
Hosted by Danielle Van de Velde · EN
The Modern Crone podcast explores story, insights and experiences from my life as a spiritual teacher, energy healer, seer and medium. In each season of The Modern Crone, I bring the real-deal magic-makers to the table to chat about their lives, bridging the worlds of the visible and invisible, spirit and matter. I share my own stories of people, pilgrimage and paranormal, with the intent of redefining what it is to live a modern spiritual life.Real people, real stories and a whole lot of mind-blowing, spirit-stirring conversations. I hope it inspires!

As I wrap up Season 8 of The Modern Crone podcast, I realise that the stories of my incredible guests…have changed me! Not only because of their courage, resilience and sheer willpower…Not only because of the powerful testaments their experiences give on the strength of the human spirit…Not only because they remind us that ‘hardship’ and ‘challenge’ are relative…But because they have expanded my understanding of TRANSFORMATION itself. I hope you enjoy my personal reflections.Love,Dani

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nicole Voltolina is compassionate, creative, always levelling up, living life with intention, with a big heart and a love for creating memorable moments. She is a successful small-business owner of a restaurant, a boutique, and a bar in the French Quarter. Her favourite thing in life is going on adventures. On February 10, 2019, Nicole was unknowingly exposed to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning over several days, which resulted in an unanticipated health crisis and very dire predictions for her recovery.Join us as Nicole shares:The hidden dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in gas-heated spacesHer horrendous slide into brain damage, severe memory loss and ‘off-lining’How she was guided to find solutions that her medical team could not provideThe incredible booting up of her psychic and mediumistic abilities, when her cognitive function falteredAnd so much more…And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! So grateful for The Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciuhttps://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/Luanasuciu@gmail.com Voice editing:Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studiosmaskmusicstudios@outlook.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sngkymberlysngcm@gmail.com

Nina is a 31-year-old third-culture kid based in Singapore. Originally from Denmark, with a touch of German heritage, she grew up across Southeast Asia, mostly in Singapore. She left at 18 to study sustainable development at the University of Edinburgh and then went on to work for the United Nations in Geneva. In 2021, she returned to Singapore to join her family’s industrial group as the fourth generation, which is pioneering sustainability within its sectors. She met her husband, Charlie, during a holiday back in Singapore ten years ago, and they married in 2023. Outside of work, Nina is a proud owner of three rescue furbabies, two dogs and a cat, and is expecting her first child in August 2026. In 2021, Nina was properly diagnosed with the mysterious and misunderstood condition of Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis, caused by an ovarian teratoma, bringing her close to death and permanent brain damage.Join us as Nina shares:Growing up as a ‘third culture kid’ - the good and the challengesHer experience working at the UN and then joining her family business as the 4th generationThe day she collapsed with seizures at work, with acute inflammation of the brainThe arduous road to recovery from a coma, to psychosis, shut down of organs, to health and motherhood.The incredible intervention of her mother and mother’s intuitionThe gathering of a spiritual team, who ran spells and energy healing consistently, which Nina credits as the force that brought her back.What it was like to be stuck in the dream realm between life and deathThe moment when she chose to live.The power of love and how the presence of her man surged her healing.How she managed the resultant PTSD and survivor’s guilt from the experience through her spiritual journey.How she understands the experience as her divine plan, the power of trust in that plan, and the intelligence of the bodySo grateful for The Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciuhttps://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/Luanasuciu@gmail.com Voice editing:Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studiosmaskmusicstudios@outlook.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sngkymberlysngcm@gmail.com

Bradley Montag is an interior designer based in Sydney, Australia. Prior to finding his way into the creative world, Bradley spent more than a decade in trial and error through various studies at university, including architecture, psychology, and, finally, law. After pursuing a career in corporate law, Bradley could no longer ignore the pain that it was causing him and turned inward to find something more - his purpose.By finding courage within, his passions and gifts slowly re-emerged, and the path ahead became clearer once more. Always fascinated by people’s homes and the powerful ways that spaces made him feel, interior design felt almost inevitable, and so it was a natural step into business to offer this to others.Join us as Brad shares:His journey to find his purpose and true expression The challenge of breaking free from family and societal expectationsHow he dealt with others' fear projections when he quit his law career at a time when he ought to be chasing conventional successHow your body, mind and energy levels increasingly signal misalignment in your life pathHis interesting take on when we deny our sexuality, we deny our creativityWhy listening to your inner compass is keyEmbracing the in-betweens as sacred windowsHow the spiritual arts of yoga, meditation and pilgrimage healed and realignedHis wonderful tips to nourish your dreams and find your pathHow creativity moves through us, not from us, and we are all here to createFind out more about Brad's work and writing here:www.bradleymontag.com.auwww.instagram.com/bradleymontagwww.tiktok.com/@bradley.montaghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleymontag/https://open.substack.com/pub/bradleymontagAnd if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! So Grateful for The Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciuhttps://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/Luanasuciu@gmail.com Voice editing:Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studiosmaskmusicstudios@outlook.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sngkymberlysngcm@gmail.com

Juliet Stannard is British and spent her childhood living in the UK, Germany, Hong Kong and Canada as her father was in the British Military. She started work and moved to Singapore in 1993 with her then-husband, via a short stint in HK.Juliet has worked in the Singapore Real Estate Industry for 26 years, and is now one of the Directors and owners of Citiprop – a very well-established agency on the island. Her life has been forged through a series of intense events and personal resurrections, which eventually led her on a journey of self-healing and exploring many types of therapy.Today, Juliet is in a strong and happy place, and it’s a delight to welcome her to the podcast to share her story.Join us as Juliet shares:Her experiences of infidelity and betrayal, and the impact on her self-confidence and intuitionThe challenging dynamics of a family that keeps secretsThe warning signs of emotional manipulation, the small inner voice and gut feelingThe deeper importance of allowing ourselves to grieveThe varying degrees of betrayalThe intriguing world of private investigatorsHer horrendous experience of the Boxing Day Tsunami and her daughter’s serious accidentHer incredible ability to find light in the darkest placesHow the body keeps the scoreDoes a series of ‘good luck’ factors evidence the presence of guidance and protection?The slow and steady road to reclaiming her life, finding herself again and opening to joy and love through spirituality and presenceAnd if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! So Grateful for the Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciuhttps://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/Luanasuciu@gmail.com Voice editing:Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studiosmaskmusicstudios@outlook.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sngkymberlysngcm@gmail.com

Amy Kelly is a life coach, mentor, and host of the Dream Big With Amy podcast, supporting women in coming home to themselves after heartbreak, burnout, and big life transitions. Her work is rooted in nervous system safety, self-trust, and embodied power, helping women move from survival mode into grounded, self-led lives.Through her coaching and programs, Amy guides women to release old patterns in love, reconnect with their inner authority, and create relationships (with themselves and others) from wholeness rather than wounds. She believes heartbreak can be a powerful initiation, an invitation to rise, redefine love, and choose yourself fully.Join us as Amy shares:How her own heartbreak sent her on a soul adventure to find herself and her purposeHow alignment results in manifestationWhat is ‘heartbreak’ and how does it disrupt our identityThe arc of heartbreak - emotion, anger, comparison, self-assessment, acceptance, release, then healingThe importance of self-regulation and her top techniquesHow a near-death experience was her wake-up callThe importance of listening to our intuitionRelationships and KarmaIntentionally building self-confidenceHow to trust in love again after betrayalThe peril of comfort and known patternsHeartbreak as an initiationYou can find Amy here:Website: https://www.amykellycoach.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amykellycoach_/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-kelly-23a369b4/Podcast: Dream Big With Amy - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dream-big-with-amy/id1827926221And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! So Grateful for The Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciuhttps://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/Luanasuciu@gmail.com Voice editing:Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studiosmaskmusicstudios@outlook.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sngkymberlysngcm@gmail.com

Wachuka, born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, lives in a small mountain town, Nanyuki, where the slower rhythms of nature have become central to her personal healing and spiritual journey.Wachuka is the co-founder of Ikigai Nairobi, a nature and wellness-focused co-working company that creates inspiring spaces that reimagine work, community and wellbeing. After contracting Covid in 2020 and developing Long Covid and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) thereafter, Wachuka’s life shifted in profound ways. Her health journey has opened a profound spiritual doorway; exploring her spiritual path with curiosity, and discovering her purpose through different healing modalities, spiritual arts and a connection to nature. She speaks with honesty about transformation, identity shifts, the courage it takes to rebuild a life from the inside out, and uses her journey to help others through the healing arts. Resources Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/healingshukie?igsh=MXF1Z2p3emZ6amt5&utm_source=qrMy Long Covid Storyhttps://www.facebook.com/share/1BytzrcMmg/?mibextid=wwXIfrLong Covid Support Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Dat8fMZPv/?mibextid=wwXIfrPatient Led Research Collaborative (a great organisation Wachuka supports led by patients leading the way in Long Covid research, awareness and advocacy. Great Long Covid resource) https://patientresearchcovid19.comM.E. Actionhttps://www.meaction.net/Ikigai - Nature and wellness-focused Coworkinghttps://ikigai.co.ke/ Join us as Wachuka shares:What is the global public health crisis of Long Covid? The huge range of symptoms that vastly decrease quality of life and, in some cases, are terminalThe issues with diagnosis and treatmentHer terrifying experience of contracting Long Covid and the connection with over-exertion and stressThe trauma and isolation of not being believedThe global online communities of Long Covid sufferersWachuka’s exploration of alternative and functional approachesFollowing the intelligence of her body and spiritThe power of story and authentic voiceThe impact of the energy arts and nature in reconnection with the bodyHow her senses, dreams and intuition were magnified through illnessThe reframing, acceptance and healing that come through a spiritual journeyAnd if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! So Grateful for The Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciuhttps://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/Luanasuciu@gmail.com Voice editing:Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studiosmaskmusicstudios@outlook.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sngkymberlysngcm@gmail.com

Erika Behl is a coach based in Singapore. Originally from the US, she lived in Africa and Europe before eventually settling in Asia for the past 18 years. After spending almost two decades building a traditionally “successful” life, a breast cancer diagnosis in late 2017 catalysed a shift in her priorities. A year’s-long sabbatical, several attempts at starting a business, and a divorce later, she concedes that sometimes burning down what you don’t want is easier than finding what you do. She writes for other deep-thinking independents, tells stories on stage, hosts the "Every Moment is a Choice" podcast, and will publish The Clear-Eyed Chemo Journal, a system for cancer patients to reclaim their agency, in 2026. Her work centres on approaches to writing one’s own path. Join us as Erika shares:Her extraordinary and unusual journey as a young womanThe shock of her cancer diagnosis at 40 years old with a young familyHer coping strategies as an introvert and atheistThe usefulness and also peril of ‘the cancer warrior’ personaHer subsequent full-blown breakdown after surviving cancer The devastating impact of not speaking her truth and the building pressure of wearing masksThe power of choice and taking actionHow shopping around through therapy, meditation, somatic practices, connection and discovery paved the road to her recoveryThe rise of creativity through personal storytelling, writing, and podcastingHow her journey led to helping others through coaching and her soon-to-be-released Cancer Journal: The Clear-Eyed Chemo JournalThe seminal question - ‘Why not now?’You can connect with Erika here:WebsiteLinkedinAnd if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! I am so grateful for The Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciuhttps://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/Luanasuciu@gmail.com Voice editing:Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studiosmaskmusicstudios@outlook.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sngkymberlysngcm@gmail.com

Marilyn Choong is a Singapore-born author and seasoned marketer with a deep passion for storytelling. She began writing articles on gratitude, mindfulness, happiness, and resilience years ago, and her journey as an author deepened after a life-changing spiritual awakening following her mother’s passing, an experience that reshaped her understanding of grief and the enduring bonds beyond the physical world.Her book, The Thin Veil Between Us (published July 2024), became a #1 Straits Times bestseller and reached #1 on Amazon Singapore in Mental & Spiritual Healing, Complementary Medicine, and Hot New Releases. She has been featured in The Straits Times and on live radio in Singapore, where she shared the story and insights behind her bestselling book.Join us as Marilyn shares:Her beautiful close relationship with her mumThe devastating loss of her mother in 2022 after a diagnosis of aggressive cancerThe first signs of the presence of the spirit realm before her mother passedThe unexpected return of her mum from the spirit realm during Marilyn’s deepest grief, initially through dreams visitations, and then in more direct and incredible waysHow this contact was an initiation of an expansive journey into spiritualityHow the bonds of love endure after death, and the frequency of motherly loveThe non-linear, deeply personal stages of grief Her guidance on supporting others through loss and griefThe importance of finding meaning in heartache as a pathway to resurrectionHow loss can lead to personal growthHow writing her book gave her comfort and healingHow loss has changed how she lives her life today - intentionally with deep gratitudeHer guidance for listeners who are struggling with griefTo purchase Marilyn's book, visit: https://sg.shp.ee/GHEowDwYou may also find it at local bookstores such as Kinokuniya or Popular Bookstore. For international orders via Amazon: https://a.co/d/5ACiktwAnd if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! Big love for The Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciuhttps://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/Luanasuciu@gmail.com Voice editing:Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studiosmaskmusicstudios@outlook.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sngkymberlysngcm@gmail.com

David Ratner grew up on the edge of Chicago, USA. He has worked as an actor, taxi driver, copy editor, bookseller, waiter, house painter, a long-time high school teacher, and a writer. He has lived in Boston, Paris, San Francisco, Dublin, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. He's an avid traveller, a hiker, a baseball coach, a Scoutmaster, a pie maker, a scuba diver, and more. He's been a resident of Singapore, with his wife, Allison, two sons, and their dog, Diggity, since 2014. David was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and told he had between 2 and 6 years to live. That was nearly 5 years ago, but he has no current plans to die, certainly not of cancer. Join us as David shares:His incredible dance with death on several occasions, and the super-charged impact on his view of life and consciousnessHis unexpected diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer and the opening of an extraordinary exploration of spirituality and healingThe importance of self-agency and perspectiveHow sharing his experience on his blog aided his healingThe role of loveThe main changes he made in his mindset and lifestyle for healingThe potent combination of traditional and alternative approachesHis refreshing attitude towards the inevitability of death And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! Resource references:Why Woo-Woo Works: The Surprising Science Behind Meditation, Reiki, Crystals, and Other Alternative Practices by PhD Hamilton, Dr David R. How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body by PhD Hamilton, Dr David R. Radical Remission by Kelly A. Turner PhDFull Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn The Biology Of Belief: Unleashing The Power Of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles by BRUCE H LIPTOn Spirited: A Guide to Your Innate Spiritual Design to Transform Your Life by Danielle Van de VeldeIsabel Galliano - Cancer CoachSo grateful for The Modern Crone team -Theme music and season intro tracks:Sam Joole: www.samjoole.comCover design and photographyLuana Suciu: Luanasuciu@gmail.comStudio and Reel production:Kymberly Sng: kymberlysngcm@gmail.com