Seeking Wonder: Recent Episodes
Dani Fankhauser
Seeking Wonder is a show about creativity and intuition. What’s unique about the format is that host Dani Fankhauser, writer and meditation teacher, releases a piece of mystical fiction each season, and then interviews expert guests (artists, healers, spiritual teachers, academics, entertainers) to explore what’s real: the intersection of imagination and reality. This podcast is for creatives, the woo-curious, and anyone who wants to tap into their intuition to experience the magic of real life.
Learn more: danifankhauser.com/dog-deities Download: danifankhauser.com/intuition-guide
For many years, I had my heart set on getting a book deal with a Big 5 publisher. In fact, I began practicing manifestation specifically so I could manifest a book deal.
But last summer, I changed my mind, and put things in motion to publish my debut novel on my birthday.
In this episode, I’m going to go over the reasons, including:
✩ Diminishing returns of traditional publishing
✩ Why you're more likely to reach 6 figures as an indie author
✩ How astrology predicts a shift in power from traditional publishing to self-governing groups
✩ Making sense of manifestation breakthroughs and intuitive readings about my writing career
If you are exploring your own path to publishing, I hope this is helpful!
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Buy SISTER EARTH, out 10.5.2025! danifankhauser.com/books
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Ways to work with me right now:
- Get a free writing breakthrough session
- Join my membership for intuitive writers, Vocal Oracles
Are you experiencing particularly painful triggers, without knowing why they hurt like they do? Or, facing the same dead end for something deeply desired that always feels out of reach?
You could be in what's called a Corrective Experience (in this episode I call it a Corrective Memory).
I share a few examples from my healing journey and how I've used this approach to heal and find new freedom.
Learn more about corrective experiences on the Expanded podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0RAuL4ukeWsi30iR1NhzaG
Learn more about how romantic relationships uniquely trigger us to boost healing: https://open.spotify.com/episode/38sCgk6wl8M01lSBciSWbA
New!
THE RESET
Experience a combination of energy healing and coaching with 4 sessions over 30 days to release old patterns and find your freest self.
Learn more: https://www.danifankhauser.com/reset
Thanks for stopping by!
Connect with Dani:
Substack: https://danifankhauser.substack.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danifankhauser
What would change if everyone knew animals have souls, just like we do? This week we explore beyond our domestic pets and learn about the unique approach to animal welfare at Viva Rescue, a 501(3)(c) nonprofit.
Maya Benperlas, cofounder of Viva, shares the origin of the animal sanctuary, her background with equine-assisted therapy and horse rescues, how volunteers support the work, and the innovative veterinary care and holistic modalities used to give rescue animals their best lives.
Nora Armbruster, a reiki master and animal communicator who offers services at the sanctuary every week, shares her discovery of her own psychic abilities, the variety of souls and personalities she encounters through client and Viva sessions, and how pet reiki and mediumship can be a powerful support through pet loss and transition.
At the end of the episode, we get to experience a live animal communication session as Nora tunes in to Bambi, who transitioned a few weeks ago, and eagerly shares messages with her person, Dani.
In this episode:
2:34 - Maya’s work at Viva Rescue
20:45 - Nora’s career change into animal communication, and collaborations with Viva
44:32 - Mini animal communication “in spirit” session with Bambi, Dani’s chihuahua who recently transitioned
Connect with the guests:
Maya Benperlas: vivaglobalrescue.org; @vivaglobalrescue
Nora Armbruster: animalwhisperer.love; @animalcommunicationwithnora; nora@animalwhisperer.love
Connect with me:
Website: danifankhauser.com
Instagram: @danifankhauser
Affiliate links for programs I love:
Lotus Lantern intuitive gift training: ABC Collection
The Path: Meditation Teacher Training
To Be Magnetic: Follow this link and use my code DANI8904 for 15% off!
Read my short story, “Dog Deities”:
Website: dogdeities.com
Get ebook on Kindle
Searching for a lost pet is up there among the most stressful and emotional situations a pet parent can face. If you take away one thing from this week’s episode, let it be that this doesn’t have to be the end.
In this roundtable episode, we talk to three individuals who have intuitively connected with their pets in vastly different ways: through a communicator to locate a lost cat, through plant medicine (exposing a past life connection!), and by learning to read body language via a talented dog trainer. It turns out, the way we listen to our pets also mirrors the way we listen to our own inner voice.
We’re close to wrapping up “Spirit Doggies,” our season on intuitive animal communication. My mind has been blown by stories of what’s possible when we learn to tune into our furry friends, whether they’re our pets, wild animals, or so-called household pests. Thanks for joining be and stay tuned for what’s coming next!
In this episode:
- How a pet psychic directed Allissa C. directly to her lost cat
- Grief and the past life connection that Alyssa L.’s dog came to heal
- The differences between working with an animal communicator and a pet trainer
- Intuition as an inner voice vs. a download
- How each of the guests reconnected with their intuition after shutting it down in childhood, and how it impacts parenting, relationships, and more
Connect with the guests:
Allissa C.: @allissacooper13
Alyssa L.: @alybunny & podcast The Spiritual Ride
Kea-Sophie: @kea_sophie_ & podcast The Frequency of Longevity
Connect with me:
Website: danifankhauser.com
Instagram: @danifankhauser
Affiliate links for programs I love:
Lotus Lantern intuitive gift training: ABC Collection
The Path: Meditation Teacher Training
To Be Magnetic: Follow this link and use my code DANI8904 for 15% off!
Read my short story, “Dog Deities”:
Website: dogdeities.com
Get ebook on Kindle
Dogs come into our lives at the right time, and for a reason. The true extent of that karmic bond might be more than we currently comprehend. The practical uses of animal communication include finding lost pets, learning a rescue dog’s backstory, context for trauma healing, and perhaps a way to deal with household pests (!), but on a more spiritual level, our dogs are actually guardians and partners on our soul journey.
Our guest Morgan Balavage is a business coach, yoga teacher, manifestation expert, fellow teacher on the Insight Timer app, one of the most highly trained and skilled individuals I've encountered in mindfulness and spirituality.
In this episode:
- How relationships with dogs can help us better relate to humans
- Using animal communication to find lost pets
- Morgan’s adoption story of Spike (this gave me chills!)
- Morgan and Spike go to Mexico, transmute karma, encounter scorpions, rattlesnakes, and more
- Highly practical use of animal communication as antidote to arachnophobia
- Morgan’s profound childhood experience with meditation, early intuitive skills, and past life memories
- How Spike interacts with Morgan’s clients in healing sessions
Connect with Morgan:
Instagram: @splendid.yoga
Connect with me:
Website: danifankhauser.com
Instagram: @danifankhauser
Affiliate links for programs I love:
Lotus Lantern intuitive gift training: ABC Collection
The Path: Meditation Teacher Training
To Be Magnetic: Follow this link and use my code DANI8904 for 15% off!
Read my short story, “Dog Deities”:
Website: dogdeities.com
Get ebook on Kindle
Dani shares about receiving a difficult diagnosis this week for her 14-year old chihuahua, Bambi.
She re-listens to an excerpt from the earlier interview with animal communicator and reiki practitioner, Olivia LaBarre, about how to prepare both your animal companion and yourself for loss. This is a great episode to bookmark so you can come back to it at the right time, or share with someone who needs it.
Connect with Olivia:
https://olivialabarre.com/
Connect with Dani:
https://www.instagram.com/danifankhauser
If you're considering adopting and want to connect with your soul-doggie, this episode is for you! Becoming a dog's "person" is a big responsibility. Living with a dog absolutely soothes the nervous system and provides all kinds of other benefits.
In this solo episode, Dani shares how she connected with her senior chihuahua, Bambi.
Dani Fankhauser is a writer and meditation teacher, and a 2x startup founder. In addition to hosting this podcast, she leads a weekly group reiki meditation, offers private sessions, and reviews spiritual books over on YouTube as @spiritualbookclub.
In this episode:
- All the dogs Dani has lived with and why she decided to adopt
- The magical series of events that led to connecting with Bambi the chihuahua
- How her relationship with Bambi shifted her values, and led to a career change
- The similarities between relationship with pets and relationship with intuition
Connect with me:
Website: danifankhauser.com
Instagram: @danifankhauser
Apply for The Initiation:
Fill out this form! Can't wait to meet you. https://forms.gle/yHDqyfApxxUVKn8X7
Read my short story, “Dog Deities”:
Website: dogdeities.com
Get ebook on Kindle
Dani shares about how she’s used the tools of animal communication (learned through hosting this podcast) to help her senior chihuahua Bambi with separation anxiety, and how it’s helped her address her own emotional triggers, too. Mentioned in the episode: ✔️ Interview with Jamie Wozny: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1kMoIIR0TA5QQycETA1JPU?si=g3JYBGiDSL-0ApZaywsmhQ✔️ Interview with Renee / Sagittarius Way: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4S51XA5Dt6FDr7aGt5di2v?si=U8Sn5IoySYCjBYOtFKlWIgHave you had an animal communication session? Want to share your story and inspire others? DM Dani on Instagram (@danifankhauser) to be included in the roundtable episode!
Believe it or not, you’re already communicating with your pet. Every animal communicator I’ve met emphasizes that this is a skill everyone has, and can develop with practice. It might help to compare it to a language, but instead of just words, the elements include images, physical sensations, and emotions. This episode gives a peek behind-the-scenes.
Our guest Renée Vos de Wael is a deeply experienced animal communicator with international clientele, she's the founder of Sagittarius Way, a platform that helps animal owners develop profound connections with their pets, as well as 1:1 sessions she offers courses, guided meditations, a live session on the Insight Timer meditation app and a reiki animal circle every week.
In this episode:
- Renee’s intuition backstory
- How a horse got a new name
- The language of animal communication—an insider look at how it works!
- The common questions people ask their animals, and what your pet wants for you
- How reiki can support animals with pain
- A quick definition of what reiki is
- Why we need to slow down to hear our pets
- Tips before your first animal communication session
Connect with Renée:
Website: SagittariusWay.com
Instagram: @sagittarius_way
Connect with me:
Website: danifankhauser.com
Instagram: @danifankhauser
Affiliate links for programs I love:
Lotus Lantern intuitive gift training: ABC Collection
The Path: Meditation Teacher Training
To Be Magnetic: Follow this link and use my code DANI8904 for 15% off!
Read my short story, “Dog Deities”:
Website: dogdeities.com
Get ebook on Kindle
Thinking of starting a podcast and not sure what to call it? This episode is for you! Dani shares why she is changing the title, mid-season, and gives a few hints as to where the podcast will go after we complete the current season “Spirit Doggies” on intuitive animal communication.
“This is a thing?!” Sometimes, just knowing animal communication is possible is incentive enough to book a session for your pet. The reasons people seek out an animal communicator fall on a wide spectrum, and the information that comes through is even more wild and curious: relationship tips, pregnancy prophecies, and more.
Our guest, Olivia LaBarre, is a New York-based animal communicator and Reiki practitioner who also offers end-of-life support for pets, and pet loss bereavement for humans. She's also a writer, editor, artist, and uses she/her or they/them pronouns.
In this episode:
- What is Reiki, and how it works for animals vs. humans
- Reiki as a support during medical treatment or end-of-life transitions
- Reasons people seek out animal communication for their pets
- The top questions Olivia recommends you ask your pet
- That one time Olivia solved a horse murder
- Olivia’s intuition backstory (TW: dog attack 38:33-39:15)
- Brilliant tips and practices for learning to talk to your pet
Connect with Olivia:
Website: olivialabarre.com
Instagram: @olivia_labarre
Connect with me:
Website: danifankhauser.com
Instagram: @danifankhauser
Affiliate links for programs I love:
- Lotus Lantern intuitive gift training: ABC Collection
- The Path: Meditation Teacher Training
- To Be Magnetic: Follow this link and use my code DANI8904 for 15% off!
Read my short story, “Dog Deities”:
Website: dogdeities.com
Get ebook on Kindle
Dani shares her evolving thoughts and perspective on reincarnation, and how our animals fit into the mix. What about you? I love nerding out about this. DM me on Instagram @danifankhauser or email me: hello@danifankhauser.com. Stay tuned for next week’s episode for a deeper dive into pet loss and transitions. Are these interviews making you excited about developing your own intuition? There’s a clear correlation between doing reiki and intuition development and you can try it with me in a low-pressure group format starting in May: Do Reiki with me on Thursdays! by Dani | Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/do-reiki-with-me-on-thursdays-3296209Use coupon code “PEACE” to be my guest
If your first thought was that animal communication doesn't exactly sound science-based, you wouldn't be alone.
This week's guest combined her drive for a purposeful career with her academic roots to become a pioneer in the field of animal communication research. She set aside her own initial doubts and put on her researcher hat to find out.
This interview absolutely blew my mind! There's already so much work underway in understanding and making practical use of animal communication, on both small and large scales.
Avantika Mathur is an academic researcher with a master of science in Global Health, co-host of the Animals & Us podcast, and is currently completing a research fellowship focused on Intuitive Interspecies Communication. She's a trailblazer in this space, both in coordinating events and editing for academic journals on the topic.
Learn more about the podcast here: dogdeities.com
In this episode:
- Avantika's career pivot into studying animal communication
- Adoption story of her first dog, Simba
- The current academic research around animal communication
- What humans can learn from animals, and their perception of us and our contributions to the globe (!!)
- How intuitive interspecies communication (IIC) can help address major global issues like climate change, without fear or shame tactics
Mentioned in the episode:
Soul of the Wild: Intimate Messages from the Hearts and Souls of Elephants and Whales by Dr. Barbara Shor
Connect with Avantika:
Podcast: Animals & Us
Instagram: @avantikamathur_
Connect with me:
Website: danifankhauser.com
Instagram: @danifankhauser
Affiliate links for programs I love:
Lotus Lantern intuitive gift training: ABC Collection
The Path: Meditation Teacher Training
To Be Magnetic: Follow this link and use my code DANI8904 for 15% off!
Read my short story, “Dog Deities”:
Website: dogdeities.com
Get ebook on Kindle
Dani shares a minisode on the format and release schedule of the show, the impact and messages coming in already since launch, and tips on choosing an animal communicator to work with you and your pet. Please leave a rating and review! Get Dani’s intuition guide: https//www.danifankhauser.com/intuition-guide and send your questions and comments about what you want to hear on the show to hello@danifankhauser.com.
Dogs are souls. Anyone who's had a dog soulmate knows this! But do dogs have a soul purpose? Can we know what it is?
It turns out, your dog's soul purpose may be more relevant to you than you think! They may have dropped into your life specifically so you can help each other grow. This is just one part of the wisdom our dogs have to share with us.
Our guest is intuitive coach Jamie Wozny. I hired Jamie for Bambi’s first animal communication session! She has a gift for helping people connect with their soul purpose, works with celebrity and corporate clients, and offers 1:1 mentorships, group coaching, online courses, corporate sessions and much more.
Learn more about the podcast here: dogdeities.com
In this episode:
1:50 - How Jamie learned she had intuitive gifts
7:55 - Jamie’s soulmate connection and adoption story with her current dog, Hobbes
18:45 - How dogs mirror us and Jamie's new program
23:45 - Common questions people ask their pets, and dog stories from Jamie's work
34:15 - Tips for communicating with your dog
36:10 - Jamie's llama story
39:15 - What pets want us to know and a trick for finding your soul purpose via your pet!
Connect with Jamie:
Website: jamiewozny.com
Instagram: @jamiewozny
Her animal offerings: jamiewozny.com/animals
Join Jamie’s April 14 online event to support shelter animals! Get your ticket
Connect with me:
Website: danifankhauser.com
Instagram: @danifankhauser
Affiliate links for programs I love:
Lotus Lantern intuitive gift training: ABC Collection
The Path: Meditation Teacher Training
To Be Magnetic: Follow this link and use my code DANI8904 for 15% off!
Read my short story, “Dog Deities”:
Website: dogdeities.com
Get ebook on Kindle
If you've been following this podcast for awhile, you might remember season 1, an exploration of religion and intimacy that was a companion to my memoir, Shameless.
Now I'm back with season 2! Spirit Doggies explores the spiritual connection between dogs and humans, featuring interviews with animal communicators and more. I'm releasing these episodes as a companion to my short story, "Dog Deities," about an alternate reality Brooklyn where people idolize their dogs.
Learn more at dogdeities.com
Be sure to subscribe and leave a review, and text this episode link to your friends who want to better understand their doggie friends!!
Laurie is a relationship coach, founder of The Worthy One, and author of Love At First Click.
Jamie DeWolf is creator and host of Oakland's underground variety show, Tourette's Without Regrets.
Laura is creator and curator of No Shame Movement, a platform for discussing purity culture.
Asha Dahya is a filmmaker and former evangelical working on a docuseries about abortion.
Tina is a Ph.D. therapist and author of Sex, God, and the Conservative Church: Erasing Shame from Sexual Intimacy.
Alex is founder of Dame Products, which makes Eva, the world’s first truly wearable vibrator.
Bromleigh is a pastor and author of Good Christian Sex: Why Chastity Isn't the Only Option-And Other Things the Bible Says About Sex.
True Love No Shame is a podcast about recovering from Christian purity culture. Listen to the introduction to learn why host Dani Fankhauser created this podcast.