As part of the week we were all given work to do in the community, a few hours each afternoon, in whichever department we were assigned. I was assigned the main kitchens, and so had many a tear-filled afternoon as I cut through hundreds of onions. The working in the community relates to the third principle: Love in Action. You don’t go to Findhorn to be served, but to serve one another, to find joy and love for one another in service and being attentive to one another. So, the idea is, you’re not just hearing about the Findhorn way, you are actively participating in it. And it is surprisingly effective. You do feel yourself to be a part of everything, part of the Findhorn community, past and present. Returning to Aberdeenshire was also oddly like returning home for me. Before moving to the States, when I was younger I grew up in Alford, which is only about an hour’s drive from Findhorn. Aberdeenshire, in my mind, is also strongly linked to a particular band – The Waterboys. And that’s because at the time, my dad listened to The Waterboys all the time. That and Neil Young of course. In particular, The Waterboys’ most famous song comes to mind, The Whole of the Moon. And also on the same album, the song I started with this morning - ‘Spirit’. So, it was an odd bit of synchronicity for me to learn that much of The Waterboys’ work was inspired by living in the Findhorn community. The lead singer, Mike Scott, stayed there for a period in the early 90s, where he had a spiritual awakening. Findhorn is definitely a place which has that effect on people.

Throughout the week there were several long-term members of the community who came to speak to us. One in particular stands out. Not because what he said was new to me, just the combination of it being said with those people, at that time, in that place, gave it a weight. He described how each person we meet is like a mirror. We see something of ourselves reflected back. We like what we see, we love what we see. Or, do we dislike it? Does it irritate us, and what does that say about us? What does the other have to show us? How can the other help us know ourselves better, that we might learn to grow?

There is a lot more that could be said… It was a very good, and interesting week, and it was good just to spend the time having some of those deeper conversations.