Wize Woman STORIES

A dog disappears right after arriving home, and the panic feels like it might swallow everything. That raw moment opens a chain of true stories that made us rethink what dogs really are to us: not accessories, not background noise, but companions with timing so precise it can feel like fate. We talk about how dogs enter our lives with a purpose, then follow that thread through grief, family loss,...

Trees don’t just decorate our lives, they shape them. We start with a simple question that turns out to be huge: can you name a tree that carried you through a hard season? From childhood tree houses and scraped knees to the quiet relief of hiding in leaves when home feels tense, we follow the ways trees become sanctuary, perspective, and a kind of wordless companionship that asks nothing from us....

A migraine that becomes a mystical transmission. A grief so deep it cracks open into love. A woman who goes from “please don’t let me see ghosts” to teaching a high-frequency healing system built around the heart. I’m your host, Delia Quigley, and my guest Renata McConnell shares the true story behind her path as an artist, healer, and spiritual teacher who bridges the visible and invisible worlds...

You can hear the moment Martha McCabe learned the world wasn’t fair, because she never stops seeing power clearly after that. Growing up in Albany, New York, she watches corruption operate in daylight and learns to track who gets protected, who gets harmed, and how authority covers for itself. That early education becomes the foundation for a legal career built around one question: when power is a...

She arrives in Carrboro, North Carolina, with three kids, $11,000 in debt, and no clean roadmap, then builds a personal chef business that grows into Food Fairy, a service that nourishes families across the Triangle. Talking with Terri McClernon, we follow the thread that runs through every chapter of her life: food as connection, creativity, and a way to survive, even when the numbers don’t add u...

A black snake keeps showing up at my window, and instead of turning away, I start paying attention. That single choice becomes the start of a creative trail I never planned, one that runs through a hip injury, a hidden stone house, and four years of living close to nature's raw sounds and seasons. What begins as fear slowly turns into curiosity, and curiosity turns into layered photographs th...

What if wisdom isn’t something you chase, but something that catches you when you slow down enough to notice? We sit with Anita Peterhansel—yogi, counselor, island elder—whose life moved without plans or credentials, yet landed in a steady, luminous clarity. From Amsterdam’s peep shows to Ibiza’s beaches, she practiced in unlikely places, listened harder than she spoke, and let purpose announce it...

What if your thoughts aren’t you—but weather moving through a wider sky? We dive into that gap between thinking and awareness with Jacky Fernandez, a mental health counselor and Zen teacher who bridges clinical tools and contemplative practice. Together we unpack how rumination fuels depression, worry feeds anxiety, and why fighting your mind rarely works. Instead, Jacky lays out simple, humane wa...

What if sustainable energy isn’t something you chug but something you sense? We sit down with healer and teacher Lynn Goodman to rethink vitality from the inside out—through breath, slow motion, and the subtle intelligence running through your body. Instead of pushing harder, Lynn shows how to feel chakras as real sensations, set clear boundaries in busy spaces, and stabilize your system so screen...

Pain, tightness, and fatigue often seem like isolated problems, but what if they’re messages from deeper stories your body is holding? We sit down with somatic therapist and former professional dancer Marcia Ward to explore how fascia, breath, and intention can quietly reshape not only how you move, but how you see, choose, and feel. Marcia traces her journey from rigorous ballet technique—where b...

Doors don’t open themselves; we open them with the way we arrive. I wanted the New Year to feel less like a sprint and more like a crossing, so I explored the rituals that make time feel sacred and change feel possible—without the pressure cooker of perfect resolutions. I start with a sensory memory: chili that slow-cooked all night, cornbread stacked high, a fire rumbling while friends drift in f...

A year of conversations distilled into one clear invitation: choose balance you can feel, not perfection you can’t keep. We look back with our friend and returning voice, Debra Fernandez, to explore the real passage from warrior years into wize woman seasons—and why strength often looks like peace, boundaries, and steady daily rituals rather than constant fight. We unpack the language that shapes...

Menopause isn’t a diagnosis to endure; it’s a transition you can understand and navigate with confidence. We sit down with functional medicine nutritionist Erin Parekh to unpack the real biology behind hot flashes, weight changes, and brain fog—and why replacing guesswork with lab data is the fastest path to relief. From defining perimenopause to clarifying what “menopause is one day” actually mea...

In this episode, we push back on the idea that chronic disease is “normal” and explore how food, movement, and mindset can shift outcomes. Andrea shares healing choices after a thyroid diagnosis, Alex opens up about fibromyalgia and symptom management, and Gina maps a prevention-first approach with nutrition and community. • the cultural normalization of sickness and the medical revolving door • s...

Creativity doesn’t begin with applause; it starts with the quiet decision to be honest. Delia sits down again with longtime friend and collaborator Deborah Fernandez to examine the intimate terrain where limits, talent, and truth meet. Through stories from decades in dance, teaching, and visual art, we explore why “good or bad” is the wrong question and how authenticity can turn constraint into fu...

What if creativity isn’t something you have or don’t—but a way you move through the world? We open that door with three artists whose lives stretch from stage and circus to studio and garden, and with stories that show how passion, talent, and skill braid into a durable creative life. You’ll hear how a choreographer treats stuck moments as puzzles to flip and reframe, why a former performer fell i...

When people rise up in protest, there's always hope the world will shift. Yet change comes slowly and the deeper structures of power often remain unmoved. Women who have stood on the frontlines of protest—from environmental actions to anti-war demonstrations—share their stories of persistence, disappointment, and resilience. • Virginia Kennedy recounts her arrest at the White House while prot...

Delia Quigley shares her personal journey through decades of yoga practice, from discovering Bikram yoga in the 1980s to studying with masters like Sri K Pattabhi Jois and the 120-year-old Swami Bua. She reveals how yoga transformed not just her physical body but her entire approach to life. • Starting as a neophyte in the early 1980s, when yoga teachers were scarce and information was limited • T...

Four remarkable women share their transformative journeys of healing serious health conditions by changing how they eat, proving the power of food as medicine over several decades. • Andrea Beeman discovered macrobiotics while supporting her mother through cancer treatments and later healed her own thyroid condition by refusing conventional treatment in favor of dietary changes • All effective die...

Every kitchen tells a story. Behind each stovetop and cutting board stands a woman with wisdom earned through years of transforming raw ingredients into sustenance for body and soul. This episode takes you on an intimate journey through women's relationships with their kitchens - spaces that become far more than meal preparation stations. They evolve into sanctuaries where creativity, heritag...

Ever noticed how the world keeps getting louder? Headlines scream, social media buzzes, and division seems to amplify daily. Yet beneath this cacophony, a quiet force is rising – one that doesn't demand attention but profoundly shapes our lives: the power of prayer. This isn't about religion. It's about connection. As our guests reveal, prayer transcends boundaries and belief system...

Through fascinating personal stories, we journey into the mysterious realm of women's intuitive knowledge. You'll hear from a mother who woke in the night feeling her son's terror as he faced life-threatening cold in remote Canadian mountains - at the exact moment it was happening. Another woman describes the "seismic" feeling that compelled her to flee an arranged marriag...

Resilience is more than just bouncing back—it's the quiet, fierce strength of the human spirit that helps us adapt, grow, and thrive through life's most challenging moments. • Defining resilience as the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity and emerge stronger • The physical and emotional toll of caregiving, as shared through Janet's story of caring for her Vietnam veteran...

Delia Quigley transports us through the transformative stages of womanhood, from the tender "maiden years" into the complex terrain of female adulthood. This deeply personal exploration features voices spanning generations – from 11-year-old Lexi navigating social media pressures to women in their warrior years reflecting on motherhood and self-discovery. At the heart of this episode lie...

How many ways can you say the word "mother"? Divine mother, mother nature, mother earth, grandmother... The list continues as we delve into this powerful archetype that shapes our world in countless ways. We've gathered voices from women across different walks of life to share their raw, honest experiences of motherhood—both biological and chosen. From the woman who knew early on th...