Newhouse, Flower (1909-1994)

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Newhouse, Flower (1909-1994)

Metaphysical teacher Flower Newhouse was born Mildred Arlene Sechler on May 10, 1909, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. From her childhood days, she told her parents that her real name was Flower, but they did not choose to follow her lead. Her father died when she was six, and two years later her mother remarried. They then moved out of Allentown and eventually settled in Scranton. Shortly after that, the still-prepubescent Mildred claimed that she was confronted by her guardian angel, who told her that he was now taking charge of her development. At the age of 13, Mildred again announced that she wanted to be called Flower, and her mother and sister finally gave in.

Through the next years, Mildred developed her own independent ways, and her family learned to trust her inner promptings. Thus, in 1924, they took very seriously the story of her encounter of a new entity in her life whom she described as John the Beloved. The spirit had come to her and called for an immediate move to California. Within weeks they were in Los Angeles. Flower found work as a salesperson in a retail store, but twice a week began to teach what she had learned from her spiritual contacts. Within a short time she was able to become a full-time teacher. In 1933, while in San Bernardino, California, to speak, she met Lawrence Newhouse, whom she would marry later that year. He would become her confidant and helpmate for the rest of his life. That same year she issued the first of many booklets, The School of Life.

By this time Newhouse had come to see herself as the product of a set of previous incarnations. She had returned this time to be a teacher and to found a teachings center. She was in contact with the broad range of spiritual entities from nature spirits to the theosophical hierarchy, but saw her special emphasis to be the enlightening of people concerning the ministry of angels.

Soon after their marriage, she and her husband began traveling throughout North America and she built a large following. She launched a periodical, the Inspiration Newsletter, in 1934, as a means to stay in contact. Finally in 1940, she found a suitable and affordable tract of land upon which to build Quest Haven, the spiritual center she had envisioned. When dedicated, it became the headquarters of the Christward Ministry, the name she gave to her far-flung work. People began to move to land close by Quest Haven so they would be able to attend the regular weekly events at the center.

The rest of her life, Newhouse concentrated her efforts on building Quest Haven, writing a series of books, and composing a set of lessons summarizing her teachings. Lawrence died in 1963, but Flower lived for another 30 years, passing away in 1994.