Imagination and Inspiration

My Spiritual Teacher and Mentor Jack Corbett, often described imagination as the first faculty. Without inspiration we would not have the things around us to support our everyday lives.

To develop, we need our imagination to gain mental concepts. Imagination has also been described as the capacity for the formation of mental images and concepts, often those that are not apparent, or perceived as real. We all have the ability to form mental images of objects, or events; we can create mental pictures through our imagination.

My spirit guides and teachers describe the concept of inspiration as: “Grasping a thought that gives focus to our imagination”. Around the world there are amazing examples of imagination and inspiration, interacting with our creative thought process to inspire and opening up the faculty of our mind.

Last year, whilst working in Southern Germany I have the opportunity to go to the Neuschwanstein Castle, in Bavaria. The Schloß Neuschwanstein was the inspiration of King Ludwig II, later to inspire Walt Disney and many more people through to the present day. The Castle is a testimony to the power of our mind, this stimulus supports our lives both here, in the “World of Matter” and once we have taken that small step into the “World of Light”, long may it impress, enthuse and open our creativity.

Neuschwanstein Castle - Füssen, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle translated into English means “New Swan Stone Castle" The castle is 19^th Century, located in Germany near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in Southwest Bavaria, the castle was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, as a retreat and as homage to composer Richard Wagner who greatly inspired and influenced the King. Neuschwanstein Castle is the most photographed building in Germany, and is one of Germany's most popular tourist destinations.

Neuschwanstein Castle was one of the 21 finalist candidates in the campaign to choose the New 7 Wonders of the World. They are now recognised as monuments that have truly global meaning they are part of our common cultural heritage. Neuschwanstein Castle is was one of the finalists for the “New 7 Wonders of the World”.

Neuschwanstein Castle was built in a time when castles and fortresses were no longer strategically necessary. Instead, it was born of pure fantasy a beautiful, romantic composition of towers and walls in the perfect setting of mountains and lakes. The combination of various architectural styles and intrinsic craftwork has inspired generations of adults and children alike. Schloß Neuschwanstein is said to be the most photographed building in the world. This is “Mad” King Ludwig II of Bavaria's most famous castle, which inspired the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland. The castle sits high at the top of a hill. A steep, narrow road leads to the front gate. The towers in the outside walls of the castle contain circular stairways. With over 360 rooms, it took 17 years to build. With its turrets, mock-medievalism and its interior styles ranging from Byzantine through Romanesque to Gothic, it is a real fairy-tale fantasy come true.

Neuschwanstein Castle was named after the Swan Knight, Lohengrin, who is an important figure in German medieval mythology and the hero of an opera by the German composer Richard Wagner. Because of Ludwig’s eccentricities, and because he was believed to be wasting huge amounts of the Bavarian state’s money on buildings and the arts (although Ludwig used his own money for Neuschwanstein), Ludwig was removed from power before the castle was completed. Soon after King Ludwig’s mysterious drowning in 1886, the castle and its amazing, extravagant interior were opened to the public. Many tapestries and paintings show scenes from Wagner’s operas, underlining Ludwig's love for Wagner's work. However, many of the interior rooms are undecorated, since only 14 rooms were finished before Ludwig's death. The Castle is heated by a forced air coal fired furnace in the basement, and the throne room, which does not actually have a throne, is at the rear of the castle on the fourth floor. The castle reveals its splendor to visitors in the king's bedroom, with magnificent frescos, paintings, carvings, mosaics and ornaments. Many artists worked there including painters, sculptors, carvers, joiners, glass painters, art smiths, locksmiths, decorators, seamstresses and embroiderers. The bed in the King's bedroom features ornate carving that woodcarvers worked on for more than two years. The castle has a very large, cobblestone courtyard.

Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, (Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm, August 25^th 1845 – June 13^th 1886) was King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes referred to in English, by his detractors as 'mad' King Ludwig. There is ample evidence to prove that he was far from mad. In German, Ludwig is known by the far kinder description “the fairy-tale” King (der Märchenkönig). He is best known for his personal eccentricity and for the extravagant fantasy castles he constructed, such as Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee.

Neuschwanstein Castle was used as the inspiration for Walt Disney's “Sleeping Beauty Castle” and also for the castles at the many Disney parks around the world. King Ludwig II left a large collection of plans for other castles that were never realised. One was to be called Falkenstein, another was to be built in the style of a chinese summer palace and yet another in the style of a byzantine palace. Why not log onto www.neuschwanstein-castle.com or the many site dedicated to the wonderful example of “Imagination and Inspiration”.