January 31 - February 6

Special Krotona Edition

We are on our way back to Orcas now after a week at Krotona, a theosophical community and school that was established in Ojai, CA in 1924. There are longstanding ties between Krotona and Indralaya. It was once something of a tradition to make the long pilgrimage up the West Coast every summer from Ojai to Orcas and spend some time at the camp. Will Ross, for example, was a long time resident of Ojai who traveled to camp frequently and designed some of Indralaya's main buildings (including the teepee and dining hall).

There are also several current Indralaya families with Ojai ties. Leonie lived with her family in the Ojai valley for several years, and the Bees (Austie, Phoebe & Leif, Kim and Dana Erickson) also lived there for a time.

Ojai is also the home of the Krishnamurti Foundation and the Besant Hill (formerly Happy Valley) School, which was established in 1946. Graduates of the school with close Indralaya ties include David Christensen, Brian Young, Carol & Helen Bee, Rene Quenneville and sisters Ondine Toler-Scott and Kyra Canfield. Rolf Eriksen was lead contractor in the construction of several of the school's buildings in the 1980's and 90's.

Annine & Joy

Current Ojai resident Annine Wycherley and her husband lived on Orcas for a year in 1974-75. They lived at Indralaya for part of that time and while they were there, Annine was the camp registrar. Joy Mills, a long time Krotona resident and well-loved teacher and mentor in the contemporary theosophical world, has long been a friend of Indralaya. She first visited the camp in 1946 or '47 and has been back many times since.

The following photos provide a glimpse of the beauty of Krotona:

Gardens and entrance to Library

Star Fountain

student pod

On our way home, we stopped in Halcyon, CA, which is the home of a community that has ties to the Theosophical tradition. We happened by on clean-up day at the Temple of the People, and met community guardian Eleanor Shumway. At the end of our conversation, Eleanor gave us this watercolor from the Temple's collection as a gift to Indralaya.

Leonie & Eleanor