Before I launch into this week’s episode, quick reminder that if you love Spirit Sisters, it would be wonderful if you could write a review and leave a five-star rating, this will ensure that others who may need to hear the stories of wonder, hope and healing we share here will find their way to the show.

Now, this week is the conclusion of my conversation with Shayne Wallace, whose story I first told in my book Spirit Sisters more than a decade ago. Shayne’s son Jamie tragically died at age 16 in 2007. If you haven’t listened to part one, please scroll down to episode 50 and listen to that first.

Today, in part two, Shayne takes us full circle, sharing more about the ways Jamie lets her and his loved ones know he’s with them, the way he’s taken on a “guardian” role for his family, including the day he saved Shayne from a terrifying would-be carjacker, that’s a cracker of a story, and, powerfully, Shayne talks candidly about the journey of healing she’s been on since losing her boy.

Our conversation embraces what Shayne’s learned about self-forgiveness, the importance of being kinder to herself and what she’s come to understand about the pivotal role Jamie’s passing played in leading her to break the pattern of inter-generational trauma that had poisoned her family tree.

Stick around until the end as Shayne, who’s considering becoming a grief counsellor, offers hard-learnt, heartfelt, words of wisdom for parents grieving the loss of a child.

Enjoy my conversation with the generous, humble and insightful Shayne Wallace.

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

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Today’s episode marks episode 50 of Spirit Sisters the Podcast, and I’m happy to say I have the perfect guest to mark the milestone. Shayne Wallace, who lives with her family in Perth, WA, is one of the original voices from Spirit Sisters, the book.

On the frigid night of June 1, 2007, beneath a full moon, mother-of-three Shayne’s eldest son, Jamie, 16, was killed in a motorbike accident. It’s what happened in the hours that followed that makes Shayne’s story one of the most unforgettable in my body of work.

Shayne’s story is heartbreaking, moving and tragic, yet ultimately uplifting, and it’s very gratifying for me to know that it’s only through interviewing Shayne again for this podcast, 12 years after the book’s release, that I was able to discover this last piece of her story – the piece about growth, healing and the altering of ancestral patterns.

Shayne and I had so much to catch up on that we recorded two episodes. I’m honoured to present part one today of my reunion with Shayne, whose story featured in a chapter in Spirit Sisters called The Fiercest Loss. I named it that because I was so inspired by my conversations with these courageous mothers who’d survived the unbearable. And yet, while their pain is fierce, fiercer yet is their enduring love.

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

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Today’s episode is a beautiful reminder of our interconnectedness, of bonds that can never be broken and of the ultimate indestructibility of love.  

My guest today is Texas-based lawyer MaryAnn Jones. MaryAnn grew up in a bi-cultural family – her mum is an immigrant from Costa Rica and her dad is American with Italian, Swedish, and Anglo ancestry. MaryAnn says her mum's side “is the typical Latin family with lots of family parties where everyone dances and speaking of God and the supernatural was something that occurred in almost every conversation,” which is something I personally relate to. I present that as background to the story MaryAnn is sharing with us today, which hinges a lot on how her Catholic faith anchored her in the midst of deepest grief.

MaryAnn and her husband, Timothy, are the parents of two beautiful daughters, Arya and Sapphire. Tragically, Sapphire, who struggled with depression and anxiety, passed away at the age of 19 in 2017. Today, you’re going to hear MaryAnn speak very candidly about the devastating loss of Sapphire, and about how leaning on her Catholic faith sustained her during the hardest moments.

Amidst the pain, there were signs from Sapphire and amazing synchronicities, and MaryAnn talks all about these in our conversation. One moment in particular stands out: a couple of months after Sapphire’s death, something happened as the family gathered in their backyard to bury their beloved dog, Sparky. What took place defies rational explanation, and to MaryAnn, this precious event was a clear message from Sapphire that not only was she well and happy, but that she had Sparky with her, safe and sound.

Keep an eye on my Facebook and Instagram pages, as I’ll be posting a picture of one of these miraculous feathers, as well as gorgeous pics of Sapphire and her family. MaryAnn has also sent me a very moving video that Arya put together to honour her sister’s birthday on June 15. It features Sapphire singing and is something very, very special, and I’m honoured to be able to share it with you.

Please note that this episode references self-harm and suicide. If you are struggling with your mental health, please contact Lifeline in Australia on 13 11 14, and if you’re outside of Australia please do seek out support services in your area.

Enjoy my conversation with MaryAnn Jones, sharing the story of how her lovely daughter, Sapphire, returned to her family on wings of love.

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

Connect with Karina on Instagram.

Part two of my intriguing conversation with Canadian near-death experiencer Crisdon Chaisson.

If you haven’t yet listened to part one of my conversation with Crisdon, you’ll want to scroll back and press play on that episode first, so that you can listen to Crisdon recount every fascinating detail of her 2003 NDE, a captivating story which, I’m honoured to say, she is sharing publicly for the first time.  

In this episode, Crisdon talks about the challenges of integrating her experience upon her return to life, the gifts she came back with, her communication with plants and animals, astral travel and lucid dreaming, the “downloads” from the Collective that she continues to receive, and so much more. It’s a deep dive. As Crisdon says, the awakening of consciousness is not merely “a revolution, but the next evolution” of humanity.

Now, without further ado, here’s part two of my conversation with near-death experiencer, mother of three, death doula and all round fabulous woman, Crisdon Chaisson.

Connect with Crisdon on Instagram at @sin_crow_nice_eye_tea

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

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I'm thrilled to present the first of a two-part interview with Crisdon Chaisson, who lives in Canada and, I’m very honoured to say, is sharing her near-death experience publicly for the first time.  

Crisdon’s NDE took place in 2003, when she was receiving treatment for a rare form of cancer in the jaw. As you’re about to hear, Crisdon describes her NDE in exquisite detail, and in this conversation, she shares about peeling away from her body “like cheese from a pizza,” travelling to a realm of indescribable colour, being at one with The Collective, as Crisdon calls the state of consciousness she experienced, her life review, and much much more.

Today, Crisdon is training to become a death doula, so that she can apply her unique skills and understanding in the field of end-of-life care. There’s much more to this warm, wise and feisty woman, and when I asked her to share a short bio, she cleverly asked her friends to chime in. It turned out to be such a valuable exercise, she suggests we all do it.

Here are all their responses.

“Crisdon is a tattooed, potion making, nature loving, spell casting, matrix glitching, animal communicating, spirit guiding, joke telling, barefoot walking, reiki giving, vegan kitchen witch.”

“Crisdon is a spiritual gangStar. Warrior goddess. astral traveler, metaphysical explorer and lover of all.”

“An effervescent soul with a smile to match.”

“Vibrant”

“Absolutelyfreakingspectacular”

“A miracle”

“Beautiful,magnificent,courageous,brave, adventurous, magickal, hippy, LOVING star soul sister”

“A strong, independent woman with a fire spirit!”

“Always in flux like an animated fractal unfoldment”

“A strong, beautiful, courageous, generous survivor!”

“A soul-fuelled endless dungeon, draped with insatiable cloaks of wildflowers, edges trimmed with shards of everlasting crystals, with a sea-filled charismatic aura”

“Free”

“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (3 friends said that about their friendship with Crisdon)

"Intelligent, compassionate, humble, and actual good person, completely trustworthy, organized, and absolutely hilarious!!”

Sums up Crisdon: “As I said, every person should create a bio written by people who love them.”

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

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My guest today is Tricia Barker, who experienced a profound near-death experience in 1994 when she was 22, in her senior year of university. A point of difference with Tricia’s NDE is that it guided her very specifically to her life’s work, albeit kicking and screaming at first, to become a teacher in public schools, overseas and at university level. Today, she’s a professor of English and Creative Writing in Fort Worth, Texas.

The author of the memoir Angels in the OR: What Dying Taught Me About Healing, Survival, and Transformation, Tricia interviews fellow near-death experiencers on her YouTube channel. I had a fantastic time speaking to Tricia, who shares candidly about the trauma that followed her NDE, including a sexual assault she experienced while teaching in South Korea. If this topic is upsetting, and you’re in Australia, please contact 1800Respect.org.au or call them 24 hours a day on 1800 737 732. If you are in another country, please ensure you seek out appropriate support services in your area.

Enjoy my conversation with near-death experiencer Tricia Barker.

Connect with Tricia at her website.

Buy Tricia’s book Angels in the Or on Amazon. 

Subscribe to Tricia’s YouTube channel. 

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

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My guest today has a chilling ghost story to share about an unforgettable chain of events that took place in 1969, when she was 12 years old and living with her family in the western suburbs of Melbourne. This is a memorable story because it demonstrates that, in an otherworldly encounter, as much as in everyday life, things aren’t always as they might at first appear…

Today Coral lives on the Sunshine Coast in Qld with her husband, adult son and two fur babies. Before her retirement, she worked in Childcare and in Financial Services. Yet when I think of Coral, I think “survivor,” and when you hear her story, you’ll know why. Coral’s captivating ghost story takes a turn that I was not expecting, into the devastation wreaked by domestic violence. Please note that her account contains graphic descriptions of violence inflicted upon her mother. If you are experiencing or have experienced domestic or family violence, please contact the Australian counselling service 1800Respect.org.au or call them 24 hours a day on 1800 737 732.

In 1969, there were no support services available to Coral, her mum or her three siblings. All lived in the midst of a war zone every day and with the exception of her maternal grandparents, who offered brief moments of respite, no-one came to their aid. Well, no-one living, that is.

By turns wondrous, horrific, fascinating and tragic, Coral’s story is about the courage it takes to hope in the face of deepest darkness, and the strength and resilience that yields. It’s also about the rewards of looking for answers outside of the obvious, and ultimately, about compassion and care strong enough to pierce the veil between life and death.

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

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Karina Machado welcomes a one-of-a-kind guest, a two-time near-death experiencer who’s also a heart-transplant recipient.

Rob A. Gentile is the son of Italian immigrants. He grew up in Pennsylvania, where his father worked in a steel mill. Rob also works in the steel industry, as a sales rep, and he’s been married to Melanie for more than thirty years. Together they’ve devoted themselves to their daughter with special needs, Maria, who is in her twenties and has Rett Syndrome. Rob calls Maria “the hero of my life” and tells me in our conversation that she’s his greatest teacher. Yet throughout her childhood he grappled with difficult questions about why children suffer. Answers came in a sudden and unexpected way—at age fifty-six he had a massive heart attack, then flatlined, and had a near-death experience. Four months later, while awaiting his donor heart, he had another NDE – a profound and powerful encounter that transformed Rob’s life.

Rob came back with beautiful and profound understandings about the cosmically unified nature of God and reality, which he shares in his newly released book, Quarks of Light, which also details the fascinating story of how Rob met the family of Molli, the young woman who donated her heart, and the many synchronicities between them. Getting to know Molli, whose heart beats within him, has compelled Rob to help raise awareness of suicide prevention. Rob’s story includes references to suicide; if you need support, in Australia, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For now, please settle in to enjoy my conversation with Rob A Gentile. There’s so much he shares, from knowledge he gained about our ultimate unity and interconnectedness, to his life-changing understanding about the power of a single act, and a timely reminder about the significance of our relationships, this is one episode that might just give you a new heart, too.

Connect with Rob at his website.

Buy Rob’s new book, Quarks of Light on Amazon in Australia.

Connect with Rob on Facebook.

Connect with Rob on Twitter.

Connect with Rob on Instagram.

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

Connect with Karina on Instagram.

Here's part two of Karina Machado's conversation with the trail-blazing Australian former Olympic pistol shooter Evania. If you haven’t listened to part one, please scroll down and click on that first so that you grasp the full breadth of Evania’s life story. In this episode, she goes into more depth about her plans to run for federal parliament, and how that ties in with her aim to “expand her service to humanity.” She shares her key mantra, which ties in beautifully with her life-changing encounter with the light, and we talk about how it’s time for women leaders to fearlessly bring through the energy of the Divine Feminine. There’s also a very moving story Evania shares about healing childhood trauma and how looking after her parents when they had dementia was like being gifted the children she never had. At the end, Evania shares her key takeaway from her immersion in the Light, you won’t want to miss that!

Enjoy the episode. (PS: If you love Spirit Sisters, please rate and review the show, it helps more people find their way to it. Thanks!)

Connect with Evania and buy her novel When the Student is Ready at her website.

Connect with Evania at her ‘Evania for Senate’ Facebook page.

Connect with Evania on Facebook.

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

Connect with Karina on Instagram.

Born Lynne-Marie Uden in South Australia, my guest changed her name to Evania in 1995. More on that later ... Evania has blazed a trail in so many areas of her life; a former police officer in South Australia, she went on to work for the United Nations in Vienna in Security & Safety services and later, became the first female sports reporter in Queensland.

As she hit career highs, Evania was also going from strength to strength in her sport: pistol shooting, which culminated in her representing Australia at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, the only woman on the shooting team. But what should have been one of the joyous moments of her life was overshadowed by what happened when she returned from the Games. As Evania puts it, her whole life caved in and she lost everything, husband, possessions, cars businesses, the lot.

Then on December 12 of that year, 1992, Evania had a spiritual experience that transformed the course of her life. The effects of that unexpected gift were so staggering that nothing was ever the same again. 

Enjoy part one of my two-part conversation with the inspiring Evania.

Connect with Evania and buy her books at her website.

Follow Evania's bid for senate at her ‘Evania for Senate’ Facebook page.

Connect with Evania on Facebook.

Connect with Karina Machado at karinamachado.com

Buy the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters as a paperback at Booktopia.

Buy the e-book of the 10th anniversary edition of Spirit Sisters at Kobo.

Buy the audio book of the original Spirit Sisters (narrated by me) at Audible.

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

Connect with Karina on Instagram.