I’d become interested in intentional communities prior to going to Findhorn. I was part of the Koinonia Foundation community near Baltimore, Maryland, USA, from 1973, and had also visited Twin Oaks, and a Bruderhof community. Two of my colleagues at Koinonia knew about Findhorn, and we enjoyed listening to the songs on Love Is (by the New Troubadors)–the words and music most inspiring to me.

And so, in 1977 I made my first trip to Europe, visiting Taizé in France and participating in its gathering in Madrid, and also a Christian community in Switzerland before going on to Findhorn.

Arriving at the community, I clearly recall some first impressions–standing in the Community Centre, the ground seemed to tremble beneath my feet: a sign that I’d arrived at a special place? Looking out the window, seeing the light-hearted interaction and hugs among the people coming and going.

My Experience Week included the various elements of what was already a proven program: sharings with various community members, ROC audio-visual, outing to “a beautiful place in nature,” “group games,” “folk dancing,” and in sharings in the group, “I” statements, non-interruption, etc. At the end of the week, more than one person told me, “You’ll be back…”

And I was back for Orientation, a few months later.

Orientation November, 1977

My Orientation group, November, 1977

Orientation Group, November 1977

My work departments included Cluny Reception (beginning to understand the Scottish dialect, over the phone and in person), Visuals (including having a part in the Faces of Findhorn book, and in 3-projector slide shows in the Hall), and Publications (being recognized as the “pro” in my work in type-setting on the IBM composing typewriter).
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So many opportunities for expanding my horizons:
My astrology chart drawn by 3 different colleagues… “You have great teaching/leadership abilities, though these may not emerge here at Findhorn, but may be realized elsewhere…”; “You have an affinity with kitchens.”
A class on some esoteric subject, with Roger D and Richard V
Training in 1st degree Reiki
Insight training: “The universe responds to action, not inaction.”
DMA course: “Focus on what you want to create, and its current reality.”
Co-counseling
Holotropic Breathwork: going “beyond my mind.”
Peter Caddy’s Foundations of Findhorn.
Psychic reading by Carol Riddell.
Together, all this acted re aiding my self-confidence (a life-long issue for me)

And inspiration from many conference and other presenters:
Donald Keys, Joanna Macy, Matthew Fox, Dean James Parks Morton,
Br David Stendl-Rast, Sir George Trevelyan, Paul Solomon, William Irwin Thompson, Caroline Myss, Richard Baker Roshi, Al Huang ….

Experiences whose memories have stayed with me over these 45 years:
Having tea with Peter and Eileen in their bungalow.
The realisation that the community included members who had been a London banker, and members who had come with no money. All of us were included as equals… in the work, and with equal allowances.
Knowing colleagues who followed spiritual paths other than my own: Jewish, Buddhist, Sai Baba (receiving vibuti that had been manifested by Sai Baba)…
Finding friendship with community members who were gay/lesbian; and with others who had been married several times.
Accepting that the “Glasgow boys” living at Cluny also were part of the community.
Acknowledging the “wise beings” among us, including Eileen, Raymond, Alan, Nick, Michael, Sara, Stephen, etc… and also we “ordinary beings,” from whom can come surprising gems of truth.
I incorporated all this into the sense of myself as part of community.

Visit to Erraid with community members, including Tom Buchan, Ron and Polly Parker, Michael Davidson, Mariana Lines, Dennis Evanson…

After 3+ years, I felt unsure whether to continue in the community (although I remember that Satya recognised me as “a pillar of the Foundation,” without my realizing it.) I continued to feel drawn to South America; and visits to Taizé and participating in their week in Rome awakened the “monkish” part of me… In 1981, I volunteered with Taizé as part of their presence in New York, and subsequently stayed on in New York, working with Planetary Citizens (Donald Keys’ project), and later at the New York Open Center (with Ralph White and colleagues). Other Findhorn people (including Michael Lindfield) were involved in one or another of these organisations, so I was still connected with the energy of Findhorn, here in another place. My participation at the Cathedral of St John the Divine also had links to my Findhorn experience, with Dean Morton’s Earth Community, and the visits of David Spangler.

After these three years away, I felt drawn to return to Findhorn in 1984; this was easily agreed.

On returning in 1984…

Work departments included: Trading Centre (processing invoices on a very slow computer…); Communications, involved with much computer work… I note, in retrospect, how I continued to allow familiar head-oriented work to divert me from “following my heart.”

And then, I did take the step of enquiring whether I could join the Guest Department… where I soon discovered enjoyment and confidence in focalising guest groups. This of course involved my participating in Sacred Dance and Group Discovery (in which I subsequently participated in trainings, and later, taking these out as central to my Findhorn workshops in South America).

As part of the Guest Department, I also focalised Departmental Guest weeks, and later, the LCG program (at times having more than 30 in the program), offering me much experience in attunements and interviews. And subsequently, co-focalising an Essence program with Cally—a group that included several strong individuals.

I later was part of the Personnel Department, blessed with colleagues including Judy, Karen, Ann, Jonathan. This gave me valuable practice in working with meditation in decision-making.

As one of the Spanish-speaking members in the community, I became involved with focalising programs in Spanish, often working with Gill. Later, having led workshops in South America, more people from Argentina, Uruguay and elsewhere became inspired to visit Findhorn; Gill and I focalised an Experience Week for them that included participants from Spain as well. When the group visited Eileen for a session at her home, I simultaneously translated for her.

Later, Gill and I went to Barcelona to run programs; I stayed at the college of some nuns who had come to know Findhorn, and led a session of sacred dance at the college.

And all along the way, life in community provided much “grist for the mill” in my ongoing challenges in relationships, particularly with women… And in time, recognising friendship with many.

Some additional highlights:
Christmas week alone at Traigh Bhan, with connection with the Iona Community… In later years this led to my volunteering with them during four seasons, and a whole other circle of colleagues and friends–maintained to this day.
Several visits to Erraid, enjoying the island and the resident community.

Trips to Russia with Liza, opening another world to me…. Some highlights:
Our first breakfast: a variety of cakes and other sweets: what our host must have imagined that we Europeans ate?
In 1988 (before the break-up of the USSR): “…Amidst balloons, soldiers relax in the square…. I have not seen the enemy…”
Seeing Moscow before privatisation/commercialisation took hold. (Later on a subsequent trip, starkly seeing the glare of advertising now so visible in the city).
Inside the nondescript exteriors of the apartment blocks, lovely homes full of warmth and culture. One evening, a few of us being invited to visit: “A midnight supper… what matter the hour… there’s food, drink and our lives to share.”
I took the initiative to break protocol, to spend a day apart from the group with a Russian woman whom I felt friendly toward… Our Russian tour guide wasn’t happy….
Meeting Russian men such as Yevgeny and Dima. I corresponded with Yevgeny for a time.
Falling in love with little Elizabeth, not yet two years old, who came along with Katharina. She subsequently became my god-child, and now has had her 34th birthday, and a wee son of her own…
In Tashkent at the public market: “the worst toilet in the world…”

Recalling other memorable moments/experiences….
Choir, with Debbie, with Joel, with Stephan.
Discovering that I enjoyed leading tours of the Park for day visitors.
Learning to be at ease, and feel friendship with Peter Caddy.
Peter’s example of positive thinking, in telling about his trip to the south of England: the lady who offered him a lift who happened to have a hamper-full of sandwiches; on the return journey, offering to drive the fish lorry heading to Oban, while the driver slept….
And, “The right people arrived in the community just when needed.”
ROC’s story: the faun at Edinburgh Botanic Garden

Other personal memories….
Kay focalizing Cluny Homecare: “Don’t clean anything that’s already clean.”
Dennie to me: “Remember to say ‘I am worthy of love.’ ”
Loren to me at an Education Branch attunement: “You don’t say very much, but when you do, it’s a useful contribution”–words to that effect.
Receiving massages from Stacy, from Angela; Touch-for-Health with Ed.
David affirming that “My work is my spiritual path.”
Walking at night from Cluny to Drumduan, guided by looking up at the sky visible between the rows of trees on either side of the path… Amazed at the brilliant display of northern lights, seen only once from the front of Drumduan.
Times at the Arden House bar, with Jeremy, etc.
George Ripley: always the well-dressed friendly gentleman, inviting me to his house for a cup of tea.
Frances, Alice and others who had awareness of the subtle beings of Nature.
At one point, I did the Game of Transformation facilitator training, and later the Group Version training.

In 1990, I began taking the Findhorn experience to South America, with Josephine and Fabio’s invitation to participate in the Re-encuentro para la Nueva Era (Re-meeting for the New Age), to take place near where they lived in Argentina. This turned out to be a marvelous gathering of several hundred people, coming from various countries. Among other topics represented, I was impressed by the acceptance of beings from other dimensions; a multi-faceted spirituality amongst the participants; the quality of the musical presentations.

Our group of about a dozen staying at Josephine and Fabio’s farm included people who had connected with Findhorn in various ways; together we offered a type of mini-Experience program.

Jashana and I made extensive Findhorn tours both in 1992 and 1993, offering presentation and workshops in Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru.

In 1996 and 1997, Dorothy Maclean was invited to various places in South America; I organised and accompanied her in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru (including going to Machu Picchu), Ecuador and Colombia. Dorothy sharing her stories, and I offering sacred dance as well as logistical help.

My own workshops from 1990 to nearly the present day included responding to invitations from these same countries plus Paraguay — organising contacts, travel, hosts, etc…. finding confidence in all this, plus in running these workshops. In addition to many sacred dance workshops, in some places I offered abbreviated sacred dance and group discovery focaliser trainings, and Transformation Games.

My Findhorn story has continued to the present day: Now living in Colombia, I’ve been a Resource Person for many years (not very active at present, but glad to answer occasional enquiries). When Yvonne Cuneo visited Bogotá, I translated for her at one of her presentations. I’m connecting with the virtual gatherings of our Findhorn Extended Members Council, and returned to Findhorn for the 50th anniversary week.

Charles Petersen