During the 60th Birthday Celebrations in November 2022 Robert Holden held an event to celebrate the founders and invited Rosie Turnbull and myself to share personal recollections of Eileen.

Eileen Caddy was born on 26 August 1917 in Alexandria, Egypt, daughter of Muriel and Albert Jessop, Director of Barclays Bank DCO in Alexandria.

The second of four children, at age six Eileen was sent to school in Ireland and was later educated at a domestic college. She married RAF officer, Squadron Leader Andrew Combe in 1939 with whom she had five children, four daughters and a son. While they were posted in Habbanya, Iraq, Peter Caddy became interested in getting to know Andrew as he was involved with Moral Rearmament, a spiritual practice similar to those Peter was involved in and he often visited them in their home. While he was in Jerusalem Peter received a message that he and Eileen were two halves of a whole, the only guidance from within he ever received. So in his inimitable way, he immediately returned to Habbanya and told Eileen about it. She lightly dismissed this as Peter’s imagination, but he continued to visit frequently.

Eileen was booked to return to London in 1953 with her children at the end of school holidays, and Peter managed to get a place on the aircraft sitting next to her. His persistence paid off, and Eileen fell deeply I love with him.

When she asked Andrew for a divorce, she lost access to their five children which she did not anticipate. Traumatised, she visited a private sanctuary in Glastonbury with Peter and his then wife Sheena, where, while meditating, she first heard ‘the still small voice within’ which said: ‘Be still and know that I am God. All is very well’. This set her on a path that is richly described in her autobiography Flight Into Freedom and Beyond as in time she came to accept its guidance and live accordingly.

After some difficult times, in March 1957, Peter and Eileen, their two sons and their friends Dorothy Maclean and Lena Lamont moved to Forres in Morayshire to manage the Cluny Hill Hotel. There their third son David was born. Peter ran Cluny Hill Hotel entirely on the guidance Eileen received down to the most specific details, even how to manage an alcoholic chef! The hotel’s rating rose from 3 star to 4 star and was very popular with locals as well as visitors. Peter claimed the reason was that it was being run by God.

However, five years later, the management of Cluny Hill Hotel decided to relocate them to a hotel in the Trossachs which turned out to be a disaster. After a year, they were all fired, and the family with Dorothy Maclean moved their small caravan to a caravan park a mile from the Morayshire village of Findhorn. With no income and living on benefits, they were obliged to grow much of their own food on the tiny plot behind their caravan. Very soon national attention was drawn to the organic garden they planted there, the spectacular results of which they attributed to the help of nature spirits or Devas.

Sir George Trevelyan, ROC and others were drawn there by the magic of their endeavour, and Peter, Eileen and Dorothy began what became the Findhorn Foundation, a residential community founded on the spiritual beliefs and practices of the three founders. The divine briefings received by Eileen Caddy, and the disciplined approach of Peter Caddy, along with Dorothy’s communication with the nature beings or Devas gave direction to the nature and work of the Community which grew and flourished, attracting residents and visitors from around the world.

Eileen continued her daily meditation practice, recording the messages she received in small receipt notebooks, that she shared with Peter and the growing group of people attracted to join them. As the caravan was so small, she took to going to the public toilets very early in the mornings where she received the inspiring messages that are the content of the many books published since. Peter read them out in the Sanctuary every morning to the growing community.

When they left Cluny Hill, Eileen received in her guidance a message that they would return. They did not expect that would take until 1975, when the flourishing community they had created bought it for their education programmes. By 1974, the community had grown to 300 members, all drawn to take part in ‘building the New’ based on Love and turning within to listen to the word of God. The community was expanding rapidly.

In 1971, Eileen Caddy stopped receiving guidance for the Community as she was told that it was time the members learned to receive their own inner direction and not to depend on hers. However, her own dedication to growing spiritually became her way of teaching others, by her own example and her willingness to share her own challenges and lessons with them.

Dorothy Maclean left in 1973 to join David Spangler and the Lorians in the USA. The community was changing and needed new leadership, and after some difficult years, Peter Caddy left in 1978. This opened a new life for Eileen, and during the 1980s she travelled the world, speaking at spiritual gatherings and giving workshops. When she was at home in her home Cornerstone built by her son David, she was always open to visitors. She generously welcomed them, often with a cup of tea and home made scones, and answered their questions with grace and patience. No one ever felt they were an imposition, as she was so willing to share her experience of deepening her relationship with the God within with anyone who wanted to know.

With Findhorn Press she published several books, including God Spoke to Me, (1986) and Opening Doors Within (1986), which was translated into 30 languages, With Liza Hollingshead she wrote her autobiography, Flight into Freedom and Beyond.  David Platts wrote Divinely Ordinary, Divinely Human: Celebrating the Life and Work of Eileen Caddy.

In 2004 she was awarded an MBE for service to spiritual inquiry.

She lived in the Findhorn Community until her death on 13 December 2006. A respected, much-loved mentor to the Community, she requested her death ‘be a cause for thanksgiving, rather than mourning.’ A celebration of her life was held in the Universal Hall. Although her body was cremated as she had requested, her coffin, built from recycled solar panel containers by Craig Gibsone and decorated by all members of the community was carried in style to a bonfire in the dunes where it was ceremonially burned, along with singing and anecdotes about her life by many of those who loved her dearly.
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Eileen and Liza 1983

Extract from the Timeline:

1917
Eileen Jessop (later Combe, then Caddy) born in Alexandria, Egypt
1939
Eileen Jessop marries Andrew Combe
1952
Peter and Eileen meet in Iraq
1953
Eileen leaves her marriage to live with Peter
Eileen and Dorothy meet through Sheena
Eileen hears “the still small voice within”, while in a Glastonbury sanctuary, Sept
Sheena begins training Eileen spiritually
1954
Eileen and Andrew divorce
Sheena performs spiritual marriage for Peter and Eileen in Glastonbury
1955
Christopher Caddy is born to Eileen and Peter
1956
Jonathan Caddy is born to Eileen and Peter
Sheena, then Peter and Eileen and finally Dorothy all move to Scotland
Eileen’s dark night of the soul on Isle of Mull
1957
Peter and Eileen marry
Peter hired as manager of Cluny Hill Hotel, Forres; he, Eileen & Dorothy move there
Lena Lamont joins Peter, Eileen & Dorothy at Cluny
1958
David Caddy is born to Eileen and Peter
1961
Cluny Hill Hotel is awarded a fourth star, fulfilling the promise of Eileen’s guidance
1962
Peter, Eileen, Dorothy & staff are transferred to Trossachs Hotel, Stirlingshire
1962
Peter & Eileen move caravan to temporary site at Findhorn, Dorothy stays locally
Peter and Eileen move to Findhorn Bay Caravan Park, November 17
Lena Lamont joins Peter and Eileen at Findhorn a few weeks later
1966
Peter duplicates, sends out Eileen’s guidance monthly under title God Spoke To Me
1967
Peter, Eileen & Joanie go to Cluny Hill power point, Christmas Eve, ‘cosmic’ inner event
1969
First spoken word tapes are published, featuring Peter, Eileen and ROC
Peter, Eileen and 3 sons move out of the caravan into a new bungalow on New Year’s eve
1971
Eileen is told from within to stop receiving guidance for Peter and the Community, October
1973
Eileen’s God Spoke To Me parts 1-4 re-published as a single-volume book
1975
Peter and Eileen’s first tour together (Europe)
Peter and Eileen move into the Park Building
1976
Peter and Eileen make several lecture tours round the world
Publication of The Spirit Of Findhorn, first of several new collections of Eileen’s guidance
1987
Publication of Eileen’s best-selling book of guidance, Opening Doors Within
1988
Publication of Eileen’s autobiography, Flight Into Freedom
1990
Eileen Caddy’s house Cornerstone becomes Community’s first completed eco-house
1991
Release of Opening Doors Within video featuring Eileen Caddy
2003
Eileen is awarded an MBE in British New Year’s Honours list for services to spiritual inquiry
2004
Eileen’s MBE investiture ceremony held in the foyer of Universal Hall
2006
Death of Eileen Caddy on 13th December

Publications

Opening Doors Within, ed. by David Earl Platts, FPress, 1987/2019. Also audiobook.

Learning to Love (revised edition of Choosing To Love), with David Earl Platts, FPress, 2018.

Gems of Wisdom of Eileen Caddy, with Angus Marland (photos) & David Earl Platts, FPress, 2009.

Footprints on the Path, ed. by Roy McVicar, FPress, 1976/2009.

Opening Doors Within – DVD, 60 min., FPress, 1991/2005.

The Small Voice Within – Double CD, FPress, 2005.

The Living Word, FPress, 1977/2004.

The Spirit of Findhorn, FPress, 1977/2002.

Flight into Freedom and Beyond, with Liza Hollingshead, FPress, 1988/2002.

Divinely Human, Divinely Ordinary: Celebrating the Life & Work of Eileen Caddy, ed. by David Earl Platts, FPress, 1999.

Waves of Spirit, with Judi Buttner, FPress, 1996/1997.

The Dawn of Change, FPress, 1979/1993.

Bringing More Love into Your Life: The Choice Is Yours, with David Earl Platts, FPress, 1992.

God Spoke to Me, FPress, 1971/1992.

Foundations of a Spiritual Community (revised edition of Foundations of Findhorn), ed. by Roy McVicar, FPress, 1976/1991.

You can find other stories about Eileen on our website

This link will take you to her profile.

You can find stories which refer to Eileen following this link to her tag.