My Marriage Ended in Midlife… and My Spiritual Awakening Began

What happens when the life you’ve built for decades begins to fall apart? In this powerful episode of Hey Soul Sista, I sit down with acclaimed author and journalist Karina Machado — best known for her beloved books Spirit Sisters, Where Spirits Dwell, and Love Never Dies. Subscribe for more soulful conversations on personal growth, spirituality, and wellbeing at    / @heysoulsista   Karina has spent years documenting extraordinary real-life spiritual experiences… but in midlife, she found herself living her own. After the end of her 27-year marriage, she entered what she describes as a profound period of emotional breakdown, identity loss, and deep transformation. And then something began to shift. Not in a sudden or dramatic way — but through subtle experiences of synchronicity, meaning, intuition, and life feeling strangely alive with messages. In this conversation, we explore: The reality of a long marriage ending after 27 years What midlife breakdown and identity loss actually feels like The role of creativity and writing in healing and rebuilding Synchronicities and meaningful “signs” that began to appear Why midlife can be a powerful spiritual threshold, not a crisis The inspiration behind her app Reconnect & Create And how women can reconnect with their intuition, creativity, and inner truth Chapters 00:00 - Reconnecting and Reflecting on Life Changes 02:48 - Navigating Relationships and Personal Growth 05:30 - The Journey of Writing and Spiritual Exploration 08:20 - The Impact of Grief and Spiritual Connections 11:32 - Creating an App for Midlife Women 14:17 - Embracing Creativity and Spirituality in Midlife 24:06 - Embracing Creativity in the Digital Age 26:28 - The Power of Tarot and Astrology 31:38 - Navigating Midlife Spiritual Awakening 33:22 - Reconnecting with Creativity 35:16 - Signs and Synchronicities on the Spiritual Path 42:17 - Transformative Love and New Beginnings 46:06 - Making the Most of Life's Second Half We also explore her experiences on the Camino de Santiago and how life began to feel like it was communicating with her in unexpected ways. This is a conversation about endings… and what becomes possible when life asks you to begin again. 💛 If this episode resonates, share it with someone navigating change, grief, or a midlife awakening. 🎧 Subscribe to Hey Soul Sista for more conversations on spirituality, healing, intuition, and soulful living. Subscribe for more soulful conversations on personal growth, spirituality, and wellbeing at    / @heysoulsista   Connect with Karina Machado:  App Reconnect & Create App Podcast Spirit Sisters Podcast Watch the Spirit Sisters Podcast on YouTube Connect with me on Substack Connect with me on Instagram Connect with me on Facebook Connect with Mel Histon: Subscribe to make sure you hear the next instalment of Hey Soul Sista! Follow Hey Soul Sista on Instagram: @heysoulsistapodcast Follow Mel on Instagram: @melissahiston  Watch the podcast video on YouTube: @heysoulsista  Website: heysoulsista.com