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.