Church of the Holy Light of the Queen
Atmosphere
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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Church of the Holy Light of the Queen submits its own information.
Church of the Holy Light of the Queen: An In-Depth Review for Santo Daime Ceremonies in Ashland, Oregon, USA
The Church of the Holy Light of the Queen is a Santo Daime church in Ashland, Oregon, founded in 1993 by Jonathan Goldman with the authorization of the Brazilian mother church, that holds Daime tea ceremonies, called works, three or four times a month for a membership of about 40 to 60 people, and that won a 2009 federal ruling allowing it to import and drink the tea under religious freedom law, per the court’s findings. Newcomers need a member sponsor and complete a medical questionnaire, and physicians and nurses are among its members. Against that, the court record shows antidepressants were only cautioned against, newcomers could occasionally drink within a day of their first interview, children were sometimes given token amounts of tea, and it publishes no emergency plan or current screening rules.
🎯 At a Glance
- Locations: A round ceremony building on wooded private land outside Ashland, Jackson County, Oregon, USA; no public address is given.
- Approach: Formal Santo Daime works of several hours to all night, with hymns in Portuguese, men and women separated, white clothing and tea served only by the leader.
- Suitable For: People seeking a legally recognized religious setting who are willing to join a church through a sponsor. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
- Costs: No prices or donation amounts are published; it offers no retreats, lodging, meals or transfers.
- Overall Assessment: A long-established church with a court-tested legal status, sponsor-based entry and no serious harms found, held back by permissive antidepressant rules, short screening and no published emergency plan. Directory evaluation: B-.
💬 What Guests Are Saying
No reviews were found on any review platform, which is expected for a closed-membership church that does not advertise. A 2025 Asterisk Magazine essay describes attending a ceremony in a yurt-style building among madrone trees, with about six hours of singing. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.
🚩 Incident Report
We searched review platforms, court records and English and Portuguese-language news for reports involving the church, Jonathan Goldman and its affiliated Portland church.
- Deaths and serious injuries: None found; the 2009 court record documents no serious harm from the tea.
- Sexual misconduct: No allegations against the church or Goldman found.
- Theft and fraud: None found.
- Legal action: In 1999 DEA and Customs agents seized a tea shipment, searched Goldman’s home and held him for about 12 hours, and no charges were filed, per the 2008 court order. The church then sued and won in 2009, and a federal appeals court ruled on the case in 2011, per vLex.
The 2009 court found that children were occasionally given a token or symbolic amount of tea, with no evidence of psychoactive doses.
If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.
🔍 Critical Notes
Who runs it. Goldman, a former acupuncturist, leads the church, which is a registered 501(c)(3) church; it is linked to a Portland church, Céu da Divina Rosa, and a small Bend group. Its tea is brewed in Brazil by the Santo Daime organization founded by Padrinho Sebastião.
Screening and medical support. The 2009 findings describe a sponsor requirement, a medical questionnaire, a seven-page list of interacting medications and experienced members who watch over the room, but antidepressants were to be taken only “cautiously, if at all”. A UCLA psychiatrist called church screenings “relatively superficial” in a 2011 UC Berkeley report. No emergency protocol is published; hospitals are in Ashland and Medford (unverified).
Status. Operating, with a 2025 first-person account and current tax records.
Legal context. DMT is a Schedule I drug under US federal law; the church’s use is protected by the 2009 ruling under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, subject to DEA conditions on import and storage.
🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks
Do not rely on a “caution” rule for antidepressants. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.
🧪 Brew Substance
Daime tea brewed in Brazil and imported under the court ruling, served at 45 to 150 mL per person, per the 2009 findings. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.
📍 Location, Setting & Style
- Setting: Wooded hillside in southern Oregon.
- Rooms: No lodging is offered.
- Style: Strict Santo Daime liturgy in Portuguese with an American congregation.
Practical guidance: Entry is by member sponsorship; contact the church before travelling.
Should You Book?
Possibly, for people drawn to a religious practice. Ask in writing for the current medication rules, especially for antidepressants, how long newcomers wait between interview and first ceremony, who is medically trained at works, and the emergency plan and hospital route. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.
The Team & Story
The church presents itself as a branch of the Brazilian Santo Daime tradition that fought for and won the legal right to practice in the United States. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.
Prep & Integration Tips
Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Court-tested legal status | Antidepressants only cautioned against |
| Sponsor and medical questionnaire | Short gap before first ceremony |
| Medically trained members | Children given token doses |
| No serious harms found | No published emergency plan |
Book Your Ceremony
The church does not advertise; contact is by member referral. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.
Last reviewed November 2026.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.