The Community of Findhorn has been journeying on a Purpose Quest.

We started by contemplating 5 Inspirations.

Working in small clusters of 5 people, for each inspiration we asked ourselves:

In what way does this Inspiration express Community Purpose? 

  1. (Circle 3 phrases) what do you resonate with – affirm, want to retain?
  2. (Strikethrough 2 phrases) What would you like to let go of, delete, re-phrase?
  3. What (1 phrase) would you like to add, expand, deepen?

Inspiration 1: A Whole Community Purpose

An invitation to a conversation –

Co-Creating a Thriving and Loving World

As a conscious community we strive to demonstrate a practical spirituality in harmony with Nature and play our part to positively transform humanity and the earth.

The purpose of the whole Community is to be a place of inspiration and transformation – a centre of love and light, a centre of fiery hope. We hold a positive vision for humanity and the Earth, a commitment to deep and practical spirituality and to true ecology – caring for each other and caring for our planet. We seek to raise awareness individually and collectively in our day-to-day activities and radiate this out into the world. We hold a deep longing for humanity to live in peace and with gratitude and respect for the natural world.

We are a living, dynamic, practical experiment, building and seeking to demonstrate in physical form what is possible by working together as an intentional Community. We seek to create and hold spaces that are caring for the soul – places of beauty where we learn and practice the healing power of love. We seek to be visionary, vital, vibrant and viable on this Earth.

Part of our history and spiritual architecture has been three guiding principles for how to live and work in our Community. These principle are: inner listening, work is love in action, and co-creation with the intelligence of Nature. They continue to guide us today as articulated in our Common Ground statement. Individually we respond in different ways to the call of this centre. We welcome this diversity. Together we aspire to respond to the call of the world, to call of our time.

(Source: Inquiry Circle, 2018)

Inspiration 2: Strategic Framework

  1. Evolving, developing and co-creating in harmony with each other and with nature, including all beings both seen and unseen;
  2. Honouring our purpose in the world: fostering a caring community and living in spirit with each other;
  3. Accessibility to all through affordable housing, prioritising people over vehicles, inclusive design, and space to make a living;
  4. Living in harmony with planet: carbon neutrality, growing our own food, planting and caring for nature, and nurturing wildlife;
  5. Reaching out to the world: being an example of how to live, educating, welcoming visitors to live and learn with us and going out into the world as advocates.

(Source: Strategic Framework, Findhorn Foundation, Collective Architecture, 2024)

Inspiration 3: Global Ecovillage Network Vision/Mission/Goals

Vision: The  Global Ecovillage Network envisions a world of empowered citizens and communities, designing and implementing their own pathways to a sustainable future, and building bridges of hope and international solidarity.

Mission: To innovate, catalyze, educate and advocate in global partnership with ecovillages and all those dedicated to the shift to a regenerative world.

Goals

  • To advance the education of individuals from all walks of life by sharing the experience and best practices gained from the networks of ecovillages and sustainable communities worldwide.
  • To advance human rights, conflict resolution, and reconciliation by empowering local communities to interact globally, while promoting a culture of mutual acceptance and respect, effective communications, and cross-cultural outreach.
  • To advance environmental protection globally by serving as a think tank, incubator, international partner organization, and catalyst for projects that expedite the shift to sustainable and resilient lifestyles.
  • To advance citizen and community participation in local decision-making, influencing policy-makers, and educating the public, to accelerate the transition to sustainable living.

(Source: Global Ecovillage Network Website)

Inspiration 4: Patrick Lewington

Let’s express the 3 founding principles  in more contemporary language…

Inner listening/Outer Action…it is not just listening to a higher power but doing the next right action

Work as love in action… being present with whatever we are doing

Cocreation with nature/Gaia …is developing an intimate connection with Gaia

Our collective purpose is already clear….it is to achieve work towards mastery and maturity in all 4 realms…the physical, the emotional, the mental and spiritual, and we are together in fellowship to support each other in this endeavour.

 (Source: Patrick Lewington, Personal Communication)

Inspiration 5: Dorothy MacLean

Throughout the many years of doing workshops with Dorothy two questions always were asked of her – ‘What is God?’ and some version of  “What is the purpose of Findhorn?’.

To the first she would always reply – “God is love’.

To the second she would recount the time of being told by a deva ‘that an idea, once in human consciousness, spreads around and does its work’.

Findhorn’s job is to put two ideas or notions into human consciousness. One – that we can all have a direct and personal relationship with the Divine, no intermediary required. And two – that we all have the capacity to co-operate with the intelligence of nature.”  She would go on to underline her knowing that we all have the capacity to do both of these things.

( Her willingness to continue to travel and teach until she was nearly 90 came from understanding that her workshops helped to put these ideas into human consciousness and helped/supported people to find their own connections to both.)

(Source: Judy McAllister, personal communication)