to serve.’ And she said, “‘Well, why don't you run for City Council?’”⁴