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The Correllian Tradition

History

Originally the Correllian Tradition was not always known as that. The Tradition was founded by Orpheus Caroline High-Correll in 1879 (1479 Pisces). She was a woman of Scots-Cherokee ancestry, she is claimed by some members of the High-Correll Family to have been a Scottish Traditional Witch. She was also a practicing psychic, a spiritual healer, and a herbalist. She spent many years traveling with her husband, John Correll.

In creating the Correllian Nativist Tradition of Wicca, Orpheus Caroline drew upon her Native American heritage, as well as the ideas of the European Witchcraft, Spiritualism, and Hermetic views.

The early history of the Correllian Tradition is a little unclear, with familial and religious structures wholly interconnected. But we do know that the family followed a very formal, matriarchal and matrilineal structure with its roots in Cherokee custom, from which the current office of the Correllian Tradition derive their form.

Core Beliefs

You may have detected a theme so far in this description: no two Correllian groups are exactly the same. They are almost as much a collection of individualists as They are a Wiccan tradition. They do, however, tend to share certain fundamental characteristics:

They all honor the Ancestors from whence we came - and the living Correllians too, when their turn comes to cross over, will also remain active in the Tradition, for it is a commitment of more than one lifetime -a multi-generational project of transformation and regeneration of the Earth and its cultures which will take many lifetimes.

They celebrate the 8 Wiccan Sabbats, as well as 26 Esbats of the year

They tend to emphasize worship of Deity over the working of magic, and often refer to themselves as a "teaching tradition"

They acknowledge and respect the entirety of the Wiccan Rede - and they also believe that the Rede is not open for interpretation.

They acknowledge and respect Tenets of Faith as cornerstones of our living philosophy.

They seek to balance themselves with regards to Nature and Deity.

There may be other interesting similarities or differences between Correllian groups, but this list encompasses most of the fundamentals.

Holidays

Correllian Nativist Tradition of Wicca recognizes and celebrates the 8 common Wiccan Sabbats (Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon), and most groups meet on each of the 26 New and Full Moons (or Esbats) of the year. They also honor the Ancestors. And there are a few groups who also honor particular Ancestors of the Tradition, in the form of both birth/or natal ceremonies and commemorative ceremonies.

Standards of Conduct

Correllian Nativist Tradition of Wicca asks its members to live their lives according to the precepts laid down in the Wiccan Rede. They tend to respect the law of Three and attempt to live their lives in a manner respectful of Deity, the Earth and other people. Many people believe a Correllian education is significantly more strenuous than an education in some other traditions, and the Correllian Nativist Tradition of Wicca has historically admitted to demanding a fairly high level of dedication and commitment from its students.

Role of Clergy

The Correllian System allows freedom to decide on your own path. After completing the first degree, you can then decide if you wish to become a member of the clergy or just use what you have learnt for your own personal knowledge and growth.

If you decide to become a member of the Tradition, there are two paths that you can take.
One is becoming an Outer Court Member, which is if you wish to enter the Correllian Tradition, but not become an initiated clergy member.
The other is becoming an Inner Court Member, which makes you an initiated clergy member of the Tradition. It is the Inner Court which gives the Tradition shape and structure, and to which They hold proud.

For the Inner Court there are nine stages/structures:

1. Dedicate - who has made a formal commitment to study for initiation into the First Degree of the Clergy. The Tradition study period is a year and a day.

2. Postulant - who has made a formal commitment to study for initiation as a First Degree Priest/ess but who has not yet received the actual initiation.

3. First Degree - who is familiar with the details of the Wiccan faith, having a thorough grounding in Wiccan philosophy and traditions. Should also be able to answer most questions about Wicca on a practical (as opposed to the philosophical) level.

4. Second Degree - who is able to take any role in ritual, and answer most questions about Wicca, whether practical or philosophical.

5. Third Degree - who forms the High Priesthood of the Tradition.

6. Order Head - An order is an association within a Temple dedicated to a particular subject, such as ecology, healing, music etc.

7. Director - A member of the Temple's Board of Directors.

8.Chief Director - Chief Director of the Temple.

9. Temple Head - The Chief Priest/ess of a Temple.

Ways of Worship

Most Correllian groups observe the Esbats with a Circle ritual, for which there is a common liturgical format. The exact execution of the circle may vary depending on the group, but most follow along a similar line. As stated before, the Correllian Tradition emphasizes worship heavily over the working of magic, though groups may perform magic in circle if they feel a need or desire to do so. Many Correllian groups also teach the idea of living a magical life, and in so doing, encourage their members to worship Deity throughout the course of their everyday lives.

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