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Shrines Information Witan Shrines, Formal Shrines, Personal Shrine |
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In Correllian parlance a Shrine is a place of worship
similar to but less formal than a Temple. Whereas a Temple must be
headed by a Third Degree Cleric, or under the direct imperium of a
Third Degree Cleric, a Shrine may be headed by a person of any Degree.
Sometimes a Shrine is formed as a less formal alternative to a Temple. Other times a Shrine may be formed to fulfill a specific function -as an annual ritual, social event, ministerial or charitable activity. The Correllian Tradition recognizes three kinds of Shrine: A Witan Shrine is founded in the expectation of going on to become a Proto-Temple. A Formal Shrine is a Shrine which has been established to perform a specific duty, often of a charitable nature. A Personal Shrine is a personal expression of the Shrine Keeper's spirituality and may be undertaken by any Tradition member.
The most formal Shrines in the Tradition are Witan Shrines! A Witan Shrine is a Shrine founded in expectation of its later becoming a Proto- Temple: At this time all new Correllian Temples must spend at least one year as a Witan Shrine and a further year as a Proto-Temple before being officially chartered as Temples of the Tradition. A Witan Shrine functions in the same manner as a Shrine, described above, with the difference of its being considered a formal body of the Tradition rather than a private function of the Shrine Keeper, and it’s focused toward developing the functions of a Temple. The Keeper of a Witan Shrine must be a member of the Third Degree High Priesthood, or a person studying toward Third Degree and under the imperium of a Third Degree sponsor approved by the Council of Elders. Unlike ordinary and Formal Shrines a Witan Shrine is considered a formal body of the Tradition. A Witan Shrine Keeper is not regarded as having a seat on the Witan Council, and hence has no vote in the Council, but may attend and participate in the Council on the same basis as Acting Heads of Temples.
FORMAL SHRINES In addition to the Witan Shrines described above, the Correllian Tradition also includes Formal Shrines. A Formal Shrine is basically the same as a Personal Shrine: a private worship center maintained by an individual Correllian Tradition member of either Inner or Outer Court. The difference is that a Formal Shrine is dedicated to a specific project, event, or program of a social or charitable nature which the Tradition endorses. A Formal shrine is created by Charter rather than recognition. To be granted a charter as a Formal Shrine a Shrine must meet these criteria; A) The Shrine must have been in existence as a recognized Shrine of the Correllian Tradition for a minimum of one year prior to applying for a charter as a Formal Shrine (three years is preferred). B) To be chartered as a Formal Shrine a Shrine must be associated with a charitable activity or ministerial outreach project of some sort, beyond the celebration of worship. Despite this a Formal Shrine, like an ordinary Shrine,
has no representation on the Witan Council as it remains essentially a
venture of its Shrine Keeper rather than of the Tradition as
such. By it's nature a Formal shrine cannot be upgraded. A Formal Shrine is
not a part of the Temple making process, if a person wishes to have a
Temple they must start with a Witan Shrine which is the first step in
the Temple making process. If you already have a Formal Shrine and wish
to have a Witan Shrine you must apply separately for a Witan Shrine.
To be an official Correllian Shrine, a Personal Shrine must be recognized by the Tradition. A Personal Shrine is given official existence through Recognition rather than Chartering. Recognition may be obtained through application to the Council of Elders through the office of the Chancellor. Though a Personal Shrine may be recognized by the Tradition, it is not an official body of the Tradition, but rather the private project of a Tradition member. Any
Correllian may act as a Shrine Keeper, because of the informal nature
of a Personal Shrine vs a Temple. A Keeper may be a Cleric of any
Degree, or even an Outer Court Member, since a Personal Shrine performs
no official ceremonies. However for the same reason a Shrine -no matter
what the Degree of the Keeper- has no representation on the Witan
Council.
To apply for any of the above Shrines please email the Witan Herald for information: witanherald@gmail.com
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© Witan Herald and Correllian Nativist Tradition