In 2022 my friend Marcus invited me to explore the ways in which the community experimented with different solutions, some of which are now mainstream. I also tell more stories about my work in different Findhorn Foundation work departments, and my life here in the community now. You can listen to the full conversation in the videos below.

When I first came here, it was mainly the Findhorn Foundation, with about 200 people. It’s changed a lot since then, which is both exciting and confusing. I’ve been reflecting on the community’s impact on the planet, on holistic health, and on how we live.

One example is the Living Machine, our wastewater treatment system. It’s been around for years, and it’s a great example of how we’ve tried to replicate nature’s way of dealing with waste. It’s not as pretty as it used to be, but it works.

We’ve also been pioneers in wind energy. Those wind turbines you see around here, we started with those years ago. Now, you see wind farms everywhere. It’s a clean way to produce electricity, even if some people were sceptical at first.

The houses we’re building now are also setting an example. They’re eco-friendly, with things like triple glazing and advanced air quality systems. My own house, built by Greenleaf Design & Build, founded by Jason Caddy, Peter and Eileen‘s grandson, is one of the latest examples. These ideas are spreading, with similar houses being built elsewhere.

There are so many people connected to Findhorn now, not just Foundation members. They’ve lived here, been through our programs, and then stayed in the area. You see them everywhere, involved in all sorts of things.

The Foundation, and the ethos of Peter and Eileen Caddy, has influenced a lot of people. Their emphasis on a “healing way of life” still resonates.

Over the years, many healers have come to Findhorn, practicing various methods like osteopathy and chiropractic. I want to mention my friend Janet Banks, who lives nearby and is a very powerful healer. She adjusts spines, often using a pendulum to guide her, and I’ve seen her achieve amazing results.

I lived with Janet on the Isle of Erraid, where local fishermen would come to her with back problems. She’d treat them very effectively, and they’d often bring her fish as a thank you. Janet and her family have a place called Woodhead where they grow organic food, and she often gifts me some of her produce.

I recall an incident with an old lady, a friend of Eileen Caddy, who was in great pain from a back issue. Janet, on the phone from Erraid, diagnosed her remotely and guided me through a technique to help her. The lady experienced immediate relief.

There are many healers in the wider community around Findhorn, not just within the Foundation. Now we have a complementary health centre, Healthworks, in the centre of Forres.

I tell the story of hosting Patch Adams, from the Gesundheit! Institute, one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met.

The Game of Transformation and related cards are a powerful tool for personal reflection and transformation. I still use the cards in my daily life.

I also share reflections on Experience Week, in particularly the Sacred Dance sessions which were one of my personal delights, and I had the privilege of being a Sacred Dance teacher.

 

My journey here began years ago. I started in the Transport Department, dealing with our old vehicles. I remember when we acquired that old double-decker bus, “Woodstock,” and how a mechanic appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to fix its engine. That’s how things often happened – the right person would show up just when we needed them.

Richard the printer photo Richard Coates

Richard the printer

Later, I moved to the Publications Department and learned to be a printer. It was hard work producing all our brochures and books, but I enjoyed it. I learned a lot from a German guy named Till, and I remember Elfreda, this wonderful little old lady who worked with us.

Over the years, the community has grown and evolved significantly. What began as a single entity is now a collection of diverse organisations and companies. The Caravan Park is much larger, featuring new eco-friendly houses like my own, built to high standards of sustainability.

Ecological living has always been a central commitment. We were early adopters of wind turbines, and we’ve seen their widespread use today. One of our members was instrumental in setting up Wastebusters in Forres, a recycling program that’s now a major operation in the area.

The Moray Steiner School, started in the Findhorn Foundation, moved to Drumduan in Forres and has expanded.
Weatherwise Homes initially developed solar panels and AES took it to a whole new level.  Trees for Life, founded by one of our members, is dedicated to vital reforestation work. We’ve also experimented with our own local currency, the Eko.

This whole idea of “manifestation” – this sense that things happen just when they’re needed – is intriguing. I sometimes wonder if we’re truly creating our reality, and if so, what that means. I sometimes question whether we’re genuinely shaping our reality or simply perceiving helpful coincidences.

When I first came to Findhorn, I wasn’t sure what to expect, leaving a solid career in computers because something called me here. I recall being interviewed and asked where I’d fit in. Unlike Peter Caddy, who was very direct in asking for what he needed and often receiving it, I was always a bit uncomfortable making such requests.

For instance, I remember when Peter asked a wealthy friend for her Audi, and she gave it to him. It seemed audacious, yet he needed transport, and his approach worked. I’ve witnessed similar events. Once, while hitchhiking in the US, a stranger lent my friend and me his truck! It felt like the “laws of manifestation” in action.

These kinds of experiences occur frequently around the community. It’s as if we inhabit a magical space where our needs are met. I remember when Janet, who lived on Erraid, used a pendulum over the phone to diagnose someone’s back problem – an incredible feat!

Over the decades, the community was pioneering new ways of living. Now, many of those ideas have become mainstream. We experimented with wind turbines, solar panels, and eco-housing, and others have embraced and expanded on these concepts.

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I want to thank Marcus Lindner for interviewing me in 2022. This allowed me to reflect on the many aspects of my almost 50 years in the community. I have been in many different positions in the Findhorn Foundation, often in leadership roles. We have collated four posts from those interviews:

And last but not least, you can see me in action in my last role, as the focaliser of the Visitor Centre. Click here for recordings of a Tour of the Park I gave in 2008.

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Photo Credit: For the top image I want to thank Maria Thalassinou on Unsplash