Features
Findhorn - Organic 'Oasis' in a World of Conflict
Tucked up on the north eastern shoulder of Scotland on a sandy peninsula along the Moray Firth is Findhorn. A little village of a few shops, a pub, a caravan park but also known worldwide as Findhorn Community.
If you approach this place in day time the first sound is the roar of fighter planes from a nearby R.A.F airbase. These can run singly or in formation of three or more sometimes with a gap of half of an hour before the next reminder of the global agenda these machines represent.
A Growing Community
The Findhorn Foundation and community itself is large scale with over four hundred people living there. The focus of the community is to explore new ways of living which express spiritual and holistic values in everyday life and help to create a positive and sustainable future.
The range of businesses within the community and eco-village involves education, healthcare, art, pottery, printing, organic growing, green technologies, a wind-farm, a café, shop, B&B accommodation and a caravan park. As well as the on-site community, the foundation has further property in the nearly town of Forres called the Clancy Hill College, also used for a wide range of courses.
From Small Beginnings
The present highly organised community started in 1962 when Peter and Eileen Caddy parked a small caravan in the sand dunes and were later assisted by Dorothy MacLean.
The couple focused on growing good vegetables to feed their young family. From years of experience in hotels and catering, and with an intuitive eye to the natural intelligence of plants, the gardens grew well and more people came to join them.
From the start, the vision was of a unity with nature involving vegetables, flowers, herbs and humans. The idea of "The Kingdoms of Nature" and the goal of education of consciousness led the early community to trust in the spirit of co-operation. The seed was planted for what was termed a "university of light" where "life itself is the school and work, daily practice and relationships are the teachers."
The Spiritual Space
This community values reflection on an individual and collective level. It provides several sanctuary areas from quiet gardens to structures that allow people time out to grow spiritually without the ties of any particular doctrine or creed. One such space is the Nature Sanctuary.
Built in the 1980's from local recycled materials it is a simple bothán type structure, circular and with three windows facing south. The building is seen only on the south side, the remainder blending into the raised ground to the north and west. The grass roof and sides allow a balance and closeness to the earth as one enters. The centre of the floor has a large stone from the island of Iona, which acts as a table and makes the Irish connection with St. Columcille and Inis Mór real.
Community members gather in this and other sanctuaries in the morning and evenings for brief periods, sometimes to chant songs, play music or quietly reflect. At the end of such a group experience people are invited to make a comment or share a thought, insight or observation.
The Universal Hall
This is a most striking building which took over nine years and an amount of voluntary labour to create. It features a large five-sided auditorium which seats 300 people and a range of wood carvings and stained glass windows on themes from nature. The stone carved lettering of Frances Bacon's quote, placed inside the main door captures much of the spirit of Findhorn.
"I am not the raising a Capitol or Pyramid to the pride of Man but laying a foundation in the human understanding of the Holy Temple after the model of the world."
The Daily Business
This thriving community has a strong work ethos. The main food source is from the seven acre Cullerne Gardens with field vegetables, a variety of fruit, herbs and poly-tunnels. These gardens are owned by the foundation and supply a box scheme to the "Earthshare" community subscribers.
The soil in the area is sandy and requires continual care, needing every scrap of compost, some imported horse manure and irrigation most years except this summer.
A variety of other businesses are run at the centre throughout the year including the café, craft shop, printing, pottery, education, and catering. July of this year was very busy and it is clearly a major eco-tourist attraction to the area.
The eco-village
The normal meaning of and eco-village is a human settlement which is sustainable ecologically, economically, culturally, socially and spiritually. While there may be ongoing debate on this definition, there is no doubt that the Findhorn community has grown organically over the past forty years and that it meets much of the criteria of an eco-community. As well as the strict criteria for building and planning houses, it deals with sewage in an effective, natural treatment plant called the "living machine".
Most of its energy is from renewable, wind and solar systems. There is a local bus service to nearby towns and railway stations, so it is possible to live there with a very low impact on the environment.
During our visit on two weekdays the community seemed to be age mixed, while tending towards middle aged or elderly and with a good number of young children. There were several play areas for children throughout the site. The community also runs a local exchange trading system and an investment company called Ekotopia Resources Exchange.
There is also an outward view to further develop the eco-village movement world wide. The Foundation is a founder member of the Global Village Network running regular courses on eco-village development.
Courses and visitors
Education in the widest sense is the main business of the foundation and there is a wide variety of courses on offer.
Visitors are welcome to Findhorn throughout the year and there are guided tours during the main season. You can stay overnight as a guest in the self catering or B & B houses of the residents at very reasonable rates. The Blue Angel Café offers equally good value in food.
The next level at which to learn from the community is by attending an "experience week" course, with activities such as "attunement, meditation, personal sharing, sacred dance, teamwork, nature outing and daily work in an eco-village community, an experiment in sustainable living at all levels."
Such a week's course will cost in the region of 400 to 550 pounds and the fee is income related.
Other courses include eco-village training and design, personal development with themes from the arts, song, dance and spirituality. Details of the courses programme for the next year and other events are available on the website www.findhorn.org or by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Over a hundred books and publications from the founders and supporters of the foundation have been produced including "Opening doors within" by Eileen Caddy; "To hear the angels sing" Autobiography of Dorothy MacLean. Dorothy still leads courses at the centre. "In perfect timing" Autobiography of Peter Caddy; "Growing People" by Kay Kay; "The Findhorn Garden" by the community, Publisher Harper Collins.
As we left Findhorn it was Wednesday, August 1st. Some of the community had earlier remarked, in the Nature Sanctuary, that this was the first day in eight hundred years that British soldiers were not on "active service" in Ireland. We thanked all who had the vision and courage to make this happen. We hoped for the same strength and wisdom to visit new mountains for the vision and tools to end other wars between humans and the big war of humans on Nature itself.
The sun shone and even for spiritual cynics it seemed ok to call this an organic prayer.
An organic prayer and a plan to go with it! Now, that's something to celebrate and so what if it rains.
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