The Correll Mother Temple
Under The Hill, Danville, Illinois, USA


The Correll Mother Temple is the spiritual center of the Correllian Tradition. The Correll Mother Temple is headed by the First Priestess and First Priest of the Tradition, who are also Joint Heads of the Tradition. 

The membership of the Correll Mother Temple includes the living Elders of the Correllian Tradition, some of whom take more part than others, and the spirits of deceased Elders of the Tradition -some of whom also take more part than others. In addition occasional students may be permitted to work with the Mother Temple to perfect Oracular skills, and increasing numbers of people attend the public rituals sponsored by the Mother Temple. 

   
The Correll Mother Temple does not function as other Temples do. Rather, its real-time activities are primarily dedicated to maintaining the relationship between the Tradition and the Ancestors. In addition, it also grants both Outer Court and Clerical membership, and is a primary affiliation for many Correllians.

Right: Lady Krystel and Rev. Don in the Library c. 1590 Pisces / 1990 AD
Above: The Invocation of the Seventy Gods takes place during the opening of the sacred Lustration ceremony, held twice yearly by the Mother Temple, and hosted by local Temples. Here the Temple of Akasha hosts the Fall Lustration in Year 3 Aquarius (2003 AD).

To this end the Mother Temple conducts a number of ceremonies, both private and public. The most visible of these being the Lustration ceremony, held each Spring and Fall, during which the Blessing of the Ancestors is invoked upon the Tradition.

Right: First Elder Lady Bitterwind kneels holding the cauldron of Lustral water as it is Blessed by the Ancestors, through the medium of the First Priest, during the Fall Lustration of Year 3 Aquarius (2003 AD). The Blessing of the Ancestors is dispersed to all members of the Tradition, incarnate and discarnate, through aspersion with the Lustral water.

The Mother Temple has also led a number of Tradition-wide Crystal Web ceremonies intended to benefit the Tradition and its members in various ways, as well as Tradition-wide ceremonies attuned to various celestial events.
Other more private ceremonies seek counsel from the Ancestors, whose guidance is important to the future. The Correllian Tradition regards its members as forming a single circle spanning both sides of the Veil between Life and Death. We seek the fullest possible integration between our members in Both Worlds.

Right: Here First Priest Rev. Don invokes an Oracle upon First Priestess Lady Krystel, who will bring through a message from the Ancestors. The messages of the Ancestors provide important guidance to the Tradition.


Above: The symbol of the Correll Mother Temple is the Serpent of Prophecy, shown on a red ground for ordinary occasions betokening strength and vitality. The symbol emphasizes the extreme importance of Oracular work to the Mother Temple.
 This is one reason that Oracular work is so important to the Tradition, as it allows communication between those living and in spirit. This is one of the oldest and most important aspects of the Correllian Tradition. Although the expansion of the High Priesthood is changing this, until now most Correllian Oracular work has been done through the Correll Mother Temple and the most important Correllian Oracular work will remain centered in the Mother Temple.

Another important aspect of the Correll Mother Temple is World Walking. Although the Order of World Walkers has begun to take trainees from outside the Mother Temple, it will be some time yet before Correllian World Walking expands far beyond the Mother Temple.

Left: The Blv. Lady LaVeda issues instructions before a Mother Temple ritual in June of 1588 Pisces (1998 AD).
World Walking is the art of crossing between the Worlds at will, for purposes of communication, to effect various kinds of healing for the living as well as the spirits, and as part of the practice of Conscious Incarnation.

Right: Lady Krystel gathers the Priesthood to begin the ceremony. Future First Elder Lady Bitterwind can be seen to the left. This is the same ceremony as above.

Through Conscious Incarnation advanced Souls select incarnations which allow them to continue their work with minimal interruption through several lives. A principle duty of contemporary Correllian World Walkers is to assist in this process. While still the province of the most advanced, we hope in the future to see Conscious Incarnation practiced by all Correllians.

Left: Blv. LaVeda, and future First Elder Bitterwind at the same ceremony in 1588 Pisces / 1988 AD.. 
The origins of the Correllian Tradition owe as much to the Spiritualist and Universalist movements as to traditional Witchcraft. An accomplished Spiritualist, the Correllian emphasis on the Ancestors and spirits was already prominent in Caroline's day.
The influence of Universalism, of which Caroline was an enthusiastic member, will also be readily seen in the highly syncretic nature of Correllian teachings which leave little room for religious separatism.



Above: "Under-the-Hill" today. The houses and outbuildings that graced Under-The-Hill in Caroline High Correll's time are long gone, though some of the foundations are said to remain. 
The Correll Mother Temple is formally said to meet "Under-The-Hill." Under-the-Hill was the name of Caroline High Correll's home on the banks of the Vermilion river, and the name is maintained out of respect for her. In this sense Under-The-Hill is no longer viewed as a physical so much as a spiritual location -anywhere that the Mother Temple is meeting is said to be Under-The-Hill.



Above: Another view of "Under the Hill" today.
In Caroline's day Under-The-Hill was located between the waters of the Vermilion and  the base of a steep hill from whence it derives its name. Here she maintained a number of houses for herself and her children, some of which were still standing as late as the 1580s Pisces (1980s AD). Today however all of the buildings are gone -though some of the foundations remain- and the area is completely overgrown with woods.

Above: The Blv. Gloria described Under-the-Hill as "jumping with psychic energy" and many Correllians today believe the unusual tree formations seen Under-The-Hill today are the result of this.

From these woods Lady Bitterwind, First Elder of the Correllian Tradition, and Rev. Reanna Marie of Enchanted Realm Temple, have obtained much of the wood used to craft Rev. Reanna's magic wands.

Left: Lady Bitterwind surveys some of the interesting tree formations Under-the-Hill. Lady Bitterwind and Rev. Reanna have frequently used wood from Under-The-Hill in the creation of artwork, wands, and staves.