Cooke, Grace (d. 1979)
Modern British Spiritualist medium who founded the
Church of the White Eagle Lodge in 1936 under the inspiration
of her Indian spirit guide, White Eagle. Cooke, known to
the members of the lodge as minesta, began her career as a Spiritualist
medium in 1913 and became progressively convinced
that the spiritual and philosophical aspects of Spiritualism were
more important than mere evidence of survival.
She formed a small church in Middlesex, but later separated
from its activities after church leaders became more interested
in proofs of survival. During the 1930s, she leased Burstow
Manor in Surrey and started a White Eagle Brotherhood, later
moving to Pembroke Hall. Unfortunately, the headquarters
was destroyed during bombing in World War II. In 1941 new
premises were acquired in London and in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In 1945 Mr. and Mrs. Cooke acquired the present premises
at New Lands in Liss, Hampshire, administered by a trust
since 1953.
Early in her career, Grace Cooke used her psychic gifts to
offer evidence of survival, and Ramsay MacDonald, British
prime minister, vouched for the accuracy of her spirit communications.
But, in later years, her emphasis shifted to spiritual
healing and to channeling teachings from White Eagle and a
few other spirit entities, including that of Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle. Mrs. Cooke died September 5, 1979, at age 87. A special
service was held at the temple at Liss, Hampshire, headquarters
of the White Eagle Lodge, which she founded.
Sources
Cooke, Grace. The Illumined Ones. Liss, Hampshire, England
White Eagle Publishing Trust, 1966.
. The New Mediumship. Liss, Hampshire, England
White Eagle Publishing Trust, 1965.
. Sun-Men of the Americas. Liss, Hampshire, England
White Eagle Publishing Trust, 1975.
Lind, Ingrid. The White Eagle Inheritance. Wellingborough,
Northamptonshire, England Turnstone Press, 1984.
The Wisdom of White Eagle. Liss, Hampshire, England White
Eagle Publishing Trust, 1967
