Awakening, Shadow, Self Love | Child Star to Spiritual Guide - Jannecke Øinæs from Wisdom From North

In episode 562 of the Soul Elevation podcast, I was honored to speak with Jannecke Øinæs, founder and host of the widely respected spiritual platform Wisdom From North. From the moment we began talking, it was clear that our spiritual journeys share many parallels. Jannecke’s warmth, honesty, and depth make this conversation both inspiring and grounding for anyone navigating their own awakening path.

Jannecke’s story begins long before she became known as a spiritual interviewer and guide, when she was a successful child performer in Norway. She played major roles in theater productions, including Annie and The Wizard of Oz, and experienced early recognition and praise for her talent. But she shared that that early success came with an unexpected cost. Much of her sense of identity and worth became tied to performing and being admired for what she could do.

When she later lost her voice due to vocal nodules, everything changed. The loss of her voice meant the loss of the career path she had imagined for herself. Her long term relationship ended, her sense of direction disappeared, and she found herself facing depression and profound questions about who she really was. That period of darkness, however, became the beginning of her spiritual awakening.

Instead of accepting the painful thoughts she was having about herself, Jannecke began questioning them. Sitting quietly one day and observing nature around her, she realized something important. The sun continued shining. The trees did not judge her. Life itself was still unfolding, regardless of whether she was performing on stage or not. That moment began a deeper exploration into consciousness, spirituality, and the nature of identity.

Over time, she discovered that while she had developed strong self confidence as a performer, she had not cultivated true self love. The difference between the two became one of the central themes of her life and work. Self confidence depends on what we do or achieve. Self love, on the other hand, exists simply because we are alive.

Years later, another pivotal moment arrived. While sitting with her father in 2012, Jannecke shared a dream that had quietly been forming within her, without her actually realizing it until she was saying it out loud. She told him that what she really wanted to do was travel the world and interview spiritual teachers about life’s deepest questions. As soon as she spoke the idea aloud, she felt an unmistakable sense of alignment. Later that same day, the name Wisdom From Northcame to her while jogging.

Since then, that vision has grown into a globally recognized YouTube channel and podcast where Jannecke interviews mystics, authors, channelers, healers, and consciousness researchers from around the world (very familiar territory for me, too!). Her platform has helped millions explore questions about purpose, awakening, life after death, extraterrestrial intelligence, consciousness, and spiritual transformation.

One of the themes that resonated deeply throughout our conversation was the role of shadow work in spiritual growth. Jannecke described how many people initially approach spirituality through positive thinking, manifestation practices, and uplifting ideas about love and light. While these perspectives are meaningful, we have to be careful we aren't avoiding deeper emotional healing.

At one point in her journey, Jannecke became fascinated with mystical experiences such as lucid dreaming and astral projection. She successfully explored those realms and had profound experiences outside the body. Yet over time, she noticed something unexpected. The more energy she devoted to exploring other dimensions, the less present she felt in her own life. That realization helped her understand the concept of spiritual bypassing. Instead of escaping into mystical experiences, she began focusing more on living fully in the present moment, feeling her emotions, and exploring the patterns formed during her childhood. For her, spirituality became less about leaving the body and more about embodying truth within everyday life. This was another aspect of our conversation that is very familiar to me, too. 

That perspective also reshaped her understanding of emotions like anger. In many spiritual circles, anger is sometimes viewed as unspiritual or something to suppress. Jannecke has come to see it differently. She believes anger can serve as an important signal that boundaries have been crossed or that something within a situation is out of alignment with truth. Rather than rejecting difficult emotions, she encourages people to approach them with curiosity. Like the trolls in Scandinavian folklore that she references during the conversation, the shadows we encounter may initially appear frightening. Yet when we face them with awareness, they often reveal important messages about our growth.

Another powerful theme in our conversation centered around authenticity. After years of interviewing spiritual teachers and exploring metaphysical ideas, Jannecke has become increasingly open minded about the nature of truth. She recognizes that different teachers can present seemingly conflicting perspectives, and yet both may contain elements of truth depending on the lens through which they are viewed. Instead of trying to force herself into rigid beliefs, she now focuses on living from values that feel deeply aligned with her heart, particularly love, compassion, and integrity. For her, the real spiritual path is not about having all the answers but about remaining curious, honest, and grounded while exploring life’s mysteries.

That authenticity has also meant being willing to speak openly about topics that may once have been considered controversial, including extraterrestrial life, consciousness beyond the physical body, and humanity’s evolving understanding of reality. As she points out, the world has changed dramatically since she first launched Wisdom From North in 2012. Conversations about spirituality, consciousness, and even extraterrestrial contact have become far more mainstream. At the same time, she believes humanity is living through a period where many illusions are being exposed. As systems and narratives shift, individuals are being invited to examine their own authenticity. The real work, she says, is not only identifying falsehoods in the outer world but also asking ourselves where we may be living in ways that are not aligned with our truth.

This leads naturally into the question of life purpose. Jannecke believes that everyone has a unique mission, but that mission does not always appear in the form of a profession. Purpose may unfold through relationships, family roles, creativity, healing work, or the ways we uplift others through everyday life. For her, discovering purpose begins with self love and joy. When we start following what genuinely brings us alive, the path gradually reveals itself. Often the gifts that come most naturally to us are the very ones we overlook because they feel so effortless. Yet those natural abilities may hold clues about the unique way we are meant to contribute to the world. More in this clip:

As our conversation came to a close, Jannecke shared that she is currently writing a deeply personal book in Norwegian about her journey and the role of self love in awakening. The writing process itself has brought up new layers of vulnerability and growth, but she feels called to share her story in a way that may help others embrace their own truth.

Listening to Jannecke speak, what stands out most is the authenticity with which she approaches the spiritual path. Her journey illustrates that awakening is rarely a straight line. It often includes moments of loss, confusion, curiosity, and transformation. Yet through those experiences, we gradually uncover the deeper voice within us that guides us home.

If you would like to explore more of Jannecke’s work, you can find her platform at Wisdom From North, where she continues to share thoughtful conversations about spirituality, consciousness, and the mysteries of human existence.

And if this conversation resonated with you, I invite you to explore the resources available at karagoodwin.com, where you can find my book Your Authentic Awakening, a library of free guided meditations, and upcoming workshops and experiences designed to support your own spiritual journey.