Classes, Events & Seasonal Celebrations
Sacred Tea ~ Conscious Breath ~ Qi Cultivation ~ Meditation ~ Astrology Wisdom ~ Myth & Story ~ Sound Healing ~ Heart-felt Sharing ~ Compassionate Listening
A Winter Solstice Imprinting Ceremony
Saturday June 21, 2025 at 7-9PM AEST
A Winter Solstice Imprinting Ceremony is a live, guided Zoom gathering held on June 21, 7–9PM AEST, inviting you into the stillness of the year’s deepest yin. As the longest night blankets the Southern Hemisphere, we enter the dark, sacred womb of the Earth, an ancient portal of possibility where intention takes root. In this fertile space of cosmic quiet, you will be guided to plant your soul’s deepest longing like a luminous seed in the unseen soil of the next cycle.
This is not a performance or a passive ritual. It is a participatory ceremonial space where you’ll be gently led to use your own voice and vibration to resonate your intention into the void. We’ll work with sound, breath, and stillness to imprint your inner truth, calling the formless into form, the dream into motion. This moment is about choosing what you will tend and grow in the year ahead.
Whether you’re seeking clarity, healing, a renewed connection to your wisdom, or simply a grounded way to honour the turning of the wheel, this ceremony offers an opportunity to pause and reorient. All you need is a quiet space, a candle, and your presence.
If you can’t make the live event, a recording will be available 30 minutes after the session concludes. This is a powerful, stand-alone experience—but it also aligns with deeper cosmic rhythms you may wish to work with throughout the year. Come as you are. Come to listen. Come to imprint. Let your intention ripple through the dark like a song, awakening the path ahead.
Women's Astrology Circle - Goonengerry
Saturday August 16, 2025 at 4:30-7PM AEST
Build real connection with real women — in just one evening.
(No astrology knowledge required — just bring your beautiful self.)
Looking for meaningful connection with other women in your community? Join us for a soulful evening where conversation flows, hearts open, and the Full Moon guides us inward. This gathering is a safe, welcoming space where you can exhale, be seen, and reconnect — with yourself and with others. Whether you’re brand new to astrology or deeply immersed in the stars, you’re warmly invited to come as you are.
In this circle, we’ll tune into the energy of the current cosmic time using myth grounded astrology, and open-hearted discussion. Together, we'll share stories and explore themes that speak to both our personal journeys and the collective moment. We intend to draw upon the wisdom of the stars becomes a mirror, not to predict, but to deepen awareness and clarity.
This intimate event is happening on Saturday 12th July from 4:30–7:00pm in beautiful Goonengerry. The exact address is shared upon booking. Space is limited and bookings are essential.
Let this be your invitation to slow down, reflect, and come home to yourself within your community.
Embody the Venus Cycle
THE MYTH OF INANNA AND THE SACRED FEMININE JOURNEY
We invite you to embark on a journey of transformation and self-discovery. This online gathering aligns with the celestial rhythm of the Venus-Moon conjunction each month, creating a sacred space to explore the myth of Inanna and embody the sacred feminine journey. Inanna’s descent into the underworld, her trials, and ultimate ascent mirror the cycles of Venus, offering a timeless path of renewal and empowerment.
Through 19 classes, you will explore Inanna’s myth and its resonance with your own experiences of surrender, transformation, and emergence. Guided by Dr. Vanessa Strauss, each live session will blend storytelling, astrology, guided embodiment practices, and reflective sharing. The Venus-Moon conjunction becomes a portal for connection as participants gather to honour their inner wisdom and align with the divine feminine rhythm.
Live classes foster an interactive and supportive online community of women on this shared journey. For those unable to attend live, recordings are available, ensuring flexibility and accessibility. This program weaves Inanna’s archetypal themes with practical tools for personal growth, creating a truly transformative experience.
The cost is $325, covering all live sessions, downloadable recordings, and additional resources. Whether new to the sacred feminine path or a seasoned seeker, Embody the Venus Cycle provides a beautifully crafted space for reflection, renewal, and connection. Together, we follow Venus and the Moon, reclaiming the feminine wisdom that is both timeless and deeply personal.
Details:
• Start Date: March 23, 2025
• Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (AEST)
• Number of Classes: 19
Class Dates (Venus-Moon Conjunctions):
March 23, 2025 · April 24, 2025 · May 22, 2025 · June 22, 2025 · July 21, 2025
August 20, 2025 · September 19, 2025 · October 18, 2025 · November 17, 2025 · December 17, 2025
January 16, 2026 · February 15, 2026 · March 17, 2026 · April 16, 2026 · May 16, 2026 · June 15, 2026 · July 15, 2026 · August 14, 2026 · September 13, 2026
The Seven Sisters
TUESDAY @ 6:30PM & THURSDAY @ 10:30AM in GOONENGERRY (BYRON BAY HINTERLAND). ADDRESS PROVIDED UPON BOOKING.
Join Dr. Vanessa Strauss and like-minded women for the practices of tea, medical Qigong, meditation and sound therapy. Our approach is rooted in the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine, aligning with the current astrological, seasonal, or educational principles of Qi cultivation.
In these classes, we begin with the healing power of tea, either brewed from medicinal plants or a sacred elixir crafted by Vanessa, served on pure water. Both mediums aim to connect participants with their hearts, fostering calmness and inner peace while simultaneously clearing the mind for heightened awareness during the meditation practice.
The session then transitions into esoteric meditation practices, including visualization, breathwork, and chanting. These exercises are conducted in various positions—standing, sitting, or lying down—varying from class to class. To conclude the session, participants are invited to either lay down or remain seated, receiving the healing vibrations of sound through instruments such as the quartz crystal harp, gong, planetary chimes, and crystal quartz singing bowls.
Kundalini Class
Saturday's @ 7:30AM at Quantum Uplift, Unit 1, Centennial Cct, Byron Bay Industrial Estate, NSW
Wednesday's @ 10:30AM at Federal hall, 466 Federal Drive, Federal, NSW
Step into a 90-minute immersion to awaken your life-force and meet life with clarity and joy. Through breathwork, postures, inner locks, and guided storytelling, the practice becomes both energising and meaningful.
Each week you’ll clear your channels, awaken the inner fire of Kundalini, and carry that energy upward to fuel growth and transformation. The blend of movement and myth keeps you present, steady, and connected to your own potential.
Accessible to all levels, the class is dynamic yet supportive. More than exercise, it is a process of inner alchemy, burning through stagnation, awakening vitality, and helping you channel energy into the places you most want it expressed.
Saturday's in Byron Bay | 7:30–9:00 am AEDT
Wednesday's in Federal | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm AEDT
$35 Exchange (5 & 10 Class Passes Available)
All welcome | No experience needed
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Kundalini Class
Saturday's @ 7:30AM at Quantum Uplift, Unit 1, Centennial Cct, Byron Bay Industrial Estate, NSW
Wednesday's @ 10:30AM at Federal hall, 466 Federal Drive, Federal, NSW
Step into a 90-minute immersion to awaken your life-force and meet life with clarity and joy. Through breathwork, postures, inner locks, and guided storytelling, the practice becomes both energising and meaningful.
Each week you’ll clear your channels, awaken the inner fire of Kundalini, and carry that energy upward to fuel growth and transformation. The blend of movement and myth keeps you present, steady, and connected to your own potential.
Accessible to all levels, the class is dynamic yet supportive. More than exercise, it is a process of inner alchemy, burning through stagnation, awakening vitality, and helping you channel energy into the places you most want it expressed.
Saturday's in Byron Bay | 7:30–9:00 am AEDT
Wednesday's in Federal | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm AEDT
$35 Exchange (5 & 10 Class Passes Available)
All welcome | No experience needed
Art-of-Tea & Astrology
SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2025 @ 4:30pm-7pm in GOONENGERRY (BYRON BAY HINTERLAND). ADDRESS PROVIDED UPON BOOKING.
The Art of Tea and Astrology is a monthly gathering, welcoming up to 7 participants to partake in a Tea Ceremony and delve into the celestial insights and movements of the moment. This unique event combines the serenity of Tea Ceremony with the wisdom of astrology, offering both a self-development and educational experience. Gain profound insights into navigating the upcoming month, exploring available opportunities, identifying potential pitfalls, optimising your energy, recognising areas for growth and steering clear of challenges.
While participation in reflections and sharing stories is encouraged, it is not mandatory. Dr. Vanessa Strauss often shares mythological stories that enhance understanding and embodiment of celestial transits, guiding you on your journey for the month ahead.
Monthly Chant Night
Scorpio New Moon - The Alchemy of Transformation
Thursday November 20th, 2025. ONLINE EVENT
Thursday, Nov 20th | 7–9pm AEDT
Live • Online • Recorded
In this two-hour online gathering, under the mysterious darkness of the Scorpio New Moon, we are invited to descend beneath the surface and into the fertile void. Scorpio’s lunar energy draws us inward, asking us to face what is hidden, to embrace death and rebirth as sacred companions.
This lunation is a time for shedding old skins and reclaiming the parts of ourselves buried beneath fear or attachment.
Through mantra, meditation, and guided stillness, we invoke Durga, the invincible goddess of courage and transformation. Durga’s energy is both fierce and compassionate. She rides the lion of power, cutting through illusion with the sword of clarity. Her presence ignites the heart with strength, grace, and fierce love, teaching us that true transformation arises through surrender to the deeper intelligence within.
Together, we journey through sound as medicine. A sacred process of purification, empowerment, and renewal. The alchemy of mantra awakens our inner fire, aligning us with the cyclical rhythm of life, death, and rebirth. With every descent, when embraced with reverence, becomes a doorway to the soul’s liberation.
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Spaces limited to 15 participants for intimacy
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$35 pp
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Recording included for ongoing practice or if you can’t attend live
Beltane Forest Day Retreat
Sunday 2nd Nov 2025 - Goonengerry Forest, Northern NSW
With Singer–Songwriter Julie Hayes & Vanessa Strauss (Doctor of Chinese Medicine / Daoist Mystic)
Come join us by the pristine flowing waters of Goonengerry Forest in the Byron Hinterland as we celebrate Beltane, the cross-quarter point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.
This is a day to honour the sun, immerse in nature, and reconnect with the sacred cycles of earth and sky. Together we will meditate, chant, rejoice, swim, sing, and heal upon the good earth.
Event Details
Opening Ceremony
We’ll begin with a guided meditation to drop into heart frequency and union with the living web of life. Kundalini breath activations will help us draw solar energy through the crown and into the heart. From there, we’ll expand the heart field with 108 repetitions of the tantric bij mantra for the heart chakra.
Midday Flow
Enjoy swims in the creek, time for rest, and a BYO picnic lunch.
Song Circle with Julie Hayes
In the afternoon, Julie will lead a magical song circle, teaching earth-based songs that honour this sacred alignment of sky and earth. Together we’ll sing, celebrate, and weave our voices into nature’s chorus.
Who's Welcome
This gathering is open to all: beginners, nature lovers, forest dwellers, meditators, the curious, and the open-hearted.
Children under 18 join free when accompanied by a parent.
Event Details
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Sunday, Nov 2nd, 2025
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10:00 am – 3:00 pm (arrive 9:45 am to walk in together)
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Goonengerry Forest, Byron Hinterland (exact location shared on booking)
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$75 per person
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Non-refundable. Limited spaces to keep the circle intimate.
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Meet in the car park between 9:45–10:00 am AEDT. We’ll walk together (about 15 minutes) in a beautiful chant-meditation down to the South Boundary waterfall. Please arrive on time — there is no phone reception.
What to Bring
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Sheepskin or blanket to sit on
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Meditation pillow
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Water bottle
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your own lunch and any snacks
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Shawl for cool weather
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Umbrella & rain coat (if raining)
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Sun hat & sunscreen (if sunny)
-
Swimming towel (if you’d like to dip in the waterholes)
With love and radiance,
Julie & Vanessa
Beltane Forest Day Retreat
Sunday 2nd Nov 2025 - Goonengerry Forest, Northern NSW
With Singer–Songwriter Julie Hayes & Vanessa Strauss (Doctor of Chinese Medicine / Daoist Mystic)
Come join us by the pristine flowing waters of Goonengerry Forest in the Byron Hinterland as we celebrate Beltane, the cross-quarter point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.
This is a day to honour the sun, immerse in nature, and reconnect with the sacred cycles of earth and sky. Together we will meditate, chant, rejoice, swim, sing, and heal upon the good earth.
Event Details
Opening Ceremony
We’ll begin with a guided meditation to drop into heart frequency and union with the living web of life. Kundalini breath activations will help us draw solar energy through the crown and into the heart. From there, we’ll expand the heart field with 108 repetitions of the tantric bij mantra for the heart chakra.
Midday Flow
Enjoy swims in the creek, time for rest, and a BYO picnic lunch.
Song Circle with Julie Hayes
In the afternoon, Julie will lead a magical song circle, teaching earth-based songs that honour this sacred alignment of sky and earth. Together we’ll sing, celebrate, and weave our voices into nature’s chorus.
Who's Welcome
This gathering is open to all: beginners, nature lovers, forest dwellers, meditators, the curious, and the open-hearted.
Children under 18 join free when accompanied by a parent.
Event Details
-
Sunday, Nov 2nd, 2025
-
10:00 am – 3:00 pm (arrive 9:45 am to walk in together)
-
Goonengerry Forest, Byron Hinterland (exact location shared on booking)
-
$75 per person
-
Non-refundable. Limited spaces to keep the circle intimate.
-
Meet in the car park between 9:45–10:00 am AEDT. We’ll walk together (about 15 minutes) in a beautiful chant-meditation down to the South Boundary waterfall. Please arrive on time — there is no phone reception.
What to Bring
-
Sheepskin or blanket to sit on
-
Meditation pillow
-
Water bottle
-
your own lunch and any snacks
-
Shawl for cool weather
-
Umbrella & rain coat (if raining)
-
Sun hat & sunscreen (if sunny)
-
Swimming towel (if you’d like to dip in the waterholes)
With love and radiance,
Julie & Vanessa
Solstice Sunrise Kundalini Practice (Online)
Monday December 22nd (Online) @ 5 AM
Join me at dawn to celebrate the Summer Solstice, the longest day of light and radiance. In Kundalini practices and Taoist mysticism, the Solstices are considered the most powerful days to meditate and attune to the rhythms of nature.
As the year reaches its peak of solar energy, this online gathering offers a moment to pause, align, and receive the solar blessings from wherever you are. Through breath, movement, and meditation, we’ll awaken vitality, clarity, and inner luminosity, setting ourselves in harmony with the natural cycles and the great turning of the light.
All are welcome to share in this sacred sunrise practice and open the heart to the golden pulse of the Solstice.
Sunday 22nd December 2025 | 5 –7 am AEDT
$35 Exchange (5 & 10 Class Passes Available)
All welcome | No experience needed
Platform is a Live Zoom call and recording available at 7:30 am
Winter Solstice 2025
SUNDAY 23rd JUNE, 2024 ~ BYRON BAY HINTERLAND. ADDRESS AVAILABLE UPON BOOKING
Our Solstice & Equinox special events coincide with the Earth's turning points, celebrating the seasons' changes and the dance of the Sun during these sacred and high vibrational days.
RETREAT PROGRAMME:
Our day begins with the practice of medical Qi Gong and energy cultivation drawn down from the Sun on these high vibrational energy days. We then transition into a sacred ceremony featuring prayer, flowers, and intention setting, aligning with the unique calls from the changing seasons.
Lunch is provided, following the principles of Chinese Dietetics and Food as Medicine, featuring local and organic produce from farmers' markets and local stores.
Post lunch, we delve into Astrology and Tea Ceremony, exploring the astrological alignments for the coming three months overlaid on each participant's personal astrology chart. This personalised mini-reading in a group setting serves both educational and community-building purposes. A Q & A session follows for clarity and integration.
The last 1.5 hours of the day retreat are dedicated to a group healing session involving acupuncture pins and sound healing. The day concludes with a group meditation or chant to seal the magic of the experience.
Testimonials
Vanessa went above and beyond to make all of us feel like Goddess’ on this special day. Every activity we did was divine, from qi-gong in the forest, to altar making in the yurt, to a seafood buffet, individual astrology readings, and ending with a healing session for the whole group. So much gratitude to you Vanessa! Thank you for all that you have shared with me.
Emma
Vanessa is a glorious gift. A wise woman with beautifully crafted offerings, of alchemy, celebration, insight, nourishment, transformation and wisdom. All worthy of a yes response and experiencing. Whether you require emotional, physical or psychological support, the presence and weave you receive will bestow you with greater awareness, embodiment, enhanced wellness, and a lingering lightness of being.
Amandala, Astrologer
Vanessa’s Women’s gatherings and meditation sessions are transformational. It’s one of the most challenging experiences I’ve had, not only physically but mentally and emotionally challenging. It has guided me through physical healing, through pregnancy, and has brought me mental clarity. It has changed my life perspective. She is also a fantastic astrologist and she is able to align the yoga kriyas, meditations and medical qi gong with the astral world and astrological transits. It is truly life changing. Deep respect and love for her guidance.
Disiane,
Naturopath & Mother