In the first half, author and researcher Joanne DiMaggio discussed her extensive work on reincarnation, karma, soul writing, and past lives. A member of Edgar Cayce's ARE since 1987, she shared how her Catholic upbringing sparked early questions that led her to explore reincarnation, a concept she found made "absolute sense." She described reincarnation as "the philosophy that the soul is immortal, and that it returns in a different body to continue on its mission." On past life memories, particularly in children, she affirmed their vividness before age five and recounted cases where individuals verified historical details from regressions.
DiMaggio emphasized free will in the reincarnation process, stating that souls deliberately choose their next family based on what lessons they need to learn, including factors like ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic background. "You pick your parents because you know that they can teach you something no other woman or man could teach you as a parent," she remarked. Intriguingly, she explained that soul groups travel together through multiple lifetimes, with roles shifting—"Your mother in this life could have been your husband or wife in the previous life." She also linked present-day phobias to past-life traumas.
She talked about the "law of grace," which enables a person to transcend part of their karma, and how this depends largely on one's attitude toward karmic challenges. Addressing the afterlife, she described souls as residing in the spirit world or possibly other planets after completing earthly incarnations, with some becoming spirit guides. On the topic of soul writing, she described it as "simply a written form of meditation... you put the pen down, and you ask spirit any question you want... and you'll get an answer in writing." This technique can be used to get past-life information and to deepen your psychic abilities, she noted.
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In the latter half, author and spiritual teacher Austyn Wells shared her journey in spirituality, mediumship, and grief counseling. Calling herself a "soul gardener," she explained that mediumship is just the beginning of a larger conversation about soul development. She highlighted the role of multiple spirit guides, including angels, ancestors, and ascended masters, who assist her work. Wells revealed the unconventional start of her mediumship, working as the "voice of a psychic car" for Toyota, delivering hundreds of tarot readings, where she first sensed spirit communications. "So the game was, they got in the car and picked a tarot card [from the glove compartment], and then the voice of the car would give them a reading," she recalled.
On grief, Wells offered an expansive perspective, stating, "Grief isn't just the death of someone, it's when our children leave and they're going off to college... it's change." She encouraged embracing grief rather than circumventing it, viewing it as a "pool" to be navigated with love and awareness. She also reflected on cultural approaches to grief, praising the communal and colorful traditions of the Hispanic Day of the Dead, which she characterized as a "healthy grief practice" that Americans could learn from.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wells launched a free online meditation series to provide community and solace, which evolved into a sustained membership. She advised simple meditation techniques focused on breath and gratitude to achieve vibrational shifts that ease grief and stress. She also recounted experiences from metaphysical retreats, including a private spring equinox ceremony at the Sphinx in Egypt, underscoring her deep connection to ancient spiritual sites. In the last hour, she provided readings for callers.
News segment guests: Howard Bloom, Mish Shedlock