The fundamental purpose of true art is ecstasy.
You have stumbled out of the ordinary to here… Welcome to an uncommon intersection of spirit, art, and nature.
Great Swan Peace Cathedral is an Icon of Peace, a “Living Temple.” It is Sacred Space. We are all-inclusive, non-sectarian, and devoted to serving PEACE in the world. Great Swan is the crowning splendor on Dandelion Ballad “A Song to the Heart of All”.
Come and savor here what is beyond words.
Explore the art walks of Dandelion Ballad, laden with creative beauty and serenity, that settles like mist in the valleys, amid the trees and trails. Feel the permeation of stillness that draws the mind to relax its clench and the heart to unfurl its lotus petals on the water of life, the living consciousness of all beings. Ecstasy awaits you.
The spires of Great Swan Peace Cathedral, a 501c3 organization, rise above Dandelion Ballad on a semi-remote nature preserve, 10 miles East of Lower Lake, California.
Contact us: swantemple108@gmail.com
Here’s a little news clip on Great Swan Peace Cathedral…The story is not really correct. If you want the real story, see the Great Swan Memoir on this site. Scroll down to “Vision and Spoken Words”.
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What others have said:
“This is a work of genius.”
Gary Coates, (retired distinguished Professor of Architecture, University of Kansas, author of books on Sacred Art and Architecture)
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“Great Swan Peace Cathedral clearly expresses love for the divine. The temple space has a tangible feeling of love, the creative force behind art. I felt huge waves of divine energy wash over me many times throughout my visit there. This sacred space brings the heartfelt grace of the beloved.” Art Gaia Frazee
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Contact: Candace Stolley
swantemple108@gmail.com
A Gift to the Heart of ALL.
Since our founding days in 1979, our passion has been to make a gift for the world. At first, we focused on creating sustainable living for a small community, in case of difficult times. In the late 1990’s, the addition of art began slowly and has crescendoed to this day, growing our joy and passion to do still more for the world.
Great Swan Peace Cathedral came as a vision in 2002 when I was near death. I prayed to know if I survived, was there more I had to do for the highest good, the Light above all lights? (See Memoir for the story). Construction could finally begin when the dome technology was found, at last, in November 2014. To create this as a gift for the world has felt like a most profound mystery of grace to me.
We began hosting volunteers in 2000, and many have touched our hearts and helped in countless ways on Dandelion Ballad. So much more is possible with helping hands!
Deep Heart Refreshment
A visit to Great Swan Peace Cathedral is a kind of pilgrimage to a place of spirit and peace. It is a restful retreat for the whole being that calms the heart, allows the mind to relax, and the body to breathe in gentle harmony with nature. This allows self-reflection and deep heart feeling to expand beyond accumulated contractions and identification with limitations.
Your contemplation, personal processes, and heart prayers are enhanced by time spent in Great Swan Peace Cathedral and walking the art-adorned trails of Dandelion Ballad. Allow yourself a mini retreat, like a pilgrimage of the heart, to feel again the mysterious Force of Good carrying you to where you need to go.
Beauty, Depth, and Delight
These are our primary focus of Dandelion Ballad, where we cultivate and share inherent ecstasy, magnify inner and outer Peace, and enhance our lives with greater connectedness, meaning, and grace. Doing Good, aligns with receiving Good, much like traditional “Karma Yoga”. In giving back to the Universe by sharing our gifts here, we remember our inherent happiness and, in the process, we are raising funds to help Peace where needed most in the world.
Magic Makers
It is truly amazing how Magic happens when we help and uplift others. Our little team is called the Magic Makers, and we invite you to join the team with your skills and talents for whatever time you have to spare and share. So many skills are needed to manifest our vision. The list is long. If you want to add your abilities to help light the world up with peace and joy, let us know what you can do. We need you!
Icon of Peace Offerings
While spending time inside Great Swan Peace Cathedral, inner peace grows. Outside, in front of the temple, we offer our personal talents and gifts to help bring peace in the world. Performances and personal offerings of all sorts take place where they are filmed with the uplifting and inspiring backdrop of the temple’s glory, and subsequently sent out to the world on video. We each can touch and uplift humanity!
Imagine a world where personal gifts, skills, and talents are offered for the good of all, bringing the highest forms of personal acknowledgement.
We welcome poets, actors, ballet and other dancers, orators, stilt walkers, aerial performers, singers, musicians, and TED talk-style speakers on many subjects. The possibilities of this kind of offering are limitless. Sharing beauty, enjoyment, and inspiration in the name of Peace becomes a sign to all of a shift in consciousness, calling all to join in creating a positive world for everyone and our planet, so deeply in need. This is a better way to stand out and stand up for the highest Good of all. Help us create inspiring events for the eyes and hearts of the world. Help us grow the power of Goodness to make the most positive changes on earth. Let’s invoke and cultivate PEACE together!
The Icon of Peace Fund
Funds raised by our Icon of Peace offerings are managed by a non-sectarian board that regularly meets to research legitimate, worthy causes to receive aid from Great Swam for serving Peace in the world. You can participate, even on this funding board of Magic Makers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Contact us: swantemple108@gmail.com
“Ultimately, the right and true role of artists is to discover and practice a higher and truly great purpose in their art— by discovering how their art can be ecstatic, even in the Spiritual sense, and how their art can serve participation in Beauty Itself, and Reality Itself, even in all who attend it.” –Adi Da Samraj
What visitors are saying:
“The architectural marvels, sculptures, and other creations on Dandelion Ballad stand as a vibrant embodiment of the ecstatic and spiritual art described in the aforementioned quote. Candace Stolley’s artwork is a passionate manifestation of her heart’s response to divine gifts she has received in her life.
“I would unequivocally endorse a pilgrimage journey of a kind to the Peace Cathedral on Dandelion Ballad. I envision everyone, whether an art lover, spiritual seeker, or otherwise, acknowledging that the experience is entirely worthwhile, as it has been for me. I am confident that other visitors will gladly undertake the journey again to introduce their friends, as I have, to this truly unique place…” A Gift to the Heart of all” Saleen Hinds
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“I have watched with awe and delight the creative and spiritual journey of Candace Stolley and her collaborators over the last 2 decades. Equal parts organic farm, art garden, and divine sanctuary, Dandelion Ballad will enchant and inspire visitors of all beliefs. Dandelion showcases Candace’s elaborate metalwork, with gates, gazebos, and sculptures set along winding pathways radiating from a domed temple adorned with intricate spires. Reminiscent of the renowned Watts towers of LA, Dandelion Ballad and Great Swan Peace Cathedral is similarly the result of a long-sustained creative effort, in which individual artworks merge into a creation that is at once sculpture, architecture, and landscape design. Whether you view Great Swan as folk art or as a divine cathedral, it is worth a visit to this place that deserves to become part of the cultural heritage of the world”. Paul Aigner (manager of UC Davis McGlaflan Reserve)
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“Visiting Great Swan Peace Cathedral today was an amazing experience! The beauty of the land, combined with the absolutely stunning artwork of Candace, created a sphere of pure delight and a feast for the eyes and heart. The temple is a masterpiece and a place of peace, joy, and delight. Visiting the Great Swan Peace Cathedral is something I will never forget.” Xandra Yssennagger
swantemple108@gmail.com