class=”alignright”>FINDHORN, Scotland – Eileen Caddy, one of three founders of the Findhorn Foundation intentional community and ecovillage in northeast Scotland, died peacefully in early December 2006. Mother of eight and grandmother of 20, Caddy was 89.
She was a mystic, a spiritual teacher and the author of 11 books containing the simple, yet profound guidance she received from an inner source she called "the God within." Her life’s work was to turn others within to find their own sources of inner guidance. A humble and shy woman, Eileen accepted her role as an inspiration to spiritual seekers worldwide without a hint of self-aggrandizement or glamour. In 2004 Eileen was honored by the British government and made an MBE, a Member of the British Empire, for her dedication to spiritual inquiry.
Eileen believed everyone has their own personal source of inner wisdom and she spent her life encouraging others to discover their own contact with this inner voice. Her best-known book is Opening Doors Within, a compendium of daily guidance published in 1987 and translated into 27 languages. Eileen’s biography, Flight into Freedom, was published in 1989.
Mari Hollander, former Findhorn Foundation director commented, "She reminded us again and again how simple, and challenging, the spiritual path can be, and that love is the beginning, middle and end. She will be missed, for the ‘divinely ordinary’ example she has given us."
She was born Eileen Marion Jessop in Alexandria, Egypt, on August 26, 1917.
With her husband, Peter, and their friend Dorothy Maclean, Eileen established the Findhorn Foundation community which today is Britain’s largest alternative community and home to more than 400 people. The Foundation is an international education center visited by 3000 people each year and is a leading ecovillage settlement. In 1997, the Findhorn Foundation became an NGO associated with the United Nations, and it was recognized by the UN in 1998 with a Best Practice award. Recently a new UN training center for sustainable development, CIFAL Findhorn, was established at Findhorn.
For a full length biography and high resolution photos of Eileen Caddy and the Findhorn Community visit: www.findhorn.org/connect/media.