Click to view e-book

I came to the Findhorn community out of a planetary call to birth a new consciousness – a call I was struggling to understand and give voice to. Arriving at Findhorn in the summer of 1970 shaped my life and work I have done since.

Here in community life the spiritual work was expressed and shared. There was no single teacher, philosophy or dogma. The emphasis was on going within to discover your inner direction, build a group consciousness and learn through community interaction. Taking responsibility for your behaviour was essential for the wellbeing of the fledgling community. Those that arrived to be taken care of were quickly asked to leave. There was no free ride.

The power of building the new was the focus. Findhorn was a pioneering centre, a learning laboratory, a greenhouse to quicken personal evolution and growth through service. I realised that this was a place where I could contribute my gifts and the founders welcomed and accepted me despite my youth.

I am grateful for the empowerment I received, particularly from Peter Caddy, who took me under his wing and allowed me to express my teenage potential that I believe would not have been possible in other settings.

We meditated as a community mornings and evenings. Group meditation was a critical component of doing the inner work, linking together and radiating love and blessings to the planet. It was almost a requirement that all visitors attend morning sanctuary. Peter had me wake up visitors who overslept or didn’t show up. I felt very awkward doing this, but it seemed the only way to raise awareness of the importance of morning meditation.

Findhorn taught me to see the best in other people, to draw forth their tremendous potential and abundance of possibilities. Although Peter expected perfection, he was never judgmental or saw others in a diminished capacity. I genuinely wish more co-workers had the opportunity to be exposed to his example, like I was.

Because I received so much from Findhorn at an early age, I make time for young people who need to be seen, recognised and given the opportunity to share themselves. I know what it feels like to be seen unconditionally and to have the inner self be given a chance for expression – a gift I received from each of the founders and others who were much older and wiser than I was.

Peter gave me responsibilities that were well beyond my capability at the time. My experience was of a deeply loving and empowering man who was totally dedicated to serving God’s will, which usually meant following Eileen’s guidance. He understood that successful leadership required building trust. His positive attitude, purity of spirit, and unwavering commitment to building Findhorn was palpable and exciting. I felt a soul kinship with Peter and the other founders as well.

When I visit Findhorn today or inwardly connect from my home in California, I still feel the strength of the pioneering energy that I experienced in 1970. For me it is the founding impulse that gave birth to Findhorn, a powerful impulse arising from spiritual sources, incarnating on the planet through the subtle dimensions, merging with the landscape and shaping as an angelic presence that we call the Angel of Findhorn. It is dynamic, vibrant, and sings with joy and love of the promise of a new world. This for me is at the heart of my Findhorn experience and what I serve.

My long-term view is that the ultimate success of the Findhorn experiment is of a world transformed. The future of Findhorn lies in understanding the soul life, individually and as a group consciousness, and how these qualities are expressed in all aspects of our life. The Angel of Findhorn is a planetary angel whose light radiates well beyond the geographical location of the Findhorn Foundation and community. It is a presence that joins with other dimensions of life dedicated to fostering a new world.

Working with non-physical domains of life, co-creating and broadening the idea of community to include these realms, has a profound impact on me. At Findhorn we are demonstrating human community and human transformation while also engaging and learning to cooperate with other life forms. This is one of Findhorn’s purposes.

On leaving Findhorn in 1974 a group of us moved to the United States to form the Lorian Association. We recognised that not everyone could visit but many could learn from the experiences of Findhorn.

A big lesson for me was being willing to leave Findhorn, to take that learning and rich experience into the world. It was a challenging time when I eventually left. I had to support a young family. I had no formal training, profession or technical skill to fall back on. I did though have the very ingredient necessary to navigate my future, and that was the foundational experience and learning I received at Findhorn, giving me the confidence to imagine, invent and create my future. This skill set and intuitive knowing allowed me to enter complex work situations – such as organising international conferences, finding solutions for cleaning up nuclear waste, working in government on economic sustainability policy, leading delegations to China, co-founding a technology company on intelligent cars, heading up spiritual organisations, and more. All the while raising two children and ensuring that being a husband and parent was always a priority.

The teaching of Findhorn is to ultimately bring us closer to our own Sacredness, our unique spiritual gifts, and to share these with the world.

Roger Collis
Change agent + community builder + visionary
from England
First Findhorn visit » 1970

Roger Collis

Born in the London, England. Married at Findhorn in 1971, two daughters Lara and Taran. Married to Katherine for past 51 years. Long serving FF trustee. Strong link with Iona and seeding the new.