Beyond Iona… What’s next?
Written by Terry, CEO
June has arrived in Scotland with bright sunshine and warming temperatures. The fields are awash in shades of green, lambs are frolicking alongside their mothers, the bees are moving from bloom to bloom, and daylight extends late into the evening as we await the summer solstice. It’s as if the air itself is humming with the energy of new life and possibility.
Traigh Bhan in summer
Just last week I had the opportunity to spend time on Iona and as I was sitting in the garden at our retreat house, Traigh Bhan, I realised that the launch of the new Findhorn Foundation SCIO is itself a sort of co-creation with nature as we, too, are emerging, budding, and flowering in tandem with, and supported by, this season of growth. There is a synchronicity and sacredness to this that is inspiring and humbling.
I am reminded of a quote by one of the Findhorn Foundation founders, Dorothy Maclean, who said –
“If there ever was a time in our evolution of consciousness it is now – the ground is prepared for this planting.”
Traigh Bhan garden
I’d like to start this month by thanking all of you who expressed your excitement and encouragement following May’s launch of the new Findhorn Foundation SCIO. We have received amazing feedback from people all across the world which has been a beautiful affirmation of our powerful legacy and rich global community. Time and again we hear of the lasting impact of our core principles and are humbled by just how many people have been transformed by the “magic of Findhorn” over the years and found ways to incorporate the learning in their own cultures and locations. It is truly inspiring!
As we approach our work now, with open hearts and minds, I am grateful for the opportunity and spaciousness to attune to how the next steps for the SCIO want to emerge. We are confident that our mission is ready to burst forth at this time. It is our intention to expand the Findhorn Foundation SCIO through a very careful and thoughtful approach, emphasising sustainability, accessibility and affordability.
We are pleased to report that our new, Spirit of Iona retreats are actively enrolling participants. There is no doubt that Iona is the right place for us to gently restart our Findhorn Foundation programming and we are preparing Traigh Bhan to receive guests on Iona starting July 6th. The Spirit of Iona retreat is specifically designed to nurture connection in a gentle way. Intended for up to only 6 participants at a time, the Spirit of Iona will help people to reflect more deeply into their lives while also practising the fundamental principles of inner listening, co-creation with nature and work as love in action. To find out more or to book your space, please visit our information page about the Spirit of Iona retreat.
Following the launch of the Spirit of Iona Retreats, as soon as early September, we plan for the Findhorn Foundation SCIO to begin offering Experience Week programmes on the isle of Erraid. Erraid is a small, self-contained tidal island with eight stone cottages built for Lighthouse Keepers in the 1870’s. With a walled garden, dedicated sanctuary, and deep community ethos, Erraid offers the perfect context for participants to truly experience connection and the transformative power of our principles. We are excited to put the “experience” back into Experience Week and believe that Erraid offers all of the essential components to do that.
Following the launch of Experience Week on Erraid, we will explore a possible third location for programming in 2025. It is our hope that next spring might bring forth a new campus for us within the historic Park Ecovillage in Findhorn, Scotland, but quite a lot of work and investment will be needed to make this happen. In the meantime, we are very conscious of how the world has changed over the past 60 years and want to envision how our mission, practices, and experiences can be shared more globally. In our feedback sessions with past participants and community members we have heard repeated concerns about the carbon footprint, expense, time demands, language challenges, and immigration difficulties of travelling to Scotland. As a result, we are re-imagining how we might offer and deliver our essential experiences through a global network of partners and an expanded digital presence.
“You are part of a tremendous network and each member needs to feel part of the whole.”
As we turn our attention outward and into the world, we feel a renewed resonance with the legacy Findhorn Foundation teachings about the “network of light.” In the 1950’s, Findhorn Foundation co-founder Peter Caddy was introduced to the idea of a “network of light” – centres and people all around the world creating a synergistic web of connectivity in spirit. Later, Eileen Caddy received direct guidance to “Get a globe and start marking the centres on it. You are part of a tremendous network and each member needs to feel part of the whole. This is a network of light. The strength comes through the linking up of the centres.” For many years the Findhorn Foundation has supported meditations, programmes, and initiatives to build and grow the network of light. Now we have an invitation to reimagine how we might do this today.
Sunset on Erraid
“Although our exterior structure and form may look entirely different from the past, our inner principles and spiritual impulse are just as relevant and powerful as they have ever been.”
It is clear to us that we are being called to take our spiritual impulse and principles out into the world. We know that to reach the largest number of people we will need to continue to be open to change in order to shape ourselves for contemporary challenges. In the coming months we will be inviting you to join us in envisioning what is possible for what and how we do in the future.
Through it all, I hold fast to the truth that although our exterior structure and form may look entirely different from the past, our inner principles and spiritual impulse are just as relevant and powerful as they have ever been. People are yearning for deeper connection with themselves, with nature, with each other, and with Spirit. We know the power of connection and want to help others feel it, too.
This is the season of growth and we all have the power to bloom into our fullness.
