11/24/2025
Father Yod - Wikipedia
Jim Baker was the leader of the Source Family, a counterculture commune in Los Angeles that started in 1969. Known as Father Yod, Baker established a successful health food restaurant called the Source, which gained fame and was featured in movies. The commune lived a utopian, communal lifestyle that blended Eastern and Western mysticism.
Origins: Baker was a successful restaurateur in Los Angeles before becoming interested in yoga and the proto-hippie movement. He opened two health food restaurants before opening The Source restaurant in 1969.
The Source Family: The group was a communal living experiment that promoted natural health, vegetarian diets, and communal living. It gained significant media attention, partly due to its members, known as the Source Family, being seen in public wearing Atlantean robes.
Father Yod: Baker transformed into the spiritual leader, Father Yod. He had a charismatic personality and many "spiritual wives," according to Spectrum News.
The Source Restaurant: At its peak, the restaurant earned $10,000 a day and was a popular spot, attracting customers, including wealthy Beverly Hills matrons.
Music: The commune had a creative side, with the band Ya Ho Wa 13, which featured Father Yod, recording music that is now considered iconic within psychedelic rock circles.
Decline: Without Father Yod's leadership after his death, the Source Family officially split up in 1978. Some former members continued to keep the "spirit of the cult alive" in various ways, with some of the family's archives residing at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
DeEvolution: 4
The Source Family - Interview Magazine
The Source family ended after the accidental death of its leader, Jim Baker (Father Yod), in 1975. After being forced to leave California due to legal and financial troubles, the group moved to Hawaii, where Baker died from a hang gliding accident. The family eventually dispersed in the late 1970s, although some former members have continued to explore or preserve aspects of their legacy.
Legal and financial troubles: The group faced significant pressure in California, and its practices were controversial. They were forced to sell the Source restaurant and move to Hawaii.
Move to Hawaii: The move was not successful, as the family was heavily scrutinized by the government there, and things began to fall apart.
Baker's death: In August 1975, Baker died after an ill-fated hang gliding accident in Hawaii. He had never hang glided before and reportedly jumped off a cliff against the pleas of his followers.
Family dispersal: Without its charismatic leader, the Source family officially disbanded by 1978. The members scattered, though some have continued to stay connected to the group's history or have since formed new communities.
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