Out of the Fog with Karen Hager

In this short solo episode, Karen shares Jan Richardson's "Blessing for the Longest Night" and an update on her wife's cancer journey.

In this short solo episode I share an update on my wife's cancer journey, announce a hiatus in releasing new interviews, and encourage you to rediscover the bright sacred Light that lives in you no matter what. You are of infinite worth, and how you care for yourself is a reflection of Divine Love.

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Whether you’ve just started exploring things of a spiritual nature or have been walking this path for some time, you may have found yourself feeling a bit shy about sharing your interests in these “wacky” things. There are a lot of reasons people decide to stay in the psychic closet. For me, opening up about who I am and how I connect with Spirit was one of the most glorious gifts I’ve ever given myself … but it was definitely not an easy thing to do.

How do the things that hurt us leave a mark? Our unhealed wounds may become acute or chronic triggers. A person, object, smell, sound, dream, illness, etc., can set us off and we might not understand why. Buried memories and emotions surface in ways that may sabotage us.

You are more than your circumstances, or your worry, or that hypercritical voice in your head. I know that already, you may be saying. But are you living the truth of that? Corey Lyon Folsom is here to talk about increasing inner clarity for better communication in relationships … and of course that includes your relationship with yourself … for greater empowerment in life and love.

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What stops you from pursuing your creative passions? Maybe you flash back to a bad middle-school art project experience, or you were raised to value practicality and somehow got the idea that opening to your creative gifts isn’t practical. Kate Volman is with me today, and she says creativity is the key to living a happier, more fulfilling life.

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Poet Jerome Gagnon's work has been described as sitting at the intersection of inner and outer landscapes, and as a call to action to restore the harm we do to nature and to ourselves. We’ll be talking about his new collection, Refuge for Cranes.

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Can you connect with your loved ones who have passed over? Sophia Demas says that when we die we simply shed our bodies, yet remain as conscious as you and I are right now. It is through consciousness that communication with departed loved occurs. This has garnered the attention of scientists and after-death communication (ADC) is a new field of study. Sophia’s here to share some true stories of signs, messages, and timing with the departed that have inspired her work and changed her life.

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I’m fascinated by the idea that there is a deeper connection between all of us than we can see. Our illusion that we are solitary can lead to a lot of pain … and it can also lead us to romanticize that pain and maybe wallow in it in a way that can be unhealthy.

On today’s show, you’ll meet Judy Wilkins-Smith. She says that we are shaped by patterns handed down by our ancestors—invisible multi-generational patterns of thoughts, feelings, actions, reactions, and choices that limit our responses to events and influence every decision of our lives, unconsciously running the show … but that this doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to heal or change. Instead, she says, this truth can open a treasure chest of possibilities and growth.

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Judy Wilkins-Smith is an organizational, individual, and family patterns expert. A systemic executive coach, trainer, facilitator, thought partner, and leadership conference and motivational speaker, she has 18 years of expertise in assisting high-performance individuals, Fortune 500 executives, and legacy families to end limiting cycles and reframe challenges into lasting breakthroughs and peak performance.

As the Founder of System Dynamics for Individuals and Organizations, Judy collaborates with individuals and corporate decision-makers to implement innovative, ‘whole system’ design elements, ensuring balance, appetite for excellence, passion, and sustained success.

Have you forgotten that you are magic? Even though I know in the depths of my being that I am a child of the Divine and that Divine Light flows through me, sometimes I just feel like that schlumpy mom who ends up doing everyone’s laundry. Athena Monet, the Seaside Shaman, is here to help us find faith and magic in ourselves, even when life leads us astray.

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What’s your decision-making style? Do you go with your gut and freefall into new things without worrying about it too much? Or do you think and re-think everything, trying to control every detail?

Most of us fall somewhere between these two extremes. Sarah Noble’s here to talk about how intuition can be used to inspire more balanced decision-making, leading to more powerful choices.

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Are you in a daily battle with anxiety or depression? My guest today is Dr. Dan Tomasulo. He says that although anxiety disrupts the lives of millions of people, there is hope. He’ll share some tools to access the emotional skills that can help you shift your well-being into a more positive direction. Dr. Tomasulo calls this the Positivity Effect.

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Dr. Dan Tomasulo is the Academic Director and core faculty at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI), Teachers College, Columbia University; and is on the teaching staff at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. in psychology, an MFA in writing, and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Review Editor for Frontiers in Psychology, special section on Positive Psychology, and has been honored by Teachers College, Columbia University, with their 2021 Teaching Award.

What happens when our sense of who we are gets turned upside down? It can be sparked by an unexpected lay-off or health crisis; a breakup or the arrival of a milestone, like a significant birthday or an empty nest.

My guest today is Linda Rossetti. She says we often misunderstand what’s happening at these times, and that makes us miss out on the advantages these moments bring.

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We are always changing. Sometimes that’s a delightful truth, and sometimes it feels like change is happening *to* us, and not *for* us.

My guest today is Susan Sutherland. She has deep insight into how we can move through change, and even consciously create it. It’s easy to fall out of touch with our inner voice, and Susan helps us start to listen again and find the heart of our next chapter.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about how the negative things we experience can come to shape the way we see ourselves, other people, and the path before us. When I get scared, I have a tendency to try to distract myself or using coping habits that aren’t so great … like … donuts, for example.

My guest is Dr. Donna Marks. She says that we can find the voice of love … even when we’re in pain or fear … and that there is a path to a healing moment that lets us use pain as a doorway to happiness, meaning and purpose.  

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Today’s show includes mention of suicide and other issues that may be triggering. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help. You can call or text 988 to be connected to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the US. In Canada, call 833-456-4566 any time.

In the face of indescribable loss, how can we find a way … day by day … to keep going? Denny Meek is my guest today. She wants to share openly about the challenges she’s gone through so that the shame, secrecy, and silence society puts around grieving (especially bereavement from suicide) and can instead find inspiration in what the human spirit is capable of. “If impossible experiences can be endured, they can bring untold personal growth,” she says.

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Denny Meek is an author, speaker, and a fighter.

Her book, Still Standing: A Mother’s Raw Journey from the Shadows of Loss to the Dawning of Hope, is a memoir that raises awareness domestic violence, infant loss, anorexia nervosa, teen suicide, and grief. The book is being used at three Australian universities to inform undergrad and post-grad students in health sciences, social work, psychology, education, and nursing.

Of her four children, three are deceased. One was lost to a rare heart disease as an infant, and two others committed suicide as teenagers. Denny was in two main relationships that subjected her to domestic abuse. She has had to confront many losses, pains, and challenging situations, but through it all, she has endured, survived, and learned to live again.

Her fulltime mothering was supplemented by a series of odd jobs, from unemployment project officer to bar staffer, from photographer to professional tarot reader, from video editor to teacher’s special aide. She lives in Australia with her adult son.

Got negative thoughts? Dealing with depression or anxiety? I think a lot of us struggle with maintaining optimal mental health in these difficult times when it can feel like a new stressor lurks around every corner. Dr. Greg Hammer says that with daily practice, the brain can be rewired to combat negative thoughts. He’s developed a three-minute method for that, and he’s here to share it today.

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Feeling a little scattered lately? It’s funny that we are so tied in some ways to our physical bodies, and yet spend so much time not being fully present in the body. Some teachers specialize in ways of helping you experience connection outside of the body, but I’ve always thought a healthy balance was the best way forward. We are both body and spirit, after all. And in turbulent times like these, being able to stay in balance is a big advantage.

On today’s show, we’ll learn about how to incorporate grounding into our daily lives to enhance health and well-being. My guest is Sharon Whiteley. She says grounding is easy to do, costs you nothing, and carries fantastic health benefits.

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Ever meet a narcissist? If you—or anyone you know—has ever been trapped in a narcissistic abusive relationship, trying to make sense of what’s going on and moving toward healing and release can seem impossible. Dr. Tracy Kemble knows a narcissist’s goal is to prevent the victim from leaving by instilling fear, blame, guilt and confusion. But if you can name it and see what’s going on, she says, you can get free.

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Dr. Tracy Kemble is a thought leader, entrepreneur, author, women’s empowerment expert, and a survivor of narcissistic abuse.  For the past 26 years she has committed a portion of her life to help women heal from narcissistic trauma.

What if there was a deeper, truer way of communicating that went beyond the bias and trauma coded in the words we use? So much contradictory and emotionally charged information is coming at us from all directions, and it’s easy to get lost in reactivity. Dr. Synthia Andrews says returning to our inner wisdom now is essential, and we can do that by clearing preconceptions and restore the language all beings understand.

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How can we talk about, feel into, express the ways that Divine Love moves through us? And how can we do that in a way that is relevant to the lives we live today? Jon M. Sweeney and Mark S. Burrows are here to talk about how the words of a 14th-century German mystic, Meister Eckhart, have relevance and challenges for modern explorers. Together they are the authors of Meister Eckhart's Book of Darkness and Light.

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Jon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar and award-winning writer. He is a biographer of St. Francis of Assisi and commentator on his writings, and his books on Franciscan subjects have sold more than 200,000 copies. Jon is the author of more than forty books, including The Pope Who Quit, which was optioned by HBO. He edits the magazine Living City, and is religion editor/associate publisher of Monkfish Publishing in Rhinebeck, NY. He’s appeared on CBS Saturday Morning and numerous other programs. Connect with him on Twitter, where he’s jonmsweeney.

How much does anxiety affect your life? According to a 2022 American Psychological Association study on the impact of stress on daily functioning and activity, 34% of adults said they felt stress is completely overwhelming these days. And 27% of adults said that some days they are so stressed they can’t function. Faust Ruggiero says there’s more to learn about the causes and dynamics of anxiety, and he’s here to help share ways we can overcome it.

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What causes allergies? Is there anything we can do to break the cycle of itching, sneezing, and sniffling? Chinese herbalist and wellness educator Ellen Goldsmith shares how nutrition, herbs, and acupuncture can help to bring some relief.

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Ellen Goldsmith is a nationally board certified, licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist, educator, health and wellness consultant, and author of the book Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine: + 175 Recipes for Optimal Health. She is the cofounder of Pearl Natural Health in Portland, Oregon.

Ellen is on faculty at the National University of Natural Medicine’s College of Classical Chinese Medicine, where she teaches graduate students in the study of Chinese Dietetics and its clinical application. She is also on faculty with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine teaching integrative medical fellows on the Energetics of Food.

What does abundance mean to you? A lot of us relate to it as something we don’t “have” but others do. And we may be worried that we are doing something wrong or missing something that keeps us from being abundant. Maybe we think there’s only so much to go around and we missed our chance. Petia Kolibova Burns says we are all beautiful and powerful beyond measure. Our abundance mindset, our inner vision, is something that can be unlocked to help change our paths.

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Petia Kolibova Burns is an abundance and light activation coach. She guides women to intuitively align with their inner vision. Petia’s mission is to empower souful expansion and full self-expression so women can become unapologetically abundant.

My guest today says that spiritual and paranormal experiences can open perspective and improve psychological health. The Rev. Karen E. Herrick shares what she’s learned about this intersection through many years of clinical practice and in her personal experience. She says you are not alone in meeting life’s challenges. Regardless of your situation, spiritual and paranormal resources are here, now, for you to call on. You can use them to change things for the better. 

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As spiritual beings here for a physical experience, our skin suits can get roughed up in the process. And what we experience in the body always has an intersection with our emotional and energetic states. Sometimes it’s nice to seek assistance from someone who has a foot in both the spiritual and medical worlds. Medical intuitive Timothy Wallace is here to share some of the ways he feels intuitively into physical systems … and how you might be able to listen more closely to your body, too.

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Psychic medium, intuitive, and healer Timothy Wallace entered the energy healing space following a twenty-five-year career as a physician assistant. Free of the “healthcare provider” label and all that entails, he found he could help others in ways he never imagined.

At some point, most people stop and ask themselves, “Is this all there is to my life?” Michael Westover is fascinated by exploring what exactly makes life worthwhile. He will share tools and tips on how to stop going through the motions and build a life with connections, meaning, and purpose.

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Heartbreaks and misfortunes come with the territory here in Earth School. It’s human nature to run away from what hurts us, and to develop not-so-great coping mechanisms to try to cover our pain.

Today’s guest is Kelly Sullivan Walden. She believes we can alchemize challenges into meaningful, healing growth. When we’re going through a living nightmare … and it happens to us all …  Kelly’s got some ideas to help us turn something hellish into meaningful self-exploration.

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What brings you joy? My guest today is Lisa McCourt, and she says joy is nothing more than living in full accordance with your truest inner being! You are joy at your core; you came here as joy. The only reason you're not experiencing a deep sense of inner bliss and wellness in every moment, she believes, is that you've accumulated some obstructions between your day-to-day you and your true inner self--your inner being that is joy.

How much breathing room do you give your creativity? Do you allow experimentation, time to play with colors, to sing a song you just made up right now … on the spot? Spirit speaks to us … and through us … in the most unexpected ways. By honoring our curiosity and sense of play, we are also honoring the Divine in us.

Karen Kinney says that at its core, creativity is a spiritual practice that fosters our own transformation and leads to our own liberation. It challenges us to find our voice, befriend our doubts, and dwell fully in the present moment. As we learn to grow still and embrace what is in front of us, we reclaim our power and begin to live life from a place of fullness.

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Women are the keepers of deep wells of wisdom. But the linear, logical, more masculine aligned ways of “proving” what we know often deny the validity of our wisdom. Laurin Wittig says that by re-discovering our unique wisdom, owning it with confidence, and unleashing it into the wild, women can bring greatly needed balance back into the world. So how do we do that?

We're back from hiatus! After a personal update, Karen answers listener questions about what to do if a new spirit guide shows up; whether reincarnation makes it impossible for a medium to contact your loved one in Spirit; whether it's really possible to predict the future; and more. 

Have a question for the next listener mailbag? Shoot her an email (karen [[[at]]] karenhager.com)!

Grief can knock us flat. Everything changes in an instant, and most people can’t understand what we’re going through.

Do your keys refuse to stay put? Do your socks go missing from the laundry? Cynthia Sue Larson says that when things appear, disappear, transform or transport and when we experience changes in time, that’s a reality shift. Our consciousness can change the physical world and make our lives better as a result.