WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY

WEDNESDAY Although the Conference was actually to begin on Thursday, people began arriving several days in advance. In addition, programming began on Wednesday with a Life Passages workshop led by Rt. Rev. Ruthann Amarteifio and myself, with the able assistance of Rev. Casey Carraher, Rev. Debbe Tompkins, Rev. Dr. Rodney Dysinger, and Rev. Virginia Powell. The Life Passages course is to train Clergy for conducting Life Passage ceremonies from Wiccaning to Funeral. The workshop was well attended and provided an excellent beginning to the programmed activities.
Also on Wednesday the Shrine of Healers held a Reiki I and II certification intensive, led by Rev. Leigh and Rev. Mestra, who took advantage of the beautiful weather in Albany to hold the class on the Temple lawn. Right: Rev. Diane Lavendowsky practices reiki on Witchschool Communications Officers Rev. Athena, with assistance from Rev. Mestra (right) at the Reiki I and II certification workshop held on the Astral Light Temple grounds.
	Wednesday evening people began to arrive in earnest for the Conference, including our special guest Rt. Rev. Pete "Pathfinder" Davis of the Aquarian tabernacle Church. I have known Pete for nearly twenty years, since the days when I did artwork for his Panegyria magazine and special projects of the ATC, and have always found him an amazing font of knowledge. I was sure that Pete would add tremendously to this event, and could not have been more delighted to have him as a speaker. Left: Rt. Rev. Pete Pathfinder Davis, Arch Priest of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church.
Above: Rev. Ed addresses the workshop for Life Passage Instructors. THURSDAY Thursday began with a Life Passages Instructors workshop led by Rev Ed Hubbard and Rev Ruthann. This workshop is intended to train Clergy to be instructors for the Life Passages workshop. Also Thursday was a workshop on Interfaith Relations held by Rev. Pete and myself:
Above: Interfaith Relations workshop led by Rev. Pete (left foreground) and Rev. Don (right background). A lively and fascinating discussion of the how-to's of interfaith work, and the important difference between "interfaith" and "ecumenical" work. Rev. Pete, long-time member and former President of the Washington State Interfaith Council, enlivened the workshop with many personal examples of how practicality and persistence can greatly increase the effectiveness of interfaith work.
Above: Rev. Meg Moonsinger Hopkins, Witchschool Dean of Academics, and Rev. Dr. Fernando Resto Jr.	A Reiki III Master Intensive held by the Shrine of Healers and led by Rev. Mestra: A workshop on Academic Quality and Integrity with Rev Meg Moonsinger Hopkins and Rev Fernando Resto: And a panel on Research and Record Keeping with Chancellors Herald Rev Jason Mycroft, Applications Deemstress Rev Cassandra Michaels, Astral Light Pursuivant Priest Leigh Dupee, Rev Kestra of Sacred Chao, and Astral Light Chief Herald Richard Lloyd. It was a wonderful day with much good information shared and a great deal of learning.
Above: Thursday night dinner in the Temple main hall. To the right of the picture Rev. Don and Rev. Pete await the opening comments for the Witchschool Conference.
Thursday night was the first of the wonderfully sumptuous dinners which distinguished the Conference, created through the artistry of Rev. Sandy with some help from Rev. Ed. The food was plentiful, delicious and artfully flavored -with care taken to provide something to please every palette. During dinner official opening statements were made for the Conference by Rev. Hubbard, Rev. Davron Michaels, and myself, as well as our special guest Rev. Pete. Right: Rev Ed Hubbard delivers the opening comments at the Witchschool Conference at dinner Wednesday night.
Above: Rev. Don and Rev. Pete speaking. Just how many Correllians does it take to screw in a light bulb? This and many other fascinating subjects were touched upon. Below: Rev. Davron takes his turn at the podium. The Temple of Astral Light and all its people did a wonderful job hosting the event.
After dinner we prepared for the first of the initiatory ceremonies which accompany every Lustration. Tonight however we were doing something we had never done at a Lustration before: Third Degree initiations. Until now all Correllian Third Degrees have been trained in the old way: through hands on instruction in our real-time Temples. This has of necessity limited the number of our Third Degrees who have never been much more than a dozen -until now. Right: Rev. Don and Rev. Davron prepare for the Third Degree initiations.
	Just as we have adopted our First and Second Degree training systems for Distance Training through the use of written materials and online facilities, so too we have adapted our Third Degree materials to Distance Training: although unlike First and Second Degree studies, Third Degree still requires certain things to be taught in real-time. Left: Rev. Ed with Rev. Davron. Rev. Ed would act as Paladin Guardian, co-ordinating the logistics and overseeing the process of preparing and escorting the initiates to the actual ceremony.
The twelve Third Degree students now brought to initiation constitute both the last of the old system and the first of the new system at once, since they have been trained using the new written materials but under personal tutelage in the old fashion. Right: Rev. Don, Rev. Davron, and Rev. Ruthann prepare to officiate over the Third Degree initiations.
	The first of the twelve, Lady Green Owl, was the first to be initiated. Granted an Honorary Third Degree some time ago, Lady Green Owl was the first to fulfill all the qualifications and received her initiation on 20 August, in recognition of the fact that she could not attend the Conference with the other eleven Third Degree students. Left: Lady Green Owl, here photographed with Lady Krystel at the Spring Lustration, was the first of the new Third Degrees to be initiated. Lady Green Owl has held honorary Third Degree standing in the Tradition for some years, but now attains High Priesthood in full as the first High Priestess trained in the new system.

Above: Three of the Third Degree initiates, photographed during an unrelated workshop. L to R Rev. Cassandra Michaels, Rev. Mestra, and Rev. Leigh Dupee. The remaining eleven, all private students of myself, Lady Ruthann, or Rev. Davron, were initiated in a ceremony Thursday night -an event which is certainly historic for the Correllian Tradition and possibly unique in Wiccan history altogether. Right: Third Degree initiate Rev. Kestra sewing patches onto a stole in preparation for the ritual. The patch she is holding is the symbol for her own Sacred Chao Formal Shrine.
The new Third Degrees are Rev. Casey Carraher, Rev. Mark Crewson, Rev. Leigh Dupee, Rev. Kestra, Rev. Mestra, Rev. Cassandra Michaels, Rev. Jason Mycroft, Rev. Virginia Powell, Rev. Sapphire Star, Rev. Debbe Tompkins, and Rev. Windy LaJoie: all now join the High Priesthood of the Correllian Tradition. It is anticipated that most if not all will now join us in training the many students studying for Third Degree both through the real-time Temples and through Distance studies. Congratulations to all the new High Priesthood! Above: Back row L to R, Rev. Debbe Tompkins of Heritage, Rev. Sapphire Star of Sacred Arts, Rev. Windy La Joie of Hooded Crone, Rev. Kestra of Sacred Chao, Applications Deemstress Rev. Cassandra Michaels of Astral Light, Rev. Davron (Officiant), Rev. Mestra of Astral Light, Rev. Don (Offciant), Rev. Ruthann (Officiant) and Rev. Virginia Powell of Selu. Front row L to R, Chancellors Herald Rev Jason Mycroft, Rev Mark Crewson of Sacred Arts, Rev. Leigh Dupee of Astral Light, and Rev. Casey Carraher of Silver Weaver. Congratulations all!
This is a monumental change for the Correllian Tradition, as it frees the elder Priesthood from the burden of training, allowing us to address other equally important issues which have long had to wait for attention. Our Distance Training program can now be said to be complete and fully implemented, able to stand on its own. As I said at the time, this is a poignant moment for me, combining pride, joy, and sadness -not unlike the parent whose children have grown and gone out into the world. It marks the accomplishment of a goal which has occupied most of my life, especially these last fifteen years, and opens the door to still greater goals to come.