Spirit Sisters - the podcast

In this episode, I’m honoured to speak with Whitney, a Spirit Sisters listener from Colorado who shares her heart-wrenching journey of grief following the loss of her son, Sam, 23, to cannabis-induced psychosis. She reflects on the emotional complexities of grief and her experiences of spirit communication that provide comfort (to Whitney, each sign is “like a hug”).

Whitney discusses her advocacy with "One Chance to Grow Up," focusing on educating others about the risks of cannabis use. Through her story, she conveys the enduring nature of love and the importance of finding purpose in pain. I walked away from my conversation with Whitney feeling in awe of her strength and grateful for the wisdom she shared. Whitney offers us all a powerful reminder to live with love and joy amidst heartache.

Please note that this episode includes references to mental-health breakdown and suicide.

If you need support and you’re in Australia, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

If you are elsewhere in the world, please seek resources in your community.

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The documentary about cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP) featuring Sam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cCSy2eYIWQ

 

The Sammy Project:
https://www.thesammyproject.com/

 

NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness (US-based)
https://www.nami.org/support-groups/

 

Helping Parents Heal
https://www.helpingparentsheal.org/

 

The nonprofit organisation Whitney works for, whose aim is to develop educational campaigns and spread awareness about Cannabis-induced Psychosis (CIP).

https://onechancetogrowup.org/

 

Psychic-medium David Gammal:
https://yourmessagesfrombeyond.com/

 

Listen to my Spirit Sisters interview with David Gammal:

https://spiritsistersthepodcast.podbean.com/e/we-don-t-die-the-only-thing-that-ends-is-our-body-%E2%80%93-meet-psychic-medium-david-gammal/

 

Contact Whitney:
[email protected]

 

Connect with me:

Discover Karina's app, Reconnect & Create: https://studio.com/karina

Join Karina on Substack: https://kmachado.substack.com/

Email Karina at [email protected]

Learn more about Karina at https://karinamachado.com/

Connect with Karina on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarinaMachadoauthor

Connect with Karina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinamachadoauthor/

Find the audio versions of my three books — Spirit Sisters, Where Spirits Dwell and Love Never Dies – (all narrated by me) at Audible: https://www.audible.com.au/author/Karina-Machado/B004O93T9C

 

Show theme music: Mysterious by MusicPond, from Audio Jungle

Acknowledgment of Country:
I acknowledge the Dharawal people, Traditional Custodians of the lands in NSW, Australia, where I live and record Spirit Sisters, and I recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and community. I pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.

Welcome to the final episode of the Spirit Sisters podcast for 2025! I’ve been saving this conversation for this moment, as it’s such an uplifting reminder, at the close of yet another challenging year, that there’s much more to life than we can understand from our earthly perspective.

My guest is Philip Hasheider, a farmer and family man who’s had a remarkable near-death experience (NDE). Our discussion revolves around the profound insights he gained during this life-altering event, which speaks to the interconnectedness and ineffable love that permeates our existence beyond the physical realm. Philip recounts his journey into an “eternal dimension,” where he discovered a pulsing sphere of love—an essence that reflects the divine Creator and the source of all knowledge … and so much more.

After he’d returned to his body, it was communicated to Philip that he was to share his story and become “a conduit of hope”. By recounting his extraordinary NDE and subsequent realisations, Philip inspires us all to contemplate our own lives and seek a deeper connection with ourselves, and others. I know that I’m changed, after speaking with this deeply intelligent and humble man.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@karinamachado1312


Resources mentioned in this episode:

My app, Reconnect & Create, is discounted until 2 January! I’m inviting you to journey through the app with me in 2026 as we complete our creative projects (I’ll be working on my novel!) I’m starting on 1 January, and will create an intimate community where we can support and learn from each other. Learn more here: https://studio.com/karina

 

Contact Philip via his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/phasheiderbooks/

 

Read Philip’s memoir, "Six Minutes in Eternity”: https://www.amazon.com.au/Six-Minutes-Eternity-Philip-Hasheider/dp/1945962534

 

Connect with me:
Discover Karina's app, Reconnect & Create: https://studio.com/karina

Join Karina on Substack: https://kmachado.substack.com/
Email Karina at [email protected]
Learn more about Karina at https://karinamachado.com/
Connect with Karina on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarinaMachadoauthor
Connect with Karina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinamachadoauthor/

Find the audio versions of my three books — Spirit Sisters, Where Spirits Dwell and Love Never Dies – (all narrated by me) at Audible:

https://www.audible.com.au/author/Karina-Machado/B004O93T9C

 

Show theme music: Mysterious by MusicPond, from Audio Jungle

 

I acknowledge the Dharawal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the lands where I live and record Spirit Sisters, and I recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and community. I pay my respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.

Welcome back to Spirit Sisters! If you’re new to the channel, thank you for joining the family.

In this bonus episode of the Spirit Sisters podcast, I interview Noela McBlane, a seasoned Australian psychic medium with 60 years of experience in helping others connect with lost loved ones and navigate their grief. We discuss Noela's early encounters with the spirit world, including her childhood visions and the comforting presence of spirits during difficult times.

With the support of her dear friend Kate, Noela has published a memoir called The Unexpected Clairvoyant (learn more about it here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Unexpected-Clairvoyant-Stories-Noela-McBlane/dp/B0CGG2NQ2T). It’s full of eye-opening stories about her experiences with the spirit world. Noela shares lots of her stories in our conversation.

She reflects on her journey to acceptance of her clairvoyance, detailing her transition to reading tarot and her ongoing commitment to providing holistic support as a medium. Throughout, she shares transformative stories of healing and emphasises the enduring love of our guides and departed loved ones. I hope you’ll be inspired by Noela's insights and compassionate approach to her work.

Enjoy this bonus December episode!

At the end of the month, I’ll release the final episode for the year, and I know you’re going to LOVE IT! Coming soon...

 

Connect with Noela on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noela.mcblane

 

If you missed my popular interview with Jodi Keane last month, catch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pBFvkNzt-g&t=2297s

 

Connect with me:

Discover Karina's app, Reconnect & Create: https://studio.com/karina

Join Karina on Substack:

https://kmachado.substack.com/
Email Karina at [email protected]
Learn more about Karina at https://karinamachado.com/
Connect with Karina on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarinaMachadoauthor

Connect with Karina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinamachadoauthor/

 

Find the audio versions of my three books — Spirit Sisters, Where Spirits Dwell and Love Never Dies – (all narrated by me) at Audible: https://www.audible.com.au/author/Karina-Machado/B004O93T9C

 

Show theme music: Mysterious by MusicPond, from Audio Jungle I acknowledge the Dharawal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land of Sutherland Shire, in NSW, Australia, where I live and record Spirit Sisters, and I recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and community. I pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.

Welcome back to Spirit Sisters! If you’re new to the channel, thank you for joining the family. Before I launch into our episode, I share a special announcement about my new creation – the Reconnect & Create app, which is available now at studio.com/karina.

My app is designed to support my fellow spirit sisters on the midlife journey to reconnect with their spirituality and creative passions. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this app because I passionately believe that midlife is a sacred threshold, that we can re-enchant our lives and meet our authentic selves through reconnecting with our spirituality and our creativity.

The app is 20 percent off until November 28. Check it out at studio.com/karina. I’m excited to hear what you think!

Did you know that there exists in our midst a kind of secret society of mediums with incredible gifts quietly going about their day-to-day lives in suburbia, or in regional towns? I found out about that when I was writing Spirit Sisters and the idea captivated me. My interview today is with just such a lady: Jodi Keane is an Australian former chef who was born with the gift of seeing and connecting to spirit. Spirits seek her out and, lately, she’s understood that her role is to help them move on to the next plane.

Enjoy Jodi's stories about the spirits she's encountered over the years. It’s fascinating stuff!

Watch this episode on Youtube.

 

Connect with me:

Discover Karina's newly released app at studio.com/karina

Join Karina on Substack: https://kmachado.substack.com/

Email Karina at [email protected]

Learn more about Karina at karinamachado.com

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

Connect with Karina on Instagram.

 

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 on Amazon or Kobo.

Find the audio versions of my three books — Spirit Sisters, Where Spirits Dwell and Love Never Dies – (all narrated by me) at Audible.

 

 

Show theme music: Mysterious by MusicPond, from Audio Jungle

 

I acknowledge the Dharawal people, the Traditional Custodians of the land in NSW, Australia, where I live and record Spirit Sisters, and I recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and community. I pay my respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.

Thank you for joining me around the virtual hearth today for a special Halloween episode. The veil is thin this week, friends, in the lead up to All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween. Perhaps you know that what we call Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which celebrates the end of summer on November 1 and the Celtic New Year.

In the Celtic tradition, departed loved ones were expected and welcomed with offerings of their favourite foods. The Day of the Dead, famously celebrated in Mexico on November 1 and 2, picks up on this idea. In Spain on November 2, there is a tradition for families to visit the cemetery to honour their late loved ones and attend to their grave sites.

Yet the story I am about to tell today is not a story about a gentle partnership between the living and the dead. It’s about the myriad ways a house can be haunted, and about how those who dwell in a house may themselves be a haunted house made of flesh and bones.

I’m grateful to Sarah, the dear member of the Spirit Sisters community who meticulously documented her story, and so graciously shared it with me. I’m in awe of her courage and generosity in doing so. I only received Sarah’s ok to use her name after I’d recorded the episode, which is why you won’t hear me use it in the episode.

Please note that this episode references sexual abuse. If you need support, contact 1800 Respect. You can call them on 1800 737 732 in Australia. If you’re elsewhere, please seek out support services in your area.

At the end of the story, Sarah invites me to share my thoughts, so I’ll offer a reflection at the close of the reading.

For now, I hope you have a cup of your favourite tea nestled warm between your palms as you settle in for a story which reminds us that even in the depths of the darkest, longest night, strength of spirit and bonds of love and sisterhood shine through.

 

Episode resources

Read more haunted-house stories in my books Spirit Sisters and Where Spirits Dwell.

 

 

Connect with me:

Join Karina on Substack: https://kmachado.substack.com/

Email Karina at [email protected]

Learn more about Karina at karinamachado.com

Connect with Karina on Facebook.

Connect with Karina on Instagram.

 

Listen to Soul2Soul Conversations – my podcast collaboration with my soul sister Sara Jayne: https://soul2soulconversations.podbean.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 on Amazon or Kobo.

Find the audio versions of my three books — Spirit Sisters, Where Spirits Dwell and Love Never Dies – (all narrated by me) at Audible.

 

 

Show theme music: Mysterious by MusicPond, from Audio Jungle

 

I acknowledge the Dharawal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land of Sutherland Shire, in NSW, Australia, where I live and record Spirit Sisters, and I recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and community. I pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.