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For many years the Chancellor of the Correllian Tradition has issued an annual New Year's Address in the first week of January. This year the Chancellor is joined in issuing a New Year's Address by the First Priestess Elect and the Correllian Council of Elders. All three New Year's Addresses may be read below:
Well,
here we are again –a New Year- and it is time once again for my annual
New Year’s Address. And what an interesting year it’s been! Year 11
Aquarius has been a tumultuous year that saw a lot of growth and a lot
of upheaval both around the world and for many of us personally. It was
a year of breaking up old patterns to allow for new growth, and indeed
as we come to the start of Year 12 Aquarius much of that growth is only
now coming into full flower –and my goodness the months ahead are full
of promise. That
promise is of course due to the hard work of many people, and it is only
appropriate that I take this occasion to thank as many of those people
as possible –though in my experience it is never possible to mention
everyone who deserves our thanks, nor ever possible to thank enough
those people who give so much of themselves for the good of others and
in so doing make possible the many blessings we enjoy as a Tradition. To
begin, I would like to thank Witch School, which has been our
educational partner for many years. Witch School and its brilliant and
indefatigable visionary Ed Hubbard have been instrumental in both the
growth of the Correllian Tradition and in its transformation from a
small familial Tradition into a worldwide movement. Few of you would be
reading this letter if it were not for Witch School. As for Ed, his
constant focus on growth and development, and on the cultivation of our
community and its youth, has done much to build a better, more
connected, and more accessible world.
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I
must also thank Rt. Rev. Anna Rowe, the President of Witch School, and
also an Arch Priestess and Witan Herald for the Correllian Tradition,
for all of her hard work in helping to lead this global network forward. And
I must thank Rev. Sherry Cooper who has been so important in advancing
the Witch School mission –Thank you Sherry! This
year will bring many changes to the relationship between the Tradition
and Witch School as Witch School has now made it possible to create
individually tailored schools that will be able make the same technology
available at the Temple and Study Group level. Individual Correllian
groups can now potentially run their own schools geared to their
particular needs and specialties. This is a huge step forward and a very
exciting development –more exciting than anyone seems to have yet
grasped. Truly, this is the beginning of the fulfillment of the vision
that Witch School and the Correllian Tradition have shared all along
–central support and resources for our globally dispersed community. Among
other things these developments make possible the long anticipated
Correllian College, which will focus on higher and more specialized
studies, including the Sixteen Modules. I
must also thank all of the new Elders we have seated in Year 11: Rt.
Rev. Jason Mycroft-Highcorrell, Rt. Rev. Anna Rowe, Rt. Rev. Stephanie
Neal, Rt. Rev. Terry Power, Rt. Rt. Rev. Raene Packery, Rt. Rev. Windy
Lajoie, and Rt. Rev. Green Owl. All of the new Elders are hardworking
and dedicated people who have been with us for many years. The
acclamation of these Elders has also led to a number of first-ever
events: This is the first time in Correllian history that we have had
Elders from outside the United States, with Lady Anna being in the UK
and Lady Raene in South Africa. This is a wonderful advancement that
truly represents the global nature of the Correllian people, and we
rejoice for it. We look forward in coming years to seeing Elders from
Central and South America, from India, and from Australia –all places
where we have highly accomplished and industrious Correllian leadership.
Another
first is the impending birth of a son to ArchPriestess Raene, due to
deliver any day now. This is the first time in my memory that a
Correllian Elder has given birth in office, and is a wonderful omen of
renewed life and growth! I am sure you will all join me in wishing every
happiness and Blessing to Lady Raene and her new baby when he arrives! It
would be impossible for me to thank everyone whose work has been
significant in the past year, there are simply too many -but I want to
mention as many as possible. Claudia Blanton is one who must not be
overlooked, and whose efforts are tremendously appreciated. Others whose
hard work I want to recognize include (in alphabetical order) Rev.
Katharina Ghazzoul HP, Rev. Liz Hamilton, Rev. Richard Keen HP, Rev.
Diane Lavendowski HP, Rev. Angela Munn, Rev. Janice Nalis HP, Rev. Bruce
Richards HP, Rev. Sande Smith and Rev. Millie Toupes, Rev. Charlynn
Walls. I
also want to thank the many people working to advance Correllianism
around the globe! Again there are far too many to name everyone who
deserves our gratitude, but among the most outstanding are Rev. Eblis HP
in Mexico, Rev. Harwe Tuileva in Spain, Rev. LaMaduk Madelaine in Chile,
Rt. Rev. Raene Packery and Rev. Susan Wheeler HP in Africa, and Rev.
Yoko Galkan in Uruguay to name just a few of the many. Perhaps the most
exciting international development in Year 11 was the advent of the
Spanish language Pagans Tonight on Saturdays with Yoko and LaMaduk! I
see this as a huge leap forward and am in awe of the great job they are
doing with it! I would also like to thank Swati Prakash for all of the
great work she is doing to advance the Wiccan religion in India – her
dedication and tireless efforts are greatly inspiring. And of course I would also like to thank Afterfauve, Beth LaQuay, DrakonumBlade, GreenGate, Insomniac4Ever, RedDragon, Sparrow, and all the many wonderful people who have stepped forward to play a significant role in various social media. Your support has really been a huge help! Finally
I want to thank Katrina, Alfred, and Melissa here in Salem, for all of
their hard work, as well as Rev. Lexi Renee –you are doing so much
good work –thank you so much! These
are only a few of the many people who should be thanked and honored for
their work, but the New Years Address can only be so long. All these and
many others are a great blessing to us in the Correllian Tradition,
Witch School, and the Wiccan religion as a whole –Thank you everyone! I
also have a few announcements with which to end this address. First,
Lady Krystel has asked me to announce that she has appointed
ArchPriestess Stephanie Neal as Co-Head of the Order of World Walkers,
and that the World Walkers will once again be taking applications for
new members. For more information contact Lady Stephanie at saneal@earthlink.net In
addition I would like to announce that beginning now we will be asking
for a criminal background check on all new Clergy applicants to ensure
the safety of our members and their families. This will initially apply
only to US Clergy applicants, but will eventually be policy throughout
the Tradition. Also while it initially applies to new Clergy applicants,
it will extend to all existing Clergy as soon as practicable. I realize
that this is a bit of a revolutionary policy as Paganism goes, but the
reason for it is that we take the safety and well being of our members
seriously, and have come to feel that this is important to ensure that
no one with criminal convictions for violent or sexual crimes can slip
through our system. I realize that this is a bit of an inconvenience to
new applicants, but I hope that you will all understand the importance
of it. For more information on this policy contact me at DonLewisHP@aol.com
Finally
I would like to announce that I will be appearing at Children of Gaia
Temple in South Florida from February 16 through 28. I am
hoping to meet with many of our local Correllians and will be offering
several of the Sixteen Modules as in-person classes. For more
information contact Lady Janice at
childrenofgaiatemple@yahoo.com
Thank
you everyone and may you be richly blessed in Year 12 Aquarius! |
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Dec 31, 2011 At the end of this
calendrical year, I feel moved to speak to the tradition as a whole. I
realize some if not all of you were/are waiting for me to say something
about my placement as First Priestess of our tradition. Admittedly, this
was not an easy task for me; however I will speak plainly, as this is my
nature. Now more than ever, we must trust in our ancestors, patrons and deities to guide us. Now more than ever we must check in with the members of our groups -have faith and we can hold each other up. I encourage you to start a box project in your covens and groups-take donations from within your groups-of non perishable food, clothing, ritual tools, or monetary donations with which food can be bought for members in need, etc. It’s important that we network and share valuable resources within our communities and stand together as a family within our tradition. It, too, is important that we show our character as Correllians in the greater community. I participate in my local community outside our tradition-I belong to other groups and am currently working to be part of Circle ministries. We truly ARE a circle within a circle. I ask you to meditate on these things that affect us as a whole -what does a strong healthy community look like? How can you help manifest this vision? Does your behavior reflect being the change you want to see? I encourage everyone to connect with your ancestors and those of the tradition, connect with your patron deities and ask for visions, dreams and ideas that with help strengthen your character religiously and the courage and drive to reach out to those in need within the community. I also ask that you share and engage others with what comes to you personally. I have created a page on the social media website, Face book as a means of communicating with those in our tradition. Please feel free to contact me there or privately @ TraciLoganWood@gmail.com. Ashe and Blessings for the New Year, Traci Logan-Wood
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The
Correllian Council of Elders sends greetings to our clergy, members, and
friends throughout the world. As
we approach the end of 2011, we are struck by the idea of “new
beginnings” attached to the Season. The spiral of the year has brought
us to the center and the fullest depths of introspection. We are now
poised to begin the outward spiral and express into the world in 2012
all we have learned in the past year. This
has been a year of changes for our Correllian Tradition. As we look
outward in the spiral, we are excited about the coming year and the new
beginnings in the Correllian Tradition and the world. With
that said, get ready to become involved. Our Tradition needs your skills
and talents. In the next few months, we will be highlighting many ways
to get involved as well as designing forums to further develop the
Tradition. The Council of Elders is presently working on effective means
to develop and oversee projects to their completion; while enabling
members and clergy to fully engage with the Correllian Tradition. Keep
an eye open for new and exciting ways to become involved in this most
amazing work! The
world will be dealing with the 2012 phenomenon and will also be dealing
with a new awakening of spirituality along with it. Never before have we
been presented with such an opportunity for education and growth in the
world. The world will be asking questions and we are called by Spirit to
be ready with answers. This is going to be an excellent year; not only
is it a leap year but also it will be a year of education, both teaching
and learning. There
will be a lot of buzz and chatter about the Mayan calendar ending this
year. And while there are a lot of different opinions on what this
means; we feel that this year will be a time when people from all walks
of life will come closer together. As
we move into 2012, we look forward to the continued growth of the
Correllian Tradition membership throughout the world. The year ahead
will be full of opportunities for everyone to become more involved in
our Tradition, to expand their spiritual learning, to connect with like
minded people from across the globe, to make new friends, and to prepare
for the changes associated with the 2012 predictions. But most of all,
we should give thanks for the blessings we already have. We
are facing an exciting year. We know that our clergy is prepared for the
questions we will face and will be led by Spirit with the needed
answers. We are proud and honored to be surrounded by such dedicated and
educated leaders. This is our year and our tradition is ready. This
Council of Elders looks forward to 2012 with immense anticipation. We
come from diverse backgrounds and bring a wide range of knowledge and
experience. We are committed to serve with a single-minded focus and
loyalty to the First Priesthood and our Tradition. With the growth of
the Tradition, necessitating the expansion of the Elder’s Council, we
are honored to serve and send forth blessings to the Correllian Nativist
Community. May
the Ancestors and the Holy Ones Bless this Tradition, it’s leaders and
it’s membership in the coming year. In
service,
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