30 Jan Day Trip to Ojai
Most day-trippers to Ojai (pronounced oh-high) don’t identify as being on a spiritual quest, though nearly everyone will contend there’s something about the vibe. The restaurants, wineries, spas, charming Airbnbs, and quiet hiking trails are enough reason to drive an hour and a half north of LA to get away for a few hours. Many artists, hippies, rich people, and celebrities have settled permanently. But conventional people are missing learning about Ojai’s rich spiritual history, and what it is that makes up that special energy.
The Chumash Indians originally considered the Ojai Valley to have healing properties, nourished by the plentiful natural hot springs. The non-Indian identification of Ojai as a spiritual place began in 1878 in an article in the LA Times which called it “the magnetic center of the earth… where people come to reach the God centers in themselves.” In the 1920s, a magazine article by a Dr. Hrdlicka stated that a “sub-race of superior humans” was being born and to house them, Annie Besant of the Theosophists (see page xx) bought 465 acres in Ojai. She then brought Krishnamurti, “the new Messiah,” to live there, and Theosophists from all over the world started considering California the “Atlantis of the West.”
In 1926, the Krotona Institute moved from Hollywood to Ojai, setting up a compound on over 100 acres. In 1968, Florence Garrigue, a student of Theosphy, founded Meditation Mount. Since then, life in the Valley has flourished led by the spiritual aspirants and disciples of these alternative religions.
Many in the know consider Ojai to be a spiritual vortex, a power spot, a sacred place; that it possesses magical healing powers, and that it is “a section of Southern California thoroughly impregnated with occult and psychic influences.” How about you, do you feel it?
Check out these Ojai spiritual centers:
Krishnamurti Library & Study Center
A place to learn about Jiddhu Krishnamurti, the guru who was groomed to be the Theosophist world teacher but when he came of age, rejected the title and the responsibilities. Instead, he became a spiritual teacher in his own right. Inside the Library you’ll find information on his teachings as well as staff to answer your questions. Be sure not to miss the pepper tree outside which is where Krishnamurti experienced his enlightenment.
Open 1-5, closed Mondays and Tuesdays
1130 McAndrew Rd, Ojai, CA 93023
Krotona Institute of Theosophy
Krotona Institute of Theosophy welcomes visitors to explore its beautiful grounds, library and research center, Quest bookstore, labyrinth, the Sanctuary of Connections, and to attend its seasonal programs. An appealing place to meditate, sit in the gardens, and soak in all that mysterious history.
Open 7 am – sunset
46 Krotona Hill, Ojai, CA 93023
Meditation Mount
Florence Garrigue created this meditation garden and House when she was 80 years old, and she ran it clear up until two years before her death at 98. She had had a life-long mission to create meditation programs to benefit the world, and when she found this property, created the future she wanted to see.
The lovely gardens overlook the Ojai Valley, and it is utterly inviting to relax on one of the benches, listen to the birds sing, or stroll along the walking path. The mind falls easily into silence here.
The Meditation House is mystical and empty, with crystals and sacred symbols of various world religions. Formal meditations are held here each morning and on Full Moons. Note that the door is hand-carved with signs of the zodiac.
Open 8:30 am – 6 pm, closed Mondays and Tuesdays
10340 Reeves Rd, Ojai, CA 93023
Ojai Wineries
Why not? If you’re looking for “spirits” of another kind, many wineries and wine tours dot the Ojai area. After all, Jesus was a wine drinker …
Various locations, Google yourself a wine map
© 2020 Catherine Auman
This is an excerpt from Catherine Auman’s book Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True
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