Life is a Festival

04/21/2026

“We can pass 10 executive orders. We can put $500 million for drug development. And if we don’t have people who are willing to hold that space... we’re not going to get anywhere.”
- Ismail Lourido Ali, MAPS Co-CEO

In the wake of the April 18th executive order, Ismail Lourido Ali () sits down with Eamon Armstrong () on The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast () to break down what it actually means for practitioners: legally, politically, and ethically. They cover ibogaine’s sudden rise, the risk of silver-bullet thinking, and the ethics of bringing indigenous medicine into Western pharmaceutical pipelines.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts

04/17/2026

What does it feel like to climb every mountain and arrive at the top feeling... nothing? Chris Stakich knows.

Chris is the new CEO of , the 18-year-old community behind Summit at Sea. On today’s show we talk about following the script until it breaks, the specific loneliness of high performers, what really happened with Powder Mountain, and what Chris is promising the community now that Summit has been acquired by events.com. This is a conversation about building a life around connection rather than achievement.

04/07/2026

Life is a Festival is back! And we’re taking on the with a myth! .mackenz of the Mythic Masculine Podcast and I talk status games, father hunger, and Wilderness imitation.

Listen to the full conversation on wherever you listen to podcasts!

11/14/2025

Honeybody Halloween in New York City 👻 🎃

Storm King with the Blob
Deep Sea Disco
Scorpio Party
Moulin Rouge
Prince Tea House
No One Knows (Black Swan Edition)

07/16/2025

Phoenician settlers named the smallest island of the Balearics after the Egyptian god Bes.

Unlike the towering figures of other Egyptian gods, Bes is a bow-legged dwarf. He’s the god of the party, of s*x, and of those iconic white fincas that dot the island. His revelry is a marathon of well-paced pleasure.

The Phoenicians named the island after him because there were no snakes there and Bes famously scares away venomous creatures with his loud instruments and wild dancing.

They called it Ibossim. Today we call it Ibiza.

There is no temple dedicated to Bes. His temple is the neverending party. You can still catch him on the best dancefloors shaking his lion’s mane, sticking out his tongue, and protecting the vibe for all of us.

05/30/2025

In a Bottle ⚡️

03/31/2025

On the eve of Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, massive demon effigies called ogoh-ogoh are paraded through the streets. These fearsome figures embody the negative forces we wish to release. Then, in stark contrast, all of Bali falls silent. No lights. No traffic. No talking. Just stillness.

From chaos to calm, Nyepi is a collective ritual of cleansing an invitation to begin again.

Happy Balinese New Year

03/27/2025

Today on Life is a Festival, your favorite podcaster's favorite podcaster: Josh Schrei, host of the Emerald.

There’s no greater mythic mind in modern podcasting than Josh Schrei, the voice and vision behind The Emerald. If you, like me, are already a fan of his deeply poetic and perspective-shifting show, then you’ll understand why I’ve wanted to have him on Life is a Festival since the moment I heard his episode on festivals.

In this conversation, Josh and I explore the revival of myth in our modern moment. We talk about the ancient power of festivals, structure and fluidity of gender, the soul’s longing for meaning, and the complex challenges facing young men. We also touch on the pitfalls of self-importance and how myth can humble and reorient us. Finally, we explore the necessity of daily ritual, and how embodiment through practice keeps the sacred alive.

Life is a Festival #179 | The ancient power of festivals, structure and fluidity of gender, and the soul’s longing for meaning.

11/04/2024

On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, we’re exploring the theme of participation, a principle central to both Burning Man Project culture and our role as citizens. In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Miller, former Director of Communications for Burning Man, to talk about how civic responsibility and active engagement can help us navigate this complex cultural moment. I’ve also included a clip from a recent Substack article by one of my favorite thinkers, Jamie Wheal, to set the stage for our conversation.

On the show, Megan and I discuss the importance of civic responsibility and the role of local government, especially in a time of political polarization. We delve into her 2020 article, Reaching Across Party Lines, and examine how festivals like Burning Man can foster unity. We also touch on gender and the dynamics in the 2024 election, as well as the way forward after November.

Life is a Festival #176 | The importance of civic responsibility in a time of political polarization