This is a CTP of initiative: Ecovillage Findhorn (UK)
The early roots of Findhorn started in the fifties, ten years before the founders came to Findhorn when Peter and then Eileen Caddy started experimenting with spiritual attunement and the inner divine guidance which they had learned from Sheena, a spiritual teacher of ‘The Faith Mission’. The start of Findhorn community was an emerging process. The ‘kick-off’ date members often emphasise started on November 17th in 1962 when the three founders Peter and Eileen Caddy and Dorothy Maclean moved with their caravan to Findhorn caravan park. This decision might have seemed insensible, but was based on ten years spiritual training to listen to their intuitive, divine inner voice. They had been guided to Forres in Northeast Scotland where Peter worked as a hotel manager for five years and was terminated in 1962. From November 17, 1962 on, Peter and Eileen with their three sons and Dorothee McLean started to live together in a small caravan. (website about Findhorn history)
“Feeding six people on unemployment benefit was difficult, so Peter decided to start growing vegetables. Dorothee discovered that she was able to intuitively contact the overlighting spirits of plants… who gave her instructions on how to make the most of their fledging garden” (Bijman, Adriana (ed.): Findhorn 50 years birthday book. Findhorn press, 2012)
The guidance of Eileen and Dorothee was put into action with amazing results of flourishing vegetables, most famous the 40-pound cabbages. The message was spread and the founders networked with numerous other spiritual teachers and organisations and the first visitors were attracted to Findhorn community. Building the first seven bungalows in 1967 was perceived as the kick-off of the local community. More people could move to Findhorn community and the first businesses like Findhorn press started in 1967.
The decision to go to Findhorn caravan Park was supported by their spiritual practices. Eileen received inner guidance every night for the little community, what she always wrote down (partly published in numerous books later). When Dorothee started to communicate with the spirits of the plants and vegetables, Peter was putting it into action with great success for the productiveness of the garden and hence, for their self-sufficiency.
“Scattered around the earth are thousands of individuals, groups and communities quietly creating a society based upon the unity of the human family and co-creation with the forces of nature. Part of our work at Findhorn is to link up and reveal an emerging pattern that we call the ‘network of light’” (in: Bijman, Adriana (ed.): Findhorn 50 years birthday book. Findhorn press, 2012, p.77).
That happened after they had connected spiritually to some centres where the connection later had been made. Another important network Findhorn is active in till today is the ‘Holistic centre Network’.
“Peter said, ‘our early work at Findhorn was entirely on the inner planes, tuning into centres twice a day, receiving visions and telepathic transmissions’. They linked with 370 centres sharing information about the planet […] There was knowing that some of us would meet.” (in: Bijman, Adriana (ed.): Findhorn 50 years birthday book. Findhorn press, 2012, p.77)
Mainly Peter was travelling and networking with spiritual minded people and organisations in Great Britain and the USA. People from all over the world have been attracted and started contributing and slowly the community grew.
1957 Peter & Eileen moved to Forres in Northeast Scotland, close to Findhorn village, where Peter worked as Hotel manager in the ‘Cluny Hill’ Hotel
1962, November 17: Peter is fired, they move to caravan Park Findhorn, next to Forres
1963, March: Findhorn garden began: unusual large vegetables.
From 1965 on: Networking with people and spiritual teachers of New Age movement, Buddhist monasteries etc.; Peter helps forming the Glastonbury foundation.
1967 Findhorn press started publishing news and books. 1968 soil experts are amazed by the abundance of the gardens
The three founders had been in a difficult situation after Peter was terminated and in serious lack of financial situation. It was a social challenging situation when moving into one and a half caravans with six people, including three teenagers. Nevertheless, the founders had a strong belief that they were guided. When Eileen sometimes started doubting the guidance, Peter was encouraging her to proceed with channeling the messages for the little community. After a difficult phase of about a year, where they felt their discipline and confidence has been tested, and they stayed and proceeded successfully, the first fruits could be harvested literally.
For the three founders, it was a personal turning point at that time, when they moved to Findhorn Caravan Park. Nevertheless, they had no intention or even vague idea that a community and ecovillage would develop gathering around their little caravan and garden. There was no anticipation of what Findhorn has become later. Except, the guidance that Eileen received asked them for trust and everything they do has a purpose. The voice announced that a ‘city of light’ would be developing, but the founders could not imagine what was meant by this.
Eileen Caddy later stated in 1987: “I must say, if I had realised what was happening I would have run away from the whole thing. God gave us a little bit at a time. When it unfolds bit by bit, gradually one gets used to such things” (in: Bijman, Adriana (ed.): Findhorn 50 years birthday book. Findhorn press, 2012, p.76).
The time was later perceived as an important phase of learning for the early community mainly in these respects:
1. They learned about discipline and trust into the inner spiritual intuition. It included further proceeding in their spiritual development.
2. They learned about ecological gardening and self-sufficiency including connecting to the nature spirits.
3. Living together on such limited space in two caravans has set a foundation for communal living practice.
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