Eileen Caddy MBE (26 August 1917 – 13 December 2006) was a British spiritual teacher and

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

writer, best known as one of the founders of the

Findhorn Foundation The Findhorn Foundation is a Scottish charitable trust registered in 1972, formed by the spiritual community at the Findhorn Ecovillage, one of the largest intentional communities in Britain.''The Dictionary of Alternatives: Utopianism and O ...

community at the

Findhorn Ecovillage Findhorn Ecovillage, known in the past as the Findhorn Community, and also referred to as Ecovillage Findhorn, is an experimental and utopian community project based at The Park, in Moray, Scotland, near the village of Findhorn focused on ecol ...

, near the village of

Findhorn Findhorn ( or ''Inbhir Èireann'') is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located on the eastern shore of Findhorn Bay and immediately south of the Moray Firth. Findhorn is 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Kinloss, Scotland, Kinloss, and abou ...

Moray Firth The Moray Firth (; , or ) is a roughly triangular inlet (or firth) of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of the north of Scotland. It is the largest firth in Scotland, stretching from Duncans ...

, in northeast

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The commune she started in 1962 with husband Peter Caddy and friend

Dorothy Maclean Dorothy Maclean (January 7, 1920 – March 12, 2020) was a Canadian writer and educator on spiritual subjects who was one of the original three adults at what is now the Findhorn Foundation in northeast Scotland. Biography Maclean was born in Gu ...

was an early New Age

intentional community An intentional community is a voluntary residential community designed to foster a high degree of group cohesiveness, social cohesion and teamwork. Such communities typically promote shared values or beliefs, or pursue a common vision, wh ...

where thousands of people from dozens of countries have resided in years since. One of the UK's largest alternative spiritual communities,

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

referred to it, on Caddy's death, as "the Vatican of the New Age".

Early life

She was born Eileen Marion Jessop in

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, the second of four children of Albert Jessop, an Irishman, and the director of Barclays Bank DCO; her mother Muriel was English. At six she was sent to school in Ireland, where she lodged with an aunt, and returned to Egypt in the holidays.Eileen Caddy
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'', 19 December 2006. When she was 16, her father died in Egypt of peritonitis and her family moved back to England. Tragedy struck again two years later, when her mother died of meningitis. Thereafter she was educated at a domestic college, and later bought and ran a pub at an RAF base in

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, with her brother for four years. Soon she met an RAF officer,

Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

Andrew Combe, whom she married in 1939, just months before the beginning of the Second World War; subsequently she travelled to London and America with him, and lastly to Iraq,Chapter 3 – The Nameless One:Small groups of the nuclear age
''Children of the New Age: A History of Spiritual Practices'', by Steven Sutcliffe. Routledge, 2003. . ''Page 56-58''. and had a son and four daughters. Combe was a follower of the group called

Moral Rearmament Moral Re-Armament (MRA) was an international moral and spiritual movement that, in 1938, developed from American minister Frank Buchman's Oxford Group. Buchman headed MRA for 23 years until his death in 1961. In 2001, the movement was renamed I ...

(MRA), and insisted that his wife follow the traditions of the group, which included joining the group's "quiet times", during which they would listen for divine guidance. Though diffident at the time towards the practices which she found restrictive, she later acknowledged the importance of her early attunement to "quiet times" and "listening to inner guidance", regarding it as an important milestone on her spiritual journey.

The beginning of Findhorn

In 1952, while posted at RAF Habbaniya, in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, Combe read an article written by

Peter Caddy who was also posted, met him, and became interested in bringing him into the MRA fold; subsequently Eileen was introduced to Peter and his wife, Sheena Govan, daughter of the founders of the Faith Mission. Due to their shared interests in the occult and spirituality, they immediately took a liking to each other. Soon Eileen was in the circle that formed around Sheena Govan. Peter Caddy's marriage was already in trouble. Their friend

later recalled that Sheena had declared that she was no longer her husband's "other half", and that soon Peter would meet his "true partner". Eileen and Peter fell in love and in 1953 after returning to England, she asked Combe for a divorce in a letter to him in Iraq, where he was still posted. Combe immediately forbade her from seeing their five children. It was then that a traumatized Eileen visited a private sanctuary at

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

with Peter, where she first claimed to have heard while meditating, the "voice of God", which said: "Be still and know that I am God." Initially she took it as a sign of a nervous breakdown, but in time she began to "love the voice as an instrument from the God within us all". Her subsequent instructions from the "voice" directed her to take on Sheena as her spiritual teacher.Obituary – Eileen Caddy
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 8 January 2007. Sheena moved away to the Isle of Mull, Scotland, having divorced Peter Caddy. By the autumn of 1956, Peter and Eileen came over to join her nascent group of followers there, along with the two children they already had together. Following a divorce, Eileen married Peter Caddy in 1957, and they had one more son in 1968. Meanwhile, Sheena's group was fast gaining popularity, and was dubbed the 'Nameless Ones' by the local media, which also called her "the woman Messiah".Eileen and Peter became members of the little community in which Sheena was spiritual queen..
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', 5 January 2007. Subsequently, from 1957, Peter and Eileen Caddy co-managed a run-down hotel in

, the

Cluny Hill Cluny Hill is a hill on the East side of Forres, Scotland. At the top of Cluny Hill is Nelson's Tower, built in 1806 to commemorate Admiral Lord Nelson and his victory at Trafalgar. The Tower is open to the public. Writing in 1807 the antiquar ...

Hotel in

Forres Forres (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the County of Moray, Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin, Moray, Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several ...

Moray Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...

, which they reportedly resurrected and turned into a four star hotel following practical guidance given by the "voice". Early in 1962, the couple along with most of the staff were sent by the management to resurrect another of their properties, the Trossachs Hotel, at

Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...

, but when they pleaded to be shifted back to

closer to their "mission", they were fired.History of Cluny Hill
Following the resulting period of unemployment, on 17 November 1962 Eileen, her husband Peter, the children and their colleague

, moved to a holiday

caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Caravan (trail ...

in a

trailer park A trailer park, caravan park, mobile home park, mobile home community or manufactured home community is a temporary or permanent area for mobile homes and travel trailers. Advantages include low cost compared to other housing, and quick and e ...

, a few miles from

and a mile from the village of

. There they began practising

organic gardening Organic horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety pres ...

as a means of supplementing their family's food supply. The garden flourished to such a remarkable extent with the help of what they claimed were plant spirit and devas that it eventually attracted national attention, and was featured in a 1965

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

radio programme. Its supporters included Sir George Trevelyan and

Lady Eve Balfour Lady Evelyn Barbara Balfour, (16 July 1898 – 16 January 1990) was a British farmer, educator, organic farming pioneer, and a founding figure in the organic movement. She was one of the first women to study agriculture at an English university ...

of the

Soil Association The Soil Association is a British registered charity focused on the effect of agriculture on the environment. It was established in 1946. Their activities include campaigning for local purchasing, public education on nutrition and certificat ...

Beginning in 1965 a community, eventually known as the

, began to form around the work and spiritual practices of Eileen and Peter Caddy and Dorothy Maclean. The community was featured in several television documentaries by the BBC, starting in 1969, when

TV programme Man Alive came to Findhorn, resulting in greatly increased public awareness. Soon the place became a favorite haunt for thousands of New Agers from around the world and the community bought the

Hotel in 1975 and turned it into a college, which stands seven miles from the Findhorn Bay Area

caravan park Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel * Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop * Caravan (tra ...

, which was bought in 1983 More recently it was profiled by the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

documentary series, ''The Haven'', in 2004. In 1971 Eileen, as "guided" by her inner voice, stopped receiving guidance for the community and from then on remained as an inspiring figure within the community. Dorothy Maclean moved to the United States in 1973, while Peter left Findhorn in 1978 after falling for a young female community member; he married twice in the following years, even started a Findhorn-style community in California, but eventually died in a car crash in 1994. Meanwhile, all through the 1980s, Eileen travelled across the world speaking at spiritual gathers, and also writing several books, including her "compendium of daily guidance", "Opening Doors Within", which went on to be translated in 30 languages. Her works include ''God Spoke to Me'', a volume of inspirational messages published in various formats from 1966 onwards, and an autobiography titled ''Flight into Freedom and Beyond''. Finally in 1996 at the age of 76, Eileen stopped giving workshops, as her inner voice "suggested".

Later years

In the late 1960s Eileen had been reconciled with her first family, and in 1997 all her eight children came together for the first time to celebrate her 80th birthday. In 2001 she was named one of the 50 most spiritually influential people in Britain on

's "The God List". For services to spiritual inquiry, Eileen Caddy was in 2004 awarded the MBE by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

of the United Kingdom.Eileen Caddy, 86, set up the Findhorn Foundation..
''

'', 30 December 2003. The award was presented by the

Lord Lieutenant of Moray This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Moray, Scotland. Until 1928 the office was known as Lord Lieutenant of the County of Elgin. Lord Lieutenants of Elginshire * Francis Stuart, 9th Earl of Moray 17 March 1794 – 28 ...

Air Vice-Marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometime ...

George Chesworth. Eileen Caddy died on 13 December 2006 at Findhorn, after leaving instructions that her death "be a cause for thanksgiving, rather than mourning."A tribute to Eileen Caddy
''

New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...

'', 21 December 2006. Today, the original Caddy caravan of the 1960s houses the Findhorn Foundation's Spiritual and Personal Development department, amidst trees and flowers within the

Bibliography

* ''God Spoke to Me'' (originally published in serial format beginning in 1966), Findhorn Press, 1992. . * ''The Findhorn garden'' (1975, contributor) * ''Footprints on the Path'' (1976). Findhorn Press. * ''The Spirit of Findhorn'' (1976). Findhorn Press, 1994. . * ''Living word'' (1977). Findhorn. . * ''Foundations of Findhorn'' (1978). Findhorn. * ''The Dawn of Change'' (1979). Findhorn Press. . * ''Opening Doors Within'' (1986, with Mike Scott). Findhorn Press. . * ''Flight into freedom'' (1988, with Liza Hollingshead), Published by Element. . * ''Foundations of a Spiritual Community'' (1991). Findhorn Press. . * ''Bringing More Love into your Life'' (1992, with David Earl Platts). Findhorn Press, 1992. . * ''Choosing to Love: A Practical Guide for Bringing More Love into Your Life'', (David Earl Platts). Findhorn Press, 1993. . * ''Waves of spirit'' (1996). Findhorn. . * ''Divinely Ordinary, Divinely Human: Celebrating the Life and Work of Eileen Caddy'', by David Earl Platts. Findhorn Press, 1999. . * ''Flight into freedom and beyond'' (2002, with Liza Hollingshead). Findhorn. . * ''The Findhorn book of Learning to Love'' (2004, with David Earl Platts). Findhorn Press. . * ''Small voice within'' (2005, audio CD re-issue of cassette tapes from c. 1981) * ''Opening doors within'' (2005, DVD, with Mike Scott)

References

External links