Sheena Govan was the youngest daughter of the pastor John George Govan, a Scottish evangelist. The story of John Govan has been recorded in the book ‘Spirit of Revival’, by his daughter Isobel. It is on this book that the short biography of Govan in Findhorn Foundation Formative Figures and Early Days is based. The phrases Isobel uses to describe her father and his life and work resound with terms familiar to those who know the Findhorn story. ‘The voice of God’, ‘the Christ within’, ‘seeking first the kingdom’, and similar phrases, which became hallmarks of the Findhorn community. Govan sent his students, one might say disciples, out in couples, in imitation of the early evangelists, to preach to the people of the Hebrides. He told them to take nothing with them and to place all their trust in that God would provide.

It was from this background that Sheena began to teach her own students.

Sheena first met Dorothy when she, Dorothy, had applied for a job in New York after graduating from Secretarial college in Canada. Sheena came to collect her and bring her back. It was here that Dorothy’s career, ‘as a spy’, as she called it later, began. They met again later in London. Sheena already had a small group of students in London when she encountered Peter on a train. They had both been delayed and missed their scheduled trains and found themselves sitting together in the restaurant car. Peter started a conversation which lead to a close friendship forming and later to the couple marrying. Sheena was a strict disciplinarian and expected her students to respond instantly to the inner guidance they received.

Conviction and trials

Sheena notes that as a child she could never read of the crucifixion without coming to tears and felt it was her duty to convert all the children at her school. She describes living in two worlds ‘The world of my home, where prayer meetings were held day and night for the saving of people’s souls, and the world of my school where everybody lived quite happily as though they had no souls, living for the day and letting tomorrow take care of itself.’ (I am indebted to the article by Mike Scott, Sheena Govan – My Life, drawn from the Scottish Sunday Mail, for much of this material.)

In his autobiography Peter Caddy refers to this aspect of Sheena “a life of faith in God, dedicating her whole being to serving Him, no matter what the cost…She began to experience God and the Christ Love within her own being… Sheena had a profound sense of her mission in life, which was to help transform the world through love.” (In Perfect Timing, pp. 73-74)

Sheena notes ‘I know God does not like to see me looking shabby’, a quality she shared with Eileen who always appeared immaculately groomed.

Eileen had a very difficult relationship to Sheena who was strict in her teaching, and lived in fear of Sheena taking Peter away from her. In her autobiography ‘Flight into Freedom’ Eileen quotes Sheena saying
“You need to be on duty 24 hours a day. … God needs you to be ready and willing to listen and obey to do whatever is needed. Never question what you are asked to do. Just act immediately and you will see later why it was so important.” (p.34)

Sheena claimed ‘To be put first by someone is essential for the human soul.  The child should be put first by the parents, the woman should be put first by the husband.’ Feeling obliged to give up her child born out of wedlock she records ‘This was the only regret of my life.’ In 1938 such attitudes were prevalent in Canada where this occurred.

In the same article Sheena writes of many revelations and communications from God, some of his angels and great souls.

It is instructive to read of these trials that Sheena went through and to get some idea of the woman herself, yet it was her teaching and guidance which went into the formation of the Findhorn Community.

My Story by Sheena Govan

Sheena momentarily caught the nation’s attention following a scandal created by the wife of one of her students who had left her to be with Sheena. When the man’s wife contacted the press they hounded her and some of her students and dubbed her the leader of ‘The Nameless Ones’, claiming this was a ‘cult’ that broke up families. Later the man involved in the affair returned to his wife and Sheena found herself isolated and forlorn. A classic example of a spiritually advanced teacher falling from grace.

In 1957 this hounding by the press was to presage the hysteria that surrounded cults through the latter part of the 20th century. The notoriety caused Peter’s employer, Mrs Bruce, to instruct them to have nothing more to do with Sheena. When Peter was working at Cluny Hill as the manager, if he was uncertain in a situation he would go to Eileen for guidance, which he then put into practice. This highly unusual pattern was nevertheless successful and welcomed by some of the staff at Cluny Hill, one of whom remarked “This place has never been so happy.  We accept all that Mr and Mrs Caddy stand for – except Sheena Govan.”

Importance to the Findhorn Community

Both Peter and Dorothy, among others, speak of Sheena as embodying pure Love. Eileen found her difficult and was always afraid that she would come between herself and the children. As indeed occurred on one occasion, with Sheena declaring that Eileen was not fit to bring up the child. These episodes can be found in the biographies of the Founders.

It does call into question the view held of the role of spiritual teachers in the western world. One thing is very clear, without the teaching of Sheena behind them and the discipline she instilled in the founders, the Findhorn Community and garden would never have come into being. Her life was as a spiritual teacher guide and exemplar. Many forget this, remembering only her demise and deny the validity of having a spiritual teacher. Bernhard Wosien, the Ballet Master, declared ‘it is important to have a master, since the self is not strong enough to overcome personal denial on its own.’ A master fulfils this role, lifting the self beyond its doubt. It is not unusual for spiritual leaders to create polarisation among people. It is recorded that in 1967 Sheena died from a cerebral haemorrhage while living alone in relative poverty.

Extract from the Timeline:

1912
Sheena Govan born in Edinburgh, Scotland
1942
Dorothy Maclean and Sheena Govan meet
1947
Peter and Sheena meet; Sheena becomes Peter’s teacher
Peter and Dorothy meet through Sheena
1948
Peter and Sheena marry
1952
Sheena and Peter cease living as ‘man and wife’
1953
Eileen and Dorothy meet through Sheena
Sheena begins training Eileen spiritually
1954
Sheena performs spiritual marriage for Peter and Eileen in Glastonbury
1955
Peter and Sheena divorce
1956
Sheena, then Peter and Eileen and finally Dorothy all move to Scotland
1957
Split with Sheena
“Nameless Ones” controversy about Sheena’s group runs in Scottish newspapers
1967
Death of Sheena Govan in Dumfries, Scotland

You can find other stories about Sheena on our website by following this link to her tag.