The Illuminated Woman

In part 3 of the four-part series on supporting the 4 Pillars of Wellness (and Healing) as a gateway to connecting to your child or other loved one in Spirit, and to your Higher Self and your intuition, we dive into the emotional realm. Many people mistakenly believe that our mental and emotional health are one in the same - but they aren’t! Each one is very separate and distinct. In this episode,...

This is part 2 of my 4 part series on supporting the 4 Pillars of Wellness I talk about in my free guide, 4 Steps to Connect With Your Child (or other loved ones) In Spirit (get your copy here ). Last week in Episode 55, I talked about the importance of our physical wellness. This week, we’re talking about mastering our mind and supporting our mental wellness. Depression, anxiety and other mental...

In Episode 5, I talked about the 4 Pillars of Wellness that supported me so well after my son left this life. In this first of a four part series, I share with you my own health journey and dive into why supporting your physical health when you're grieving is so critical. Be sure to get your copy of my Fr*e guide, 4 Steps To Connect With Your Child In Heaven . It will help you as you listen t...

Tender days… milestones in your life or the life of your child or other loved ones in Spirit can be an opportunity for reflection. In this episode, I reflect back on how my life has changed since my son, Greg’s, high school graduation day (13 years ago on the date of this recording). I also share some upcoming changes I’m making in my life in about three months, and how God/Spirit/the Universe val...

This episode is heavy, but it’s a topic that needs to be brought out into the Light. An alarming number of bereaved Moms have recently made the choice to leave this life by their own hand. I’m a bereaved Mom, so I understand the feelings of pain, hopelessness, despair, and so much more. In this episode, I share my own moment of just not wanting to be here anymore, and how I picked myself up off th...

This is a really fun and enlightening conversation with my friend, Shelly Wilson. We met 9 years ago when we were both vendors at a metaphysical event in Atlanta. She’s played a significant role in my life since then. In this episode, we talk about so many things, including: Shelly’s journey into consciousness The pivotal experiences we each had in 2008 that were part of a big shift that occurred...

This is a special bonus episode to honor all the bereaved Moms this Mother's Day. From my heart to yours, my wish is that this will bring you a sense of peace and solace to your tender heart. The Illuminated Connection Call is a free conversation where we talk heart to heart—no pressure, no agenda. I’d love to hear what’s on your heart, where you are in your life and spiritual journey, and wh...

We made it to Episode 50!! Listen in as I share why this seemed so far out of reach for me when I first got the nudge to start a podcast. In honor of reaching 50 episodes, I did something different and special this week. I did an oracle card reading to bring us messages from our loved ones in Spirit. If you don’t know what oracle cards are, listen in as I explain the difference between Tarot and o...

Spiritual what?? Dark Nights of the what?? I’m going deep into topics I love in this week’s episode! If you haven’t heard of these, if you’re skeptical, or if you think I’ve lost my mind, good!. I invite you to keep an open mind and heart. Take what resonates; leave the rest. I’ve said that for years to my clients when I was teaching about feminine energy and healing, and it applies here as well....

In this episode, we’re celebrating reaching 6,000 downloads of the podcast - and why that’s a big deal, not just for the podcast, but to give you hope on your journey.  So many grieving parents (Moms in particular) seem to give up on their own life after their child goes to Spirit. And this isn't limited to grieving Moms. In this episode, I share: Why it’s so important to find something bigge...

What happens when we can’t show up for others in our lives, and when we can’t even show up for ourselves and our own healing? In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of my life and share how that’s played out for me the first few months of this year. What exhaustion does to us when we’re on a healing journey The emotions that can arise when we’re exhausted What I remembered about self-care d...

Have you ever met someone and instantly felt a connection with them deep in your Soul? My guest this week is one of those people in my life. A gifted psychic and medium, Debbie Squizzero generously shares from her Soul and uses compassion, humor and song to guide her healing work. Listen in as Debbie shares: How she came to “heal one Soul at a time” Her early experiences of being plugged in to a H...

So many people live on autopilot, simply going through the motions of life. I did until I left my last marriage in 2008. While I still find myself slipping into autopilot mode once in a while, I know how to shift out of it. Creating rituals has helped me turn boring routines into self-honoring rituals that have supported me on my healing journey. In this episode I share: Some of my favorite ritual...

I see so much pain, despair, and hopelessness in bereaved Mom groups - and in other groups of grieving people. I’ve seen it for years in my work as a family law paralegal. There are some questions you can ask yourself that will help when you’re in that space of deep grief, questions I ask myself when I’m in that space. The one question that’s usually not the right one to ask - and some questions t...

Some of what Jackie and I talk about is dark and might not be easy to listen to. But if you’re a bereaved Mom, you’ll understand. I think that at some point every bereaved Mom has thought she wants to be done with this life so she can be with her child in Spirit. And we have them more than once. I know I have. Let me be very clear: except in very rare cases, that does not mean we’re suicidal. But...

I became a fan from the moment I first met Bonnie Ross-Parker at a networking event in Atlanta 8 or 9 years ago. This woman is a powerhouse with a gentle heart for service. Little did we know that we would become forever connected through the grief of losing our precious sons. Bonnie’s son, Glenn, passed away early the morning of the Haiti earthquake in 2010. She has been one of my fiercest suppor...

I know how hard it can be to find a reason to get up and participate in life after you’ve experienced a great loss. And yet, our Souls didn’t come here to simply exist and sit on the sidelines of life! Yes, it’s hard to continue living after great loss. In this week’s episode I give you some insights into: Does everything really happen for a reason? Some of the reasons our Souls choose to incarnat...

I’m so excited about this week’s podcast because I’m bringing you another male perspective to the conversation around grief. As the mother of sons and grandmother to grandsons, I happen to love and adore men. And from my research, conversations, and experience, men are taught even less about grief, and expressing their feelings in general, than women are. Today, we’re going to talk with a bereaved...

I know some of you, if you’re a bereaved Mom, may listen to parts of this episode and think “oh but that’s different because she, Dara, hasn’t lost a child and that’s different.” Yes, it is different, And… I’d invite you to listen to the wisdom we can all learn from loss and grief of different types. I also invite you, if you haven’t yet, to go listen to Episode 36 about honoring other people’s gr...

A few weeks after the birth of her first daughter, Dara’s Mother passed away after a battle with cancer. This loss, and the loss of her grandmothers, was so painful that for decades she was afraid to re-read their letters to her. Meanwhile, she went on with her life as a wife and mother - and cancer survivor. Listen in as we talk about: How she coped with the hand life dealt her in an age when the...

Grief is ever-evolving, ever-changing. And, it’s always with us. When you’ve experienced a deep loss, there is no endpoint to the grief. There are times it consumes you, and there are times it’s a bit softer. It can sneak up on you when you least expect it. It can threaten to pull you under. In this episode I share : Why this past month has been more difficult than many of us (including me) expect...

I always want to give you a new perspective, a different way of looking at things to help you on your grief and healing journey. This episode does just that. In it I share: Something I read and hear from a lot of bereaved Moms that triggers them and makes them angry Why we all come from our own experience in life Why it’s important to honor someone else’s “worst” loss and pain What people are tryi...

Jami Mumford is truly a remarkable woman who’s had quite a journey, both during her son, Chayse’s life, and since he went to Spirit. In Part 2 of my conversation with Jami we talked about: Her experience in the hospital Chapel after learning of Chayse’s diagnosis What she thought happens when you talk to God - and her reaction when it didn’t The message she did receive in the Chapel from God The e...

Jami Lee Mumford’s son, Chayse, was born early at just 24 weeks with hydrocephalus leading to 40 brain surgeries and 56 total surgeries over the course of his 17 years of life. Within the span of 18 months, Jami lost her son, mother, and step-father. After trying to drown her pain with alcohol, she eventually tapped into her spiritual gifts and found a way to help others. In our conversation, Jami...

Whew - we made it through 2020! If this was your first set of holidays without your child or other loved one in this physical life, give yourself a big hug. It’s a milestone that needs to be acknowledged. Far too often we don’t acknowledge our growth and milestones. What I’ve learned over the past 13 years is that just because the date changes on the calendar, nothing is different in life unless a...