Making the Connection

Tonight we welcome special guest David J. Pollay, author of the newly released book, The Three Promises. David is an expert on positive psychology, having studied at Yale and the University of Pennsylvania. This terrific new book explains that if you'll just make three simple promises to yourself--find joy every day, do what you love, and make a difference--that you will create a life of contentment. After years of practicing positive psychology in major corporations with people from over 100 countries, Pollay learned a simple truth: engaging in fulfilling activities on a daily basis is what truly leads to happiness. He offers over 65 strategies in The Three Promises that will help you, and we'll be talking about how you can start to implement them in your life right away.

We have two eclipses taking place this month, a full moon lunar eclipse on Wednesday, the 8th, followed by a solar eclipse on the 23rd. Eclipses always occur in pairs, and they're known for bringing about fast and sudden change. We experience eclipse pairs a couple of times each year, but this set has a few wild cards surrounding them. Mercury has gone retrograde, and Uranus (the planet of surprise) is acting up also. What's a girl or guy to do? Head for the hills? Fear not--there are some smokin' hot, positive celestial aspects going on in October as well. Jennifer will be talking about how these eclipses will affect everyone, so tune in to find out what's going on in your sign!

Since ancient times, people have believed that specific shapes hold spiritual significance: hexagons, triangles, circles and squares. And since there is no such thing as a perfectly straight line in nature, shapes found in the natural world have often been used in religious and spiritual practices and architecture. Catholic churches often have stained glass windows in the shape of a rose, Central American cultures revered the spiral found in shells and fern fronds, and the shape of glittering stars at night have been used by everyone! In Hindu practices it is believed that focusing on shapes can actually carry you into another dimension, a place to access the higher mind. Is this just superstition, or is there really something to it? Call in with your questions and comments to this live broadcast.

Full disclosure: I happen to know Rom, having worked side by side with her at many psychic events in the NYC area. That's how I can say that she is,without a doubt, one of the most talented mediums I have ever met! She says that if we recognize ourselves as spiritual beings first, that we'll be much more at ease in communicating with spirit.  Rom is not only a master when it comes to communicating with the Other Side, she is a board certified PhD with a degree in sex therapy, a la Masters and Johnson. She'll be chatting with me live about her experiences as a psychic and medium, and we'll be taking your calls and questions.

Regular listeners to this show know that I take a logical and rational approach to psychic ability, mediumship and other things that are often referred to as being "paranormal". No woo-woo stuff here! That's why it's a pleasure to have as tonight's guest none other than Phyllis King, the "Common Sense Psychic". Phyllis, psychic since age 5, has given practical and down-to-earth advice to tens of thousands of people in her private readings as well as on countless radio shows, including her own on Blog Talk Radio. She has also appeared on CBS and NBC television, and has authored 4 books, one with Dr. Wayne Dyer, entitled Bouncing Back: Thriving in Changing Times. You'll enjoy the insights of this practical and intuitive lady. Call in with your questions!

I studied Tae Kwon Do in high school, and it changed my life. It introduced me to Zen philosophy, which in turn led to a lifelong study of spiritual schools of thought from all over the world. It also saved my life. If I hadn't studied Tae Kwon Do, I'd be 6 feet under right now, a victim of a rapist and would-be murderer who attacked me (unsuccessfully, thank you very much) in college. So it was with great interest that I received a book co-written by 4 friends who also happen to be successful entrepreneurs and karate masters. You Have Infinite Power is a book that teaches you have to achieve success in any area of life through energy, passion, purpose and the principles of Tae Kwon Do. The great thing about this book is that it takes ideas that are Eastern in origin, and explains them succinctly to a Western audience. Co-author Rick Wollman will be on hand to take your questions and to talk about how he personally used these principles to create success in his life.

How do the spirits know what's going on in our lives? As a medium, I get asked this question a lot. Clients are often shocked to discover that a deceased loved one knows about the new baby, or the romantic breakup, or the new curtains that you hung this morning, especially since these events happened after they passed. How much do they know? Do they enter into some kind of God-like omnipotent state in which they can see all that will happen in the future? Why don't they visit us when we so desperately need their help? Do they hear our prayers? How much are they allowed to tell us? We'll be talking about this topic tonight. Call in with your questions!

Yes, you read that right. Tonight's guest is an official "Jollyologist", a man who has dedicated his life to happiness: finding it, nurturing it, and living it. I'm talking about prolific author Allen Klein, who has just published a book entitled Having the Time of Your Life: Little Lessons to Live By. Allen has collected 500 inspiring and uplifting quotations on the subject of life, from Oprah Winfrey to Lena Horne to Abraham Lincoln. I'll be talking to him about happiness--how can we be happier every day of the year? How can one simple quotation change someone's life? And what makes Allen so darn jolly? This promises to be a fun interview!

The recent tragic suicide of beloved actor and comic Robin Williams has led many people to question what leads people to take their own lives, especially when it appears on the surface that they had so much to live for. Different cultures and spiritual practices take different views on the topic of suicide. In some cultures it's an honor to give up your life, in others it's one of the worst things you could possibly do. As a medium, I frequently do readings for people who have lost a loved one to suicide. They often want to know if the deceased person is being punished on the Other Side for their deed, or if they are at peace, or what led them to taking such a drastic action. What does the Other Side have to say about suicide? We'll be talking about this controversial topic tonight at 7.

In Christianity, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, a situation that was designed to test him. It was a lonely, barren, frightening time, but one from which he emerged a more powerful and wise messiah. The vision quests of the American Indians followed the same protocol and rationale. But in other spiritual practices, a different concept exists entirely--that of finding "shelter", or a refuge. Being in the world, but not of the world. Deliberately pulling away to a private place in which you can develop your spirituality without interference. And we're not talking about going up to a mountaintop in Nepal or hanging out at the ashram. This refuge exists in your mind. How do you do this? How do you get there? What are the benefits to this practice? We'll be talking about finding refuge in tonight's broadcast

A few days before Malaysian Flight 17 departed from the Netherlands, an 11-year-old boy who was booked on the flight became increasingly agitated. He began asking his mother, who was not traveling with him, about what would happen if the plane crashed. This wasn't his first flight; he was a well-travelled boy. He seemed terrified to board the plane. His mother is now questioning whether or not her son was receiving some kind of psychic information about the upcoming crash, and she has to live with the knowledge that he may have known all along that his time on Earth was coming to an end. Premonitions like this have been documented many times in history, whether it was Abe Lincoln sensing an assassination, people who didn't go to work at the World Trade Center on 9/11, or the people who decided not to board the Titanic. Why do we receive premonitions about upcoming disasters? Why do some people receive them, and others don't? We'll be talking about this live tonight at 7 pm EST.

Last week Jennifer talked about a major astrological event that took place on Wednesday, the 16th: the movement of Jupiter into Leo, a place where it hasn't been in almost 13 years. Jupiter is considered to be the great benefactor, the Fairy Godmother of the planets, who wants to bestow delicious goodies upon all of us. Well folks, there's more good news to come! This Thursday Jupiter is conjoining the Sun, which makes July 24th the "luckiest day of the year" in astrology. Not only that, there's a positive new moon two days later on July 26th, and a trine (another auspicious aspect) taking place at the same time! Yikes! As the saying goes, "It's all good." I'll take it! Tune in to find out what these celestial events may have in store for you.

Good news! Jupiter, that amazing planet of growth and expansion and giving goodies, is scheduled to change houses tomorrow. Jupiter helps us no matter where it is located in its orbit around the Sun, but when it changes houses, it brings its joy and power to a different area of your life. It takes about 13 years for Jupiter to revolve around the Sun, which means that the last time it was in this neighborhood was 13 years ago. Tune in to find out what Jupiter has in store for you over the next year.

Please join me in welcoming fellow psychic and medium Susan Averre to the show tonight! Susan is a teacher, writer, radio host, and intuitive with over 25 years experience. I've worked with Susan on the air before, and I can attest to her ability: she's awesome! We'll find out how whe got in to this line of work, how she perceives information coming in, and what she has learned from the spirit world. Call in with your questions.

We were all born with the ability to experience joy, love, compassion, and trust--and the ability to experience awe in every new encounter. How did we lose that precious wisdom, the wisdom we were born with? Well, life tends to get in the way. We then develop habitual ways of looking at the world, which (let's face it!) may not be the most upbeat. What would you do, for example, if "life" sent you one heck of a lesson--like getting into a car accident that left you paralyzed from the neck down? Would you ever be able to tap into that source of wisdom again?      Tonight Jennifer will be talking to Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, a practicing psychologist and family therapist who is also the host of "Voices in the Family" on WHYY, Philadelphia's NPR affiliate. Thirty years ago, he was involved in an accident which left him a quadripalegic for life. Between his own personal struggles and those of his patients, Dr. Gottlieb truly understands how life "gets in the way" of the wisdom we're born with, which happens to be the title of his latest book. His words offer a perspective, a path back to that gentle and wise place. You'll enjoy this interview.

A famous painting exists of 3 Asian men, way back in time, who are gathered around a big vat of liquid. Vinegar, to be exact! They are dipping their fingers in the vat and tasting it. One man reacts with a sour expression; the second man has a bitter look on his face; and the third has a smile on his lips. These three men are Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Confucius, and their reactions to the taste of the vinegar represent their philosophies. Can you guess which man is associated with which expression? This famous painting was discussed in The Tao of Pooh, so you may already know the answer. But tune in anyway, because we'll be talking about the differences between these 3 key philosophies.

The image of a warrior frequently comes up in spiritual circles. You may be familiar with the best-selling book, The Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. It was turned into a terrific movie not too long ago. Or you may be thinking about all of those Karate Kid/ Bruce Lee/ stoic American Indian movies in which a spiritual person is depicted as a warrior. Not for nothing, Bruce Lee was a well-read man who studied many ancient philosophies. He was very much grounded in spiritual principles. So what's all this warrior stuff about? Do you have to kick ass and be a karate whiz in order to be a spiritual person? Do you have to go to a sweat lodge, then go on a vision quest, and then be anointed by the Grand Poobah Shaman of the tribe as being a warrior? The good news is that the answer is "no"! A good definition of a warrior is "one who has conquered himself". Hmmmm. Something to think about, isn't it! Check out the show as Jennifer talks about what a modern-day warrior is all about. You may be surprised!

This coming weekend officially kicks off the summer season in the US, so break out the white shoes--you know, the ones you're only supposed to wear until Labor Day! Our society has silly rules and traditions concerning the seasons. But in the spiritual realm, the four seasons have significant meanings. Learn what the ancients had to say about the seasons, and how you can incorporate their wisdom into your own spiritual practice.

Many people who follow a spiritual path believe in maintaining some sort of daily ritual, or practice. This isn't a new idea--people way back in time, from the ancient Egyptians to the Mayans to the Taoists, advocated spending at least a few minutes every day to express the spiritual side of their nature. You might be thinking, "Great! Just one more obligation to fit into my busy day!"  But a spiritual practice doesn't need to be lengthy or complicated. It doesn't require denial or endless hours of meditation. Learn how modern-day folks create daily practices of devotion, gratitude and spirituality that work for them.

Does having well-developed psychic ability enable you to spy on other people? If so, is this an ethical practice? The US government has used psychics to spy on its enemies, trying to determine what they're up to. We all might agree that this is valuable for ensuring the safety of innocent people around the world. But what happens if you want to snoop on your neighbor or your spouse? There areethical concerns when it comes to using your intuition, and the information that comes from other realms seems to have a "filter" on it. However, you'd be surprised just how much information does come through!