10.26.2006
The Correllian Crack-Up
Last week, the ever press-hungry WitchSchool sent out yet another press release. It announced that Don Lewis (head of the Correllian Tradition) was the new President of Witch School. I didn't think this internal shift was a newsworthy item and went about my daily blogging duties. But then I found out that this seemingly innocuous personnel change was the result of a much deeper schism within the Correllian Tradition. A tale that involves financial issues, power struggles, looming litigation, and Satanism!
It seemed to start back in September of this year when Don Lewis, current head of the Correllian "mother church" announced that he and everyone associated with him were breaking away from the larger legal body of the Correllian Nativist Church International, Inc. over different visions for the future.
"I have this day resigned from the CNCI and its Board of Directors because of irreconcilable differences of vision. The CNCI has a definite vision for itself, which has departed from that of the main body of the Correllian Tradition, and the core values of Correllianism. The CNCI wishes to be more exclusive, emphasize more rigorous academic quality, and operate a seminary on the model of Collegiate Academics as the sole path to clergy credentials. The Correllian Tradition is and has always been first and foremost a popular movement dedicated to the idea of Wiccan spirituality for everyone who wants it...In addition I am at this time dissolving the Correllian Directorate as a body of the Correllian Tradition and eliminating the office of First Director. The former duties of the First Director will be absorbed back into the office of First Priest from which the originally came."
Don Lewis and Davron Michaels
That former "First Director" and current CNCI board member Davron Michaels then released a statement of his own on the whole situation. In it he accuses Don Lewis and Witch School of financial mismanagement and unethical behavior.
"As a tax exempt organization, the Church must be extremely cautious with all financial transactions. In the case of donations, our records must also match the records of individual contributors who report these donations to the IRS on their personal income tax returns. Unfortunately, however, no donations or other funds intended for the Church received in the former Hoopeston office [Witch School] have ever been forwarded to the Chief Financial Officer for recording and deposit to the Church's account...at the height of this dispute the Church's records systems were moved without authorization from Albany to Hoopeston, which made audit and reconciliation of records after that period impossible...This unfortunate matter remains under investigation and we are consulting with our attorneys regarding next steps. We remain optimistic, however, that a suitable resolution can still be achieved."
Then Don Lewis fires back, accusing Davron Michaels of being a secret Satanist and drawing a line in sand saying that the entire Pagan community must pick between his Correllian Church and Michaels' Correllian Church.
"Mr. Morrell [Davron Michaels] and all groups he heads, as well as the for profit store, Magic Source, run by Astral Light members, has been linked to Satanic groups and churches in the Albany , NY area...It is the will of the Witan Council and Correllian Council of Elders that Davron Michaels be removed from our Tradition forfeiting all status formerly held therein - to whit Elder, Temple Head, High Priest, member-and regarded hereafter as a Warlock. As a Warlock, we must ask those who remain true to the Correllian Tradition - as defined by the leadership of the Witan and the Council of Elders, and by the Correllian lineage - to avoid further contact with Davron Michaels, and to eschew events he hosts or at which he appears. In this we also ask the support of other Traditions. If you wish to continue to support Davron Michaels, it will not be possible for you to attend any further Correllian event, circle, or receive any form of blessing or ritual on your behalf."
Can a Correllian implosion be in the making? If litigation is sought against Lewis and WitchSchool will the for-profit school (currently looking to become non-profit) organization fold? Will this Witch-War spread to opportunistic onlookers now that Lewis has declared Michaels anathema? Whatever the outcome, it seems that the Correllians (from both factions) face some tough times ahead.
Special thanks to Dana and the FMPPH Traditionalists Group for providing the source material needed to write this story.
Labels: Paganism
Comments:
See... This is what happens when men try to run a tradition. Power always goes to their heads, both of them... Where is the high priestess in all of this? Why is her voice silent? This is why I don't like the Correllians, they are no better than Christians. Wicca is meant to be a Matriarchy, yet the Correllian tradition appears, for all intents and purposes, to be a Patriarchy. This flies in the face of what Wicca is and is why they are falling apart.
~Anony Mouse~
Well, that's a lovely anonymous comment.
Anyway...
I don't know Davron, but I have had the pleasure of meeting Don several times and have always been impressed by him. I'm not Correllian, so I really don't have any personal involvement in this -- but I hope they resolve it peacefully.
The tradition was started by Don's family, so whatever mistakes he might have made I find it hard to believe they are intentional or malicious.
It is sad to see another Pagan group disintegrate in the same old way.
"Follow the Money!" The falling apart starts with accusations of financial malfeasance or failing to be accountable. The only one I have seen weather this kind of attack is Circle Sanctuary.
Still more reasons be be a solitary.
"What is a "Corel" anyway"
From the Correllian web site:
"The founder of the Tradition is the blv. Orpheis Caroline High Correll."
So I guess the name is in the style of the Gardnerians and the Alexandrians.
I haven't met Lewis, but I found Davron Michaels extremely likeable and a talented ritualist. I enjoyed the event he invited me to.
Speaking of Titles, Don Lewis is just that a Lewis. His claim to a lineage is through a "Correllian" adoption ritual. As such, we could say that all members of the CNCI are also a part of the "family" tradition. This would mean that all share in the same lineage.
This could also extend, using this definition, to mean that all of the Gardnerians were of that lineage.
I Googled her. It's the ultimate "grandmother story," isn't it. Scottish "traditional witches" marry Cherokee medicine people.
We've got you out-Celticked and out-American Indianed!
Religious "outbidding" at its finest.
And I will bet that there is only one source for this story, so no meddling historian can check other sources and question the foundation myth.
No, Charles, you really can't check it. They didn't write anything down, don't you know. And when you do try to check out some of the claims, un, ancestory itself comes to mind, it comes out no Cherokee and actually, can it be, uh, circus performers.
They made it all up seems the most likely choice. And the high priestesses seem just for show - if they don't agree with the high correll they get removed by the high correll. Hmmm doesn't sound like a Matriarchy much to me. The person who said follow the money has summed up the entire correllian tradition in a 3 short words.
Been there and pulled my head out finally.
So I'm finding this a few months late, but I had to comment on the 'Warlocking.'
I find it really upsetting to hear that a Wiccan tradition in the 21st century actively and publicly participates in shunning. The fact that it is for primarily political reasons makes it worse. The fact that they are publicly asking non-Correllian traditions to participate is horrifying (in my mind).
I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. This is a religion that actively and frequently shuns its members. They call it 'disfellowshipping.' Countless lives have been all but destroyed due to this practice. I am disfellowshipped, and consequently have lost contact with most of my closest family members.
This type of practice is a terrible control mechanism designed to protect the leadership, not the membership, of a religion. You support Michaels, so you can't come to rituals? participate in events? be BLESSED? Obviously the wise Council knows that individuals can't be trusted to make their own decisions regarding who to associate with, what to believe, and how to manage their own spiritual health.
I admit to knowing little about the Correllian tradition, about the events that led to this shunning, and that, because of my background, I am personally biased against faiths that shun (I've just seen it hurt too many people who have done nothing but think differently than 'the flock'). Still, I would ask anyone who might read this to consider whose interest is being looked out for when your leaders tell you "don't talk to them, they're bad news!" What are they afraid of?
Actually the Tradition walked away from CNCI, and is doing very well. It was the fact that Davron Michaels attempted to accept Satanic Church as part of the Correllian Church.
For all the threats of lawsuits, etc. Nothing appears to have happened becasue their was no legal grounds for it. This was a very tyical Witch War except for the fact most national leaders frown deeply at associating Wicca adn Satanism together as did Davron Michaels.
Well Ed, I was there on the clergy listing.
We were not notified by Ed or Don that you all walked away but we were notified by Lord Davron that there was a split between you all and that Lord Davron was walking away from you all.
This came about after having private conversations with you all about mishandling and mismanaging money and Ed and Don Lewis refused to come clean, refused to produce records and confiscated computers that HAD the information on it.
Lord Davron had hoped you all could work it out before it went legal, and that was the last course of action he stated he wanted to take.
So to recap, he contacted the Clergy on the Correllian Clergy list FIRST. Whoever was in charge of moderating the clergy list kicked Davron off of the list then and any one else who supported Davron or asked intelligent questions about what Ed Hubbard and Don Lewis were doing.
Let's just keep the facts straight, okay?
I would like to point out the post made by anonymous on 10/30/2006 10:43:00 AM. I find it very fitting that there was reference made to circus performers.
His name is Ronald, he is a clown...he's always happy, and never down....but one day, his tent burned down, and upon Ronald, there was a frown.
Post a Comment
See... This is what happens when men try to run a tradition. Power always goes to their heads, both of them... Where is the high priestess in all of this? Why is her voice silent? This is why I don't like the Correllians, they are no better than Christians. Wicca is meant to be a Matriarchy, yet the Correllian tradition appears, for all intents and purposes, to be a Patriarchy. This flies in the face of what Wicca is and is why they are falling apart.
~Anony Mouse~
Well, that's a lovely anonymous comment.
Anyway...
I don't know Davron, but I have had the pleasure of meeting Don several times and have always been impressed by him. I'm not Correllian, so I really don't have any personal involvement in this -- but I hope they resolve it peacefully.
The tradition was started by Don's family, so whatever mistakes he might have made I find it hard to believe they are intentional or malicious.
It is sad to see another Pagan group disintegrate in the same old way.
"Follow the Money!" The falling apart starts with accusations of financial malfeasance or failing to be accountable. The only one I have seen weather this kind of attack is Circle Sanctuary.
Still more reasons be be a solitary.
"What is a "Corel" anyway"
From the Correllian web site:
"The founder of the Tradition is the blv. Orpheis Caroline High Correll."
So I guess the name is in the style of the Gardnerians and the Alexandrians.
I haven't met Lewis, but I found Davron Michaels extremely likeable and a talented ritualist. I enjoyed the event he invited me to.
Speaking of Titles, Don Lewis is just that a Lewis. His claim to a lineage is through a "Correllian" adoption ritual. As such, we could say that all members of the CNCI are also a part of the "family" tradition. This would mean that all share in the same lineage.
This could also extend, using this definition, to mean that all of the Gardnerians were of that lineage.
I Googled her. It's the ultimate "grandmother story," isn't it. Scottish "traditional witches" marry Cherokee medicine people.
We've got you out-Celticked and out-American Indianed!
Religious "outbidding" at its finest.
And I will bet that there is only one source for this story, so no meddling historian can check other sources and question the foundation myth.
No, Charles, you really can't check it. They didn't write anything down, don't you know. And when you do try to check out some of the claims, un, ancestory itself comes to mind, it comes out no Cherokee and actually, can it be, uh, circus performers.
They made it all up seems the most likely choice. And the high priestesses seem just for show - if they don't agree with the high correll they get removed by the high correll. Hmmm doesn't sound like a Matriarchy much to me. The person who said follow the money has summed up the entire correllian tradition in a 3 short words.
Been there and pulled my head out finally.
So I'm finding this a few months late, but I had to comment on the 'Warlocking.'
I find it really upsetting to hear that a Wiccan tradition in the 21st century actively and publicly participates in shunning. The fact that it is for primarily political reasons makes it worse. The fact that they are publicly asking non-Correllian traditions to participate is horrifying (in my mind).
I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. This is a religion that actively and frequently shuns its members. They call it 'disfellowshipping.' Countless lives have been all but destroyed due to this practice. I am disfellowshipped, and consequently have lost contact with most of my closest family members.
This type of practice is a terrible control mechanism designed to protect the leadership, not the membership, of a religion. You support Michaels, so you can't come to rituals? participate in events? be BLESSED? Obviously the wise Council knows that individuals can't be trusted to make their own decisions regarding who to associate with, what to believe, and how to manage their own spiritual health.
I admit to knowing little about the Correllian tradition, about the events that led to this shunning, and that, because of my background, I am personally biased against faiths that shun (I've just seen it hurt too many people who have done nothing but think differently than 'the flock'). Still, I would ask anyone who might read this to consider whose interest is being looked out for when your leaders tell you "don't talk to them, they're bad news!" What are they afraid of?
Actually the Tradition walked away from CNCI, and is doing very well. It was the fact that Davron Michaels attempted to accept Satanic Church as part of the Correllian Church.
For all the threats of lawsuits, etc. Nothing appears to have happened becasue their was no legal grounds for it. This was a very tyical Witch War except for the fact most national leaders frown deeply at associating Wicca adn Satanism together as did Davron Michaels.
Well Ed, I was there on the clergy listing.
We were not notified by Ed or Don that you all walked away but we were notified by Lord Davron that there was a split between you all and that Lord Davron was walking away from you all.
This came about after having private conversations with you all about mishandling and mismanaging money and Ed and Don Lewis refused to come clean, refused to produce records and confiscated computers that HAD the information on it.
Lord Davron had hoped you all could work it out before it went legal, and that was the last course of action he stated he wanted to take.
So to recap, he contacted the Clergy on the Correllian Clergy list FIRST. Whoever was in charge of moderating the clergy list kicked Davron off of the list then and any one else who supported Davron or asked intelligent questions about what Ed Hubbard and Don Lewis were doing.
Let's just keep the facts straight, okay?
I would like to point out the post made by anonymous on 10/30/2006 10:43:00 AM. I find it very fitting that there was reference made to circus performers.
His name is Ronald, he is a clown...he's always happy, and never down....but one day, his tent burned down, and upon Ronald, there was a frown.
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