The Presence of Traigh Bhan’s Sanctuary
‘There is Mystery here, deep and potent, a Presence that transcends any one place or time but which can be felt and experienced anywhere and anytime. The true sanctuary of this Presence is in the human heart and soul. Traigh Bhan has been an outer portal through which this inner sanctuary can be known.’
– David Spangler, 2022
The retreat house Traigh Bhan
Situated on the West Coast of Scotland, Iona is a sacred island which has been known as a place of spiritual pilgrimage for thousands of years. Traigh Bhan is the Findhorn Foundation’s retreat house on the peaceful northerly tip of the island, inviting guests to stay and explore the mysteries of this place.
Over several decades the sanctuary of Traigh Bhan has played an important role in allowing guests to experience a deep connection with the Divine. The special energies of this Centre of Light offer a supportive and safe space for meditation and contemplation.
The retreat house Traigh Bhan
Traigh Bhan was built as a holiday home in 1923. Later, in the early 1960s Jessica Ferreira and Lucy Bruce of Griannan created a sanctuary in one of the two upstairs rooms with views of Iona Abbey, the Isle of Mull and over Iona. Since then, regular meditations have been held to connect to the spiritual energies which are part of these ancient lands.
After making contact with Peter Caddy and the emerging spiritual community that was growing at Findhorn during the 1960s, Jessica Ferreira bequeathed Traigh Bhan to her friends and community members Katherine and Roger Collis who gifted it to the Findhorn Foundation in 1972. Ever since the Findhorn Foundation has cared for the house and made it available to guests so people from around the world can experience the power of the transformational field of Iona, whilst being held in a small group within the comfort and beauty of Traigh Bhan.
Traigh Bhan in the early days after the house was gifted to the Findhorn Foundation in 1972, with Roger and Katherine Collis in foreground
The consecration of Traigh Bhan's Sanctuary
When the Findhorn Foundation received Traigh Bhan as a gift, the presence of the sanctuary was invoked through a consecration ceremony in September 1972. The ritual was held by David Spangler, a practical mystic and spiritual philosopher, who lived in the Findhorn Foundation Community in the early 1970s.
David describes the significance of the consecration ceremony as follows…
“[This ceremony is] not confined to a particular moment on a particular day but is an ongoing sanctification that occurs each time a person enters the sanctuary, bringing the Light of his or her own being to share in partnership the joy and blessing of this place.”
Inside the sanctuary
The 50th anniversary of Traigh Bhan’s Sanctuary
In September 2022 the 50th anniversary of the consecration of Traigh Bhan's sanctuary was celebrated. Meditations took place all over the world to mark this significant day. During these meditations words by David Spangler were read out in gratitude to the service that the special presence of Traigh Bhan’s sanctuary has given and will continue to give to individuals and the world.
View from the sanctuary
In the text David sent out to the meditation holders, he honours the energies and mysteries of Traigh Bhan’s sanctuary and acknowledges how this place can be a powerful portal to the presence of the sacred which lives within our innermost sanctuary: the human heart and soul. — A presence which is not dependent on the physical structures of the outer world as it lives inside us and therefore can be accessed wherever we are, whenever we choose.
David Spangler's words in honour of the sanctuary
“Fifty years ago, this special sanctuary was dedicated as a center of Light in service to humanity and the world. It was a testament to the potent spiritual traditions of Celtic Christianity that are part of Iona and to the vision and promise embodied in the life and work of the Findhorn Foundation and Community. The ceremony invited certain streams of Presence and energy to meet and blend in this place. These included the energy of the Cosmic Christ; the elemental spirit of Iona itself, rooted deep in the sacredness of the world; and the angelic overlighting of Findhorn as an exemplar of a new age of cooperation between incarnate humanity and the realms of spirit. In a way, these represented the future, the past, and present, a blending of what has been and what is emerging into the creative NOW.
Celtic Cross on Iona
This dedication, and the energies it invited, were a seed. For the past fifty years, that seed has been growing, thriving, flourishing, and radiating its blessings into the world. It has done so through the Devic and Angelic forces that overlight this place. It has done so through all who have come here and shared their lives with this place. It has done so through the evolving work of the Findhorn Foundation and all who have been part of the life of that place, if even for a day.
“There is Mystery here, deep and potent, a Presence that transcends any one place or time but which can be felt and experienced anywhere and anytime. The true sanctuary of this Presence is in the human heart and soul.”
The woven Sunrise Panel in Traigh Bhan sanctuary
There is Mystery here, deep and potent, a Presence that transcends any one place or time but which can be felt and experienced anywhere and anytime. The true sanctuary of this Presence is in the human heart and soul. Traigh Bhan has been an outer portal through which this inner sanctuary can be known. As such its value is measureless, for anchored in the ordinary world, it can take us into our own Light while connecting us to the Light that unites and fills all creation. It reminds us of who we are and of who we can become as Lightbearers and blessings to the world.
May the special spirit of this place continue to be a beacon of hope and Light for fifty more years and beyond.”
About David Spangler
David Spangler lived in the Findhorn Foundation Community in the early 1970s and was a key figure in establishing the Foundation's first educational offerings. He describes himself as a practical mystic and considers Traigh Bhan to be 'the heart chakra of the Findhorn Foundation'.
Celebrating 50 years on Iona
Read more about the consecration of Traigh Bhan's Sanctuary in 1972 and the 50th anniversary celebrations.
