How do we integrate ancient wisdom into modern spiritual life? How do we ensure that the very tools and resources that elevate us don’t become the traps that limit us?
Madison Margolin, Oriya Pollak, and Hadar Cohen have all lived on the frontiers of faith, and together, they offer a rare conversation at the intersection of spirituality, psychedelics, and the human heart.
Madison’s journey is a pioneering exploration of ecstatic discovery and finding freedom outside, and surprisingly within, traditional lines. Her story takes us on a psychedelic trip called life, growing up in the “HinJew” hippie community surrounding Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now, finding her way in the Hasidic underground – from ayahuasca ceremonies in Brooklyn basements to Shabbos rave parties in the forests of upstate New York – and finding a shared resonance between the worlds she calls Home.
Oriya’s testimony offers a powerful counterpoint: he grew up in Israel where Kabbalah met heroin – a religious home where his parents were immersed in both, an ancient twist of spirituality and substance. It wasn’t until his thirties in Los Angeles that he was introduced to psychedelics as medicine. He jumped in heart first, spending years building underground communities through grassroots trial-and-error, navigating his childhood shadows to discover the path from external tools to direct connection.
Hadar brings a deeply embodied, multi-religious lens rooted in Jewish mysticism, Arab heritage, and creative practice. As the founder of Malchut, a spiritual school teaching Jewish mysticism and direct experience of God, and through her community work, teaching, and art, she cultivates spaces where ritual, feminism, and lineage converge — expanding our understanding of devotion, embodiment, and divine encounter.
This conversation is a rare opportunity to explore the essential questions at the intersection of faith and psychedelics: How do we integrate ancient wisdom into modern spiritual life? How do we honor both the light and the shadow of this work? How do we ensure that the very tools and resources that elevate us don’t become the traps that limit us? They will hold the beautiful paradox of the spiritual journey – exploring both the ecstatic light of the search and the profound grace found in surrender.
Together, these three voices will explore:
- How to integrate ancient wisdom into modern spiritual life
- How to honor both the light and the shadow of this work
- How to ensure the tools that elevate us don’t become the traps that limit us
This is for you if you’ve ever felt:
- You want to honor your roots while creating a faith that feels alive now
- You’re seeking a spirituality that has room for your whole, complex, human self
- You’ve felt caught between ancient tradition and new-age paths
- Or more simply, if psychedelics and ritual have ever felt like sparks to kindle the soul
Join us for a compelling conversation through it all.
About Our Guests
Who Is Madison Margolin?
Madison Rachel Margolin is an author, journalist, educator, and facilitator based between New York and Tzfat. She is the author of Exile & Ecstasy: Growing Up with Ram Dass and Coming of Age in the Jewish Psychedelic Underground, as well as various articles published with Rolling Stone, VICE, Tablet, and other outlets. She is the co-founder of psychedelic magazine and media startup DoubleBlind, as well as of the Jewish Psychedelic Summit, and has a podcast on the Be Here Now Network called Set & Setting. Follow her on IG at @madisonmargolin or find out more at her website: madisonmargolin.com.
Who Is Oriya Pollak?
Oriya Pollak is the author of Very High Priest and creator of The Missing Act – using story as a map for transformation. He guides people to notice when tools and stories turn into traps, and move from external seeking to direct connection.
Explore the framework: TheMissingAct.com | Newsletter: oriya.com | IG @oriyality
Who Is Hadar Cohen?
Hadar Cohen is an Arab Jewish scholar, mystic, and artist whose work focuses on multi-religious spirituality, politics, social issues, and community building. She is the founder of Malchut, a spiritual skill-building school teaching Jewish mysticism and direct experience of God. She teaches and consults in a variety of settings and formats, from one-on-one coaching to online group classes and in-person retreats. Her podcast, Hadar’s Web, features community conversations on spirituality, healing, justice, and art. Hadar is a 10th-generation Jerusalemite with lineage roots also in Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq, and Iran. Subscribe to her Substack for access to her latest writings, offerings, and media appearances.