Heart of Yoga - Tuesday and Wednesday, February 21st & 22nd

After headlining Byron Spirit Festival, Mark Whitwell returns to the Crystal Castle for a two day workshop 'Developing a personal practice'

This workshop is a unique opportunity to work with one of the most experienced yoga teachers in the world. No matter what style of yoga you are currently practicing, you will be able to incorporate the insights gleaned from this personal practice development to make your yoga more efficient, powerful, and safe. Everyone, from beginners to experienced practitioners, is invited to attend.

This intimate workshop has a maximum of 25 places available.
Click here for more details.

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The Gyuto Monks Return - January 25th - February 5th

_{Sculpting For Peace}

The next stage of the World Peace Stupa will see the monks sculpting the symbolic artwork onto the exterior levels of the stupa base, as well as a daily program in the Discovery Room.

_{Harmonic Chanting Performance}A fundraiser for the World Peace Stupa
Saturday January 28th, 6.30pmThe monks will also offer a Harmonic Chanting Performance on Saturday January 28th. Trained over many years, each monk has developed the extraordinary capacity to chant in three octaves at the same time. The deep, stirring sounds produced have been called the ‘sound of heaven’ are reputed to have a transformative effect on the physical as well as the emotional body.

Click here for more information and the Monks daily program.
 

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Spring has sprung, and it is the perfect moment to take some nourishing, relaxing time out to really enjoy it. Here at the Crystal Castle the gardens are even more beautiful than ever.

The autumn pruning has made way for some exotic new plantings, creating a tapestry of colours and a heady array of delicious fragrance.

With so many flowers in bloom it’s hard to choose where to feast your eyes. And there is a fresh buzz in the air as we prepare for a very special year ahead.

The Stupa preparations have progressed even further with the most recent visit of the Gyuto Monks of Tibet and you can now see where this unique monument will be constructed in the months to come.

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Crystalight is the wholesale branch of the Crystal Castle and the two have been trading hand in hand for 25 years ..
If you have a business dealing in crystals, crystal singing bowls, gifts and jewellery, or if you know of somebody that does then ‘click here’ for more details.

We offer Free Shipping Australia wide ! ! Minimum wholesale order is $300.

Wholesale is only available to genuine businesses, that will re-sell our products, and terms and conditions do apply.

If you are not a wholesale business then remember the Crystal Castle Online Shop is open 24/7 with gorgeous new treasures arriving weekly. Free shipping anywhere in Australia for orders $95 and over and 50% of all online shop sales go directly to the World Peace Stupa project.

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My buying trip earlier this year was one of the best ever, and more fun than ever, finding an extraordinary collection of crystals from around the world. Some of my favourites that are now here – Rainbow Obsidian Hearts, Moroccan Fossils and "Ruby" Spinel formations.

(the comments from "CCO" come from Madonna, our "Crystal Castle Oracle" and resident expert on crystal meanings and metaphysics).

All the best from Naren the Crystal Castle crystal explorer.

Rainbow Obsidian Hearts - these are hand polished in Mexico, in such a way that they reveal gorgeous heart shapes that glimmer with rainbow colours, out of a deep dark centre. They are getting much harder to find, but we got both single hearts, doubles, and even a few triples.
“CCO” ~It is said, Rainbow Obsidian invites illumination, protection and profound healing of the heart and relationships.

Moroccan Fossils - kids just love these, and the big ones are often bought for big (male) kids! From the Sahara Desert in Morocco, when it was an ocean, comes this assortment of orthoceras, goniatite and more, plus little ones made into pendants. I also really like these as they are so inexpensive, from a few dollars each, for something that is (no kidding) over 500 million years old.
“CCO” ~ Fossils are considered to be ”The Stone of Transformation” The Mystic Lore of these ancient wonders reminds us to be receptive to change and innovation.

"Ruby" Spinel formations - not really rubies, but commonly called Ruby Spinel due to the incredible sparkling ruby-like crystals, these formations are growing out of a milky white base of calcite. Like nothing I have ever seen before, in 27 years of roaming the world for crystals, I acquired these from a French crystal dealer, who found them in Vietnam over 16 years ago!
They are absolutely stunning, and I know you need a fairly high-end budget for one of these, but they are once-in-a-lifetime pieces.
“CCO” ~ Our Stunning Spinel pieces carry the Mystic Lore of new hope, revitalisation and inner strength.

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An extremely important element in every stupa is the Tree of Life, a special wooden pole that forms the central core of the stupa’s structure.

The tree to be used for the Tree of Life must be found, blessed and felled, then planed and sealed before it is painted and covered with thousands of mantras in gold paint. It is then consecrated by the monks together with other items to be placed in the stupa in an elaborate tantric ritual ceremony. Only then is it ready to be positioned within the stupa structure at its very centre.

The search for the tree takes place in the immediate local area. It must be straight, at least 6.5m high, about 16cms in diameter, non-toxic and long lasting. Traditionally the tree might be sandalwood, juniper, olive or camphor.

The camphor laurel, prolific in the Byron Shire, is often regarded as undesirable as it tends to overtake native rainforest species. However the camphor tree is not bad in and of itself. Camphor has been used for cooking, in incense and in religious ceremonies for centuries. Camphor chests have been used for storing precious fabrics especially in Asia and are common in many households around the globe. And for the Tree of Life at the centre of our Kalachakra World Peace Stupa, the much-maligned camphor can come into its own. Its long lasting protective scent makes it a tree with ideal properties to bring positive results for its community and the world. What a wonderful lesson in terms of understanding duality and turning a negative into a positive!

And now there is a unique opportunity to join the monks for the first steps in the Tree of Life creation. At dawn on Saturday 21 May as the first rays of the sun strike the tree, the monks will offer a chant for world peace and for the life of the tree as the tree is felled. All are welcome to stay on after the ceremony to enjoy the gardens in the early morning air after a nice hot cup of tea.

The ceremony will be held in the camphor forest approximately 50 metres to the west of Lakshmi the goddess statue. Walk down the café stairs, follow the path left past Ganesh, and go around the right side of Lakshmi.
The Gyuto Monks have offered a preparatory blessing chant above the forest on Sunday May 15.

When: Saturday 21 May 2011
Where: Crystal Castle grounds
Time: 6.45am
Cost: FREE

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In India it is said that the mere sight of a Gyuto Monk is a blessing, but to hear the sound of their chanting is to be transformed. Don’t miss an amazing opportunity for both of these at a very special harmonic chanting performance at Crystal Castle on Saturday 28 May at 7.30pm.

This very special performance will be a glorious opportunity to experience this unique musical art form. The Gyuto Monks' pure voices combined with their ancient Tibetan instruments and the visual delight of their rich brocade costumes will make for an unforgettable evening.

The Gyuto Monks of Tibet are the masters of a unique tradition of harmonic overtone chanting. Trained over many years, each monk has developed the extraordinary capacity to chant in three octaves at the same time. The deep, stirring sounds produced have been called the 'sound of heaven' and are the subject of fascination by ethnomusicologists the world over.

The monks are able to reach incredibly low notes, way beyond the range of a Western operatic bass, and the resonance produced has an interesting similarity to the sound of a didgeridoo. In fact both sounds are considered to be audible embodiments of the human relationship to the principles that order the universe, that which the Buddhists call Dharma and the indigenous Australians simply call the Law.

All proceeds from the harmonic chanting performance will go to the ‘World Peace Stupa Project’ blessed by his holiness the Dalai Lama. The stupa will be the very first of its kind in Australia and will represent world peace.

Stupa’s are intricate, spiritual structures built under the guidance of a Tibetan Lama and every part of the design is endowed with special significance. Inside each stupa is a treasury filled with sacred objects and at the heart of the structure is the Tree of Life, a wooden pole covered with thousands of mantras written in gold.

The Kalachakra Stupa is a rare type of stupa with an unusual spherical body. It is created to protect against negative energies using symbolism from the Kalachakra Tantra. Kalachakra means ‘Wheel of Time’ and a Kalachakra Stupa is known as the stupa for world peace. It is specifically for restoring balance to the earth in times of war, conflict and environmental destruction. Tibetans believe that contributing to the building of a stupa is one of the most auspicious things one can do.

Whether it is their mastery of the human voice or the recitation of the Buddha's teachings that forms the content of the chanting, this unique musical phenomenon is simply not to be missed. Not only does it move the heart and stir the soul it is reputed to have a transformative effect on the physical as well as emotional body.

When: Saturday 28 May 2011
Where: Crystal Castle
Time: 7.30pm
Cost: $30 at the door (all proceeds to the development of the stupa)

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For quite some time a number of our visitors have commented about how incredibly beautiful the natural landscape is at Crystal Castle and how wonderful it would be to paint, draw or sculpt.

Well, we are very pleased to announce that Crystal Castle will now offer a range of art workshops with the very first one day drawing workshop to be held on Sunday 24th of July 2011with visual artist Sharon Muir.

Sharon has worked as a professional artist for more than two decades. She uses a range of media in her work and her last two solo exhibitions have been inspired by her concern about our diminishing natural world. Her work has been selected for nationally recognised competitions such as the Jacaranda Drawing Award, Prometheus Visual Art Award and Dominique Segan Drawing Award.

Sharon has traveled widely as a freelance art teacher and has taught workshops throughout Australia, including touring outback QLD and NSW for three years as part of the Flying Arts Team. She has also facilitated numerous large-scaled community art projects. A talented and enthusiastic teacher Sharon really enjoys nurturing the creativity of her students.

The drawing workshop will focus on drawing techniques and materials with graphite pencils and felt tipped pens. Weather permitting they will be held outside and participants will have an opportunity to draw from the abundant beauty of nature in the Castle grounds. Sharon will be guiding you to explore the amazing variety of patterns, forms and textures found in nature and to experiment with a variety of techniques in a relaxed but stimulating environment.

Beginners and more experienced artists are welcome. With only ten places available, make sure you book NOW to avoid disappointment.

When: Sunday 24 July 2011
Where: Crystal Castle Grounds
Time: 10.30am – 4.00pm (one hour lunch at your own expense)
Cost: $80
Bookings: Click Here

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