Correllian Wicca - First Degree

OUTER COURT

The term Outer Court refers to those members of the Tradition who are not initiated Clergy. the Correllian Tradition maintains a strong commitment to its Outer Court members. We believe that not everyone needs or desires to be part of the Clergy, and that there is much which the Tradition has to offer and to gain from its Outer Court Members. 

INNER COURT

The term Inner Court refers to the initiated Clergy of the Tradition. These are the people who have made a full commitment to the spiritual path, pursued and received initiation, and form the TraditionÂ’s spiritual core. It is the Inner Court which gives the Tradition shape and structure. 

Dedicant -A Dedicant is a person who has made a formal commitment to study for initiation into the First Degree of Clergy. Usually this period of study usually lasts for one year and one day. At the end of that period the Dedicant may return to Outer Court status or request initiation into the First Degree of Clergy.

Postulant -A Postulant is a person who has completed the requirements for initiation as a First Degree Priest/ess but has not yet received the actual initiation. 

First Degree, -The First Degree Priest/ess is base level of the Correllian clergy. The First Degree Priest/ess should be familiar with the details of the Wiccan faith, having a thorough grounding in Wiccan philosophy and traditions. The First Degree Priest/ess should be able to answer most questions about Wicca on a practical (as opposed to philosophical) level. The First Degree Priest/ess should be able to take most roles in ritual with reasonable confidence.

Second Degree -The Second Degree Priest/ess should be able to take any role in ritual, and answer most questions about Wicca, whether practical or philosophical. The Second Degree Priest/ess should be able to manipulate energy in ritual and other settings, with reasonable competence. The Second Degree Priestess should be familiar with most Wiccan rituals and techniques, and be able to undertake them without direct guidance.

Third Degree -The Third Degree Clergy form High Priesthood of the Tradition. A Third Degree High Priest/ess should be able to answer all questions about Wicca, and to facilitate all Wiccan rituals met with in the ordinary service of a Temple. The Third Degree High Priest/ess should be competent in energy work, should be able to deliver an oracle or Spirit message, and perform the ceremony of Drawing Down the Moon.

Order Head -An order is an association within a Temple dedicated to a particular subject, such as ecology, healing, music, etc. An order must be chartered through a Temple, and registered with the Mother Temple. The Order operates through the TempleÂ’s imperium, under the authority of the Temple Heads and Directors. An order commonly has a single Head who is responsible for organizing and facilitating it, who is called an Order Head. The Order Head may be of any Degree appropriate to the OrderÂ’s subject. 

Director -A member of the TempleÂ’s Board of Directors is called a Director. Directors are involved in major decisions affecting the Temple, leaving the daily administration of the Temple to the Temple Heads. The Temple Directors function pretty much as any Board of Directors might, deciding questions of importance by vote. 

Chief Director -The Chief Director of the Temple is responsible for handling the TempleÂ’s records and paperwork, and for co-ordinating with the office of the First Director of the Tradition. Copies of the TempleÂ’s by-laws, membership rolls, and other important records must be registered with the Tradition through the Office of the First Director.

Temple Head -The Chief Priestess or Priest of the Temple is considered the Temple Head. Temple Heads may be nominated by the Temple Directors, but are chartered by the Head of Tradition who alone has the right to affirm or deny this rank. A Temple Head is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Temple, as opposed to the Directors who whose responsibility is more general. It is also the right and responsibility of the Temple Head to represent the Temple in meetings of the Witan Council, which meets when needed to advise the Tradition Heads in matters of national importance. The Witan Council functions in many ways like a Board of Directors for the Tradition. A Temple may also have a Co-Head who shares the authority of Head of Temple -This is often the case where there is both a Chief Priestess and a Chief Priest. Unlike the Head of Temple who may only be chartered by the Head of Tradition, a Co-Head of Temple may be appointed directly by the Temple Head. The Co-Head of a Temple is also considered a member of the Witan Council, but the Temple still has only one vote.

CLERICAL INITIATION –Only a Third Degree High Priest/ess or one acting under the imperium of a Third Degree High Priest/ess can initiate persons into the Correllian Clergy. When a Cleric acting under the imperium of a Third Degree High Priest/ess achieves Third Degree status in their own right, any initiations which they have performed under the imperium of their Sponsor shall thereafter be considered part of their own lineage. If however a Cleric acting under the imperium of a Sponsor never achieves Third Degree status, initiations they have performed shall trace through the lineage of their Sponsor.

JOINING SPECIFIC TEMPLES -The Correllian Tradition has a number of Temples, and no doubt that number will increase in the future. Each Temple has its own leadership and policies, which have been designed especially to suit its own needs. If there is a Correllian Temple near you, you may wish to join it. To do this, you must apply to the individual Temple itself. Membership in either the Outer or the Inner Court of the Correllian Tradition does not in and of itself guarantee acceptance into the membership of any given Correllian Temple. Individual Temples are free to accept or reject members at their discretion. However all Correllian Temples are bound to recognize Correllian Degrees.

OTHER FORMS

SHRINES -In Correllian parlance a Shrine is a place of worship similar to but less formal than a Temple. Whereas a Temple must be headed by a Third Degree Cleric, or under the direct imperium of a Third Degree Cleric, a Shrine may be headed by a person of any Degree. A Shrine may host study groups, retreats, and informal rituals. It may not however initiate new Clergy, or conduct formal rites such as handfastings, funerals, etc.. unless the Shrine Keeper is a Cleric trained to do so. 

STUDY GROUPS -Study Groups are groups which meet to study the Correllian initiatory Lessons, Correllian literature, or other subjects of interest. A Study Group may be hosted by a Temple, Shrine, or a private individual. Obviously anyone can study these subjects, but to be recognized as an official Correllian Study Group, the group must be registered with the Correllian Directorate

CONTEMPLATIVES -The Correllian Tradition strongly favors the development of Contemplative orders focused on meditation and self-development. These orders may be based upon temporary or longer-term retirement from the mundane world. We believe it is important for people to be able to get away from the pressures of the world for spiritual retreat and re-creation. We feel that an ideal period for such spiritual retreat for most people would be from a few days to a few weeks.To this end we desire to found one or more Contemplative Houses to provide for this need. These Contemplative Houses would be available to members of the Correllian Tradition for spiritual retreats whenever needed. In addition they could sponsor classes and workshops for Tradition members as well as the general public.There were several unsuccessful attempts to turn Greenwood House, the former site of the High-Correll covenstead, into such a Retreat. To date however our spiritual retreats have normally been confined to weekend events.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Witan Council -The Witan Council is an advisory body which may be convened to advise the Tradition Heads on matters of national importance, and which plays an important role in matters of succession. The Witan Council is composed of the TraditionÂ’s Temple Heads, Elders, Officers, and other notables, as well as the Tradition Heads themselves.

Elder -The Council of Elders is an advisory body made up of highly respected members of the Tradition. It might be described as the “cabinet” of the Tradition, being a council whose non-binding opinion helps shape national policy. Recognition of Elder status requires nomination by a member of the Council of Elders, and confirmation by the Tradition Heads. 

Chief Elder -The Chief Elder of the Tradition is the principle advisor to the Tradition Heads, and to the Tradition as a whole. The Chief Elder is chosen by the Tradition Heads and is the Philosopher Laureate of the Correllian Tradition. The current Chief Elder of the Correllian Tradition is Rev. V. L. Bitterwind.

First Director -The First Director is responsible for maintaining the TraditionÂ’s legal records and co-ordinating relations between the various Chief Directors of Temples. The first Director is also responsible for representing the Tradition to the non-Pagan world, and for co-ordinating ecumenical outreach, as well as public relations and publicity. The current First Director of the Correllian Tradition is Rev. E. A. Hubbard.

Tradition Heads -The First Priestess and First Priest of the Tradition are the Tradition Heads. The First Priestess is the ultimate Head of the Tradition, and might be compared to a corporate Chairperson, while the First Priest functions more like a CEO. The principle purposes of the Tradition Heads are to 1) form national policy for the Tradition, 2) facilitate national communication and networking within the Tradition and with other Traditions, 3) handle the day-to-day running of the Tradition (such as the chartering of Temples, affirmation of Temple Heads and Elders, etc...). The creation of the office of Chancellor is intended to make the performance of these duties easier for the joint Heads of the Tradition, not to displace them. 

First Priest -the First Priest is responsible for co-ordinating relations between Correllian Temples, and acts as chairperson for the Witan Council when it shall be invoked. The First Priest is responsible for the TraditionÂ’s relations with other Wiccan and Pagan Traditions. The First Priest is also responsible for maintaining the TraditionÂ’s history and internal records, and its publications. The current First Priest of the Correllian Tradition is Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell.

First Priestess -The First Priestess is the Head of the Correllian lineage and its chief Cleric. She is responsible for maintaining the sanctity of the Tradition and its connection with the Divine. The First Priestess is the Head of the Correll Mother Temple and is responsible for the performance of its sacred rituals, particularly those relating to the Beloved Ancestors. The First Priestess acts as chairperson for the Correllian Council of Elders. The current First Priestess of the Correllian Tradition is Rev. Krystel High-Correll.

Chancellor -At Mabon of the year 0 Aquarius the Heads of the Correllian Tradition and the Correllian Council of Elders created the office of Chancellor, in order to streamline the administration of the Tradition. It was felt that the Tradition, having become widespread over a large geographic area, needed a single officer who was capable of acting on behalf of the Tradition leadership as a whole, in order to react more quickly to the exigencies of the modern world than had been possible for the traditional diarchy. The Chancellor is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Tradition, and is empowered to act for the Tradition's leadership, severally or as a whole, in all matters and at all times. This does not displace the traditional leadership, but rather augments it. The Chancellor must be chosen from either the First Priestess or First Priest, but once appointed is understood to be for life. The current Chancellor of the Tradition is the First Priest, Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell.