by Rev. Terry Power, HP
We will start this commentary with a presentation of a core set of statements about what Correllians believe:
A Correllian Creed
We believe that Inner Truth is universal in Nature. It is
expressed through many outward forms. Deity comes to
each person in the way that is best for that person, and
which is unique to him or her.
We believe that “the Gods” are human’s ways of under-
standing and interacting with Deity. These many faces are
equally true and equally valid. They are all attempts to
understand the ultimate transcendent nature of Deity.
We believe in the providence of Deity; that all things
happen according to the will of Deity, which is ultimately
to the good.
We believe that as humans we have many levels to our
being. These include the physical, emotional, and mental
levels as well as the astral and soul levels.
We believe in reincarnation; that the soul is created from
Deity and is never separate from Deity. The soul shares,
on an inner level, the attributes of Deity, which include
immortality, magic, and powers of the soul.
We believe in a living, spiritually sentient Universe, of
which all galaxies, stars and planets are components. The
Earth as one of these components is equally living and
spiritually sentient and as such all systems and creatures
on Earth are components.
We believe that everything is in a state of constant and
ultimately beneficial growth and evolution. This growth
and evolution occurs to all of existence, be it the soul, the
planet, or the Universe, all being a mirror of Divinity,
which evolves and grows as well.
We believe that the Wiccan Rede, “Do As You Will, But
Harm None” is the highest moral statement. It is an
effective pattern for a moral life.
We believe that ultimate truth is beyond the understanding
of humans. Therefore, it is natural for a person’s belief
and Deity should develop to reflect the individual’s
personal relationship with the Divine.
We believe that all Pagan religions should acknowledge
one another as kindred and stand together as equals. Our
similarities as Pagans far outweigh our differences.
This creed is intended to serve as a basic statement of Correllian belief. It is open enough to allow for individual expression as described in the Rede.
It should serve as a good starting place for what we believe. Let’s examine each statement in a bit more detail and discuss how they apply to our lives and in our ministries.
We believe that Inner Truth is universal in Nature.
It is expressed through many outward forms. Deity
comes to each person in the way that is best for
that person, and which is unique to him or her.
We believe that “the Gods” are human’s ways of
understanding and interacting with Deity. These
many faces are equally true and equally valid.
They are all attempts to understand the ultimate
transcendent nature of Deity.
The first two statements express the Universalist approach with which Correllians deal with all forms of Deity. To my mind, and in my ministry, these two statements call us to lay aside ideas of differences and to focus on the commonalities. This is true, not just among fellow Wiccans or Pagans, but among ALL religions.
If we truly believe these first two statements, we cannot continue the Christian-bashing, or the Muslim-bashing, or the any other kind of “bashing.” If we truly accept that all forms of Deity are equally valid, then we MUST set aside our prejudices and face all religions with equal respect. Only then, can we expect others to respect us. We should lead by example.
We believe in the providence of Deity; that all
things happen according to the will of Deity, which
is ultimately to the good.
This statement, I admit, sounds a lot like the presumably mindless response to bad things happening as being “God’s will …” and all other similar platitudes. But when you take into account our Cosmology that expresses that we are here to experience and to learn, the whole idea of Divine Providence takes on an entirely new meaning.
Since we believe in reincarnation, another statement in this creed, we also believe that we must experience all aspects of existence in the material plane that we have. Bad things happen as a way to allow us to experience EVERYTHING about being human – yes, even the bad things. It is part of the learning process we will take to higher levels of existence.
When we consider that we each carry a spark of the Divine within us – that we are each a microcosm of Deity – we can see that we ARE following the will of the Divine in our very life. And we believe that it IS ultimately for the good.
This statement of Divine Providence also points us to a discussion of “Harm None …” that will come later in this commentary.
We believe that as humans we have many levels
to our being. These include the physical,
emotional, and mental levels as well as the astral
and soul levels.
We believe in reincarnation; that the soul is
created from Deity and is never separate from
Deity. The soul shares, on an inner level, the
attributes of Deity, which include immortality,
magic, and powers of the soul.
These two statements reflect our Correllian concepts of our place within the Universe. They are powerful statements, when we look at them closely. As discussed above, we carry a piece of the Divine within us. Because of this Spark, we share that Divine nature. We say all the time that we are witches; we are empowered; we create our own reality. These statements go straight to that concept. We really do create our own reality.
As we talk about the powers of the soul and how we create our own reality, we must realize that we are also the canvas on which we create. True magick is accomplished by living as if what we want to achieve and the energy that we are putting out is occurring right now and has already occurred.
Another point to remember in these statements is that the soul is created from Deity and is never separate from Deity. We spend so much time in our lives seeking to reconnect with something from which that we were never separated. It is amazing the number of people that feel this illusion of separateness, and yet the Divine is with us always. Whatever we do, we can never get away from the Divine and the Divine will never leave us. We may choose to ignore. We can choose to hide. But we are only hiding from ourselves. We are ALWAYS connected to the Divine. The illusion of separation is just that, an illusion.
We believe in a living, spiritually sentient Universe,
of which all galaxies, stars and planets are compo-
nents. The Earth as one of these components is
equally living and spiritually sentient and as such
all systems and creatures on Earth
are components.
We believe that everything is in a state of
constant and ultimately beneficial growth and
evolution. This growth and evolution occurs to all
of existence, be it the soul, the planet, or the
Universe, all being a mirror of Divinity, which
evolves and grows as well.
These statements define our basic cosmology that ALL things are sentient and worthy of respect. They also reinforce the concept that we are each a microcosm of Earth; which is a microcosm of the Milky Way; which is a microcosm of the Universe; which is ultimately a microcosm of Deity. In a holographic Universe, even the smallest piece of the whole contains the true image of the whole. Each Galaxy contains the true nature of the Universe. Each planet carries the true nature of the Galaxy. Each one of us possesses the true nature of Earth. So … you can now see that each of us reflects the True Nature of the Divine, in whole, within us.
We believe that the Wiccan Rede, “Do As You Will,
But Harm None” is the highest moral statement. It
is an effective pattern for a moral life.
“Harm None …” is discussed in greater detail in other works. Here, I will only point out that “Harm None …” should be taken as one normally uses the word “harm.” Any extreme view should be avoided. It doesn’t include hurt feelings or healthy competition. “Harm None …” calls us to have a conscious approach to our actions. It calls us to consider the full ramifications of our actions beyond our personal goals.
We believe that ultimate truth is beyond the
understanding of humans. Therefore, it is natural
for a person’s belief and Deity should develop to
reflect the individual’s personal relationship
with the Divine.
This statement is about growth and change. It goes to the idea that what I thought, as a person of 35 years, when I first came into Wicca, is very different than what I feel and how my relationship works with the Divine now, 15 years later. So, as a person who has been through 15 more years of life experience, and all the initiations that go with this – all the official ones and all of the unofficial ones that the Holy Ones give us – my understanding is different. Therefore it is acceptable and expected that my relationship with the Divine will change also.
We should not expect that our relationship with the Divine is going to remain stagnant. We should not even expect necessarily that spirit guides will stay with us for our entire incarnation. People will come and go in our lives and so will manifestations of the Divine. What we needed at one time in our life may not be what we need at this stage, and it may be different again in another 15 years.
So, this statement is just trying to say that we expect relationships will evolve and change and shift. This is a good thing. It shows we are growing and learning and experiencing life.
We believe that all Pagan religions should
acknowledge one another as kindred and stand
together as equals. Our similarities as Pagans far
outweigh our differences.
The final two statements return us to the beginning. We again state concepts of peace tolerance, and unity. The final statement uses the words “We believe that all Pagan religions should acknowledge one another as kindred and stand together as equals. Our similarities as Pagans far outweigh our differences.” We will take this a step further and suggest that ALL RELIGIONS should be seen as equal. And we should treat them ALL with respect.
As we say in the first statement … “Inner Truth is universal in nature.” It is incumbent upon us to make that one simple statement a mantra for peace and unity in the entire world.
This commentary on A Correllian Creed is only intended to introduce the concepts. I am sure you will have questions. Believe me when I say that I still have questions. It is in the questioning itself that we grow. Take some time to meditate on these statements. Read them again in a week – in two weeks – in a month – and so on.
I know you will see something new in it each time. As your connection with Deity deepens, so will your understanding of the basic beliefs set out in these simple lines of text.