Another full day at the Findhorn Foundation… the day started with a trip to “Rudolph’s Leap”, a large wooded area divided by the Findhorn (“White Goddess” or “Unicorn”) River, which is intersected by the Divvie (“Black One”) River. We spent an hour and a half wandering alone. Our leaders trusted that we would all be back at our meeting point on time even though only two of us had watches, (which tells you a bit about how this program is run,) and every one of us was back on time (which tells you a bit about the kind of people I’ve been hanging out with… if you figure exactly what it tells you, let me know.) Rudolph’s Leap is one of the most stunningly gorgeous and alive places I’ve visited (despite the cheesy name). I got to a point where I was almost giddy just watching a few spiders spin their webs, because every where you turned you were faced with undeniable beauty and diversity.
After a silent bus ride back to the community and a hearty lunch, I spent 2 hours shucking Broad Beans (half of which were sticky and rotten) at a table with a charismatic Irishman named Steve, my two fellow American workers, and a curiously straightforward Australian woman named Nikki, while a cheery German lady with too much blue eyeshadow (Sylvia) oversaw the kitchen and sang Coldplay in the background.
Side note: it turns out listening to the American band Steely Dan was how Steve learned to speak with an English accent. Judging by the results, I do not recommend this as a method.
In the evening we had a community leader take questions and speak to the group in a very informal setting about the structure of the Findhorn Foundation – how it was started, the decision making process, the local form of currency, schooling for children and young adults, etc. It was a refreshingly dry conversation. I didn’t once feel the need to consider my philosophy on life.
If anyone has questions about the structure/”government” of the community, how it’s run, money making, etc., please drop me a comment or an email – And if I don’t know the answer I’ll find out. I was very pleased that this was one of the first topics we discussed.
The week is going swimmingly. I’m being constantly challenged and finding out useful stuff about myself and others (as well as having a rockin’ good time on a regular basis) – and we haven’t even started academics yet. Yes, they were merciful enough to not hit us over the head with Jung vs. Freud or Applied Sustainability right when we walked through the doors… er, archway.
Much to come… much love to all.
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5 comments:
is it a democracy? is it sovereign?
unicorns don't exist.
Holy cow I'm so happy for you I hope you can feel it across all the water (given that at this moment, that and a few city blocks is really all that's separating us!)
I will be saving all my pennies best I can so I can come to Scotland after your term (and mine!) is over.
I miss you a ton, but I can hear your voice in my head and it makes me feel better.
I'm super excited to keep reading your blog as I get my sporadic connections to the interwebz.
There's something really great about being out in the world, isn't there?
In response to Jen's question:
There is a group of about 40 people who are actually "The Findhorn Foundation" (the other couple hundred are "community members") who make the decisions according to committees. The committees used to be very separate but they have been working for years on making sure that most if not all Foundation Members are in accordance with the plans. They have a unique method of decision making which combines laying out the "maps", as it were (the logic, the facts, the empirical patterns) with time spent meditating on what they feel on the deepest level would be the best for the community - they call it "attunement". There is a very strong belief in the Foundation that listening, to inner selves or to God or the universe, whatever an individual has faith in, can yeild extraordinary results combines with the cut and dry facts - and apparently it has. They work hard to make sure most everyone is at peace with a decision.
Outside of The Foundation itself, community members are welcome to discuss ideas or concerns with Foundation Members, which they can then bring into the "Inner Circle" (not a term used in our discussion, it just seems to fit.) There's a great trust in the group - there's no set term as far as years "in office" - the Members just trust one another to know when it's time to leave and they trust that someone will be there to replace them when the time comes, and in over 49 years there have only been a couple situations where a Foundation Member had to be asked to leave. Pretty remarkable... and unconventional.
I would also like to remark for those of a different generation who are possibly concerned about my naivety (not without occasional justification) that while this method of decision-making may be unconventional in today's society, I do realize that it has been around for ages, and only contradicts what our current, logic-and-rationality based social philosophy happens to be. Whew, that's a lot of big thoughts.
Interesting decision-making process! Many thanks for explaining it, Elizabeth. Are there officers in the Foundation? How do they decide who facilitates the meetings and how to facilitate?
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