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Happy Pearl (Thirtieth) Anniversary Ser Ed Hubbard

Greetings all,

On behalf of the Correllian Tradition and myself personally, I would like to congratulate Rt. Rev. Ser Ed Hubbard on the occasion of his Pearl Anniversary with the Correllian Council of Elders. It is not every day that someone celebrates Thirty Years on the Council of Elders and it well deserves to be commemorated! During these Thirty Years Ser Ed has been my closest advisor in running the Tradition, and also my closest friend. It is safe to say that neither the Correllian Tradition nor my own life would be what they are without him.

Ser Ed has never been one to seek personal glory, which is why you may not be familiar with everything he has done. Ser Ed has often been happy to let the credit for his actions go publicly to those he has worked with rather than himself. Ser Ed has always considered his greatest strength to be raising others up and mentoring them in the skills necessary to achieve their goals. Ser Ed has helped many people now prominent in the Tradition to learn what they needed to move forward successfully. I will not name these people because many of them reveal themselves in their own comments below, but I will say that I regard myself as one of them.

I first met and started working with Ser Ed many years ago. We met through J&M Psychic Fairs where we were both working as readers. Blv. Eleanor Royce was responsible for bringing us together -I can’t help but assume she had foreseen some of what we would go on to do together. Ser Ed and I quickly found that we had many interests in common and I was impressed by his skillset, which included an inside knowledge of how Christian Churches work, which was something I felt we desperately needed to learn about. Ser Ed also had an inside knowledge of the Christian Dominionist movement and their political plans, which have since come to fruition, and how these might be defended against. As a result, I was very happy when the New Castle Society that Ser Ed headed and the Correllian Tradition started working together on mutual projects, and even more so when Ser Ed entered the Correllian Tradition.

Ser Ed’s knowledge of legal structures and real-world procedures was immensely helpful to the Tradition, so much so that in 1992 Ser Ed was acclaimed and Elder of the Tradition. The Office of First Director, dealing specifically with legal structure, was created especially for him. Ser Ed would hold the Office of First Director from 1992-2006.

As First Director Ser Ed largely built the early legal structure of the Church, drawing upon his own early experiences with Christian Churches to help us understand how religious organizations functioned in the real world. Prior to this, the Correllian Tradition was a Familial Tradition that had begun to transform itself into the global Church it has since become, but as our leadership had little or no experience of mainstream Churches, especially in terms of how they are run, we were moving very slowly. Ser Ed changed that and more than any other person is responsible for our evolution into a global Church with all of the rights and responsibilities that go with that standing.

Ser Ed was also the visionary who conceived and built Witch School, which is the principal door through which most people have subsequently come to the Tradition. It would be impossible to explain today just how revolutionary and epochal the creation of Witch School was, and how it transformed the Correllian Tradition. The Great Expansion had already begun, but Witch School propelled that expansion exponentially. There are only a handful of Correllians who remember this Tradition before Witch School, and Witch School and everything that came from it is almost certainly the reason you are reading this today. Ser Ed started Witch School because there simply weren’t enough teachers to meet the demand of those who wanted to learn, as there still are not, and Ser Ed felt that everyone deserved the chance to learn and grow spiritually. In the subsequent twenty-one years Witch School has helped thousands upon thousands of students to improve their lives through spiritual and magical learning. Witch School has always had its detractors, but the sheer number of happy Witch School students speaks to the value of the service it provides more strongly than any words could ever do.

After serving as First Director, Ser Ed went on to serve as First Elder after the Retirement of Blv. Virginia ‘Bitterwind’ Smith in 2011. Ser Ed would serve as First Elder from 2011-2013 when M. Rev. Stephanie Leon Neal would be acclaimed First Elder. Lady Stephanie would go on to be acclaimed First Priestess with Blv. Windy Lajoie becoming First Elder. Ser Ed would return as First Elder after Lady Windy’s death, serving from 2018-2020 when Rt Rev Alyssa Maxon Kemp would be acclaimed First Elder. Ser Ed is the only person in the history of the Correllian Tradition to have served as First Elder twice. Today Ser Ed serves as First Officer at Large on the Council of Elders, a Minister Without Portfolio fully empowered to address whatever situations need addressing, rather than being constrained to a single task.

Ser Ed has done so many other things in the Correllian Tradition that I cannot possibly list them all here. He has transformed our media presence with things like Pagans Tonight Radio and now Pagan World TV, for example. Ser Ed founded the Order of Paladins which is now doing so many things in the Tradition, such as the recent Correllians Live Telethon. Although the Correllian Tradition would certainly exist, and perhaps even be prominent, I think I can honestly say that without Ser Ed it would look very different from what it is.

For all these reasons, speaking for myself and the Correllian Leadership, I want to thank Ser Ed for all that he has done in these Thirty Years, and wish him many more successful years with us!

Below you will find additional comments and good wishes from many others of our Correllian leadership!

Blessings always,

M. Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell
First Priest and Chancellor, Correllian Tradition
Vox Correllianus, Apu Tanglaw Liwanag, Member Triad Union


Comments from other Correllian leaders:

Rt. Rev. Ser Phoenix Coffin-Williams, Arch Priest 
This phrase that he gave me to contemplate a few years ago struck home as something I really resonate with: ‘Armageddon is a crime,’ I didn’t realize until he said it how central that idea was to my worldview. However, it would end up resonating with me so much that I built my Ph.D. dissertation around this concept and how rejecting the idea of an end of days so thoroughly leads to empowerment and the desire to help others find empowerment also.

Rev. Ser Rich Donahue, Paladin
Meeting with Ser Ed that first time on Coffee Time with Ed the Pagan a couple years back changed the trajectory of my life. I was introduced to so many people shortly after and today I call most them family. I will forever be grateful to him. He is an excellent mind, a dreamer and idea man who is not afraid to bring these ideas to manifest. Having a man like Ser Ed in your corner with all of the experience and wisdom he brings truly helps build a strong foundation to all who have had the pleasure of knowing him and working with him. Congrats and thank you for 30 years of service to our community and our Correllian Family.

Rt. Rev. Ser Angela Munn, Arch Priestess and Elder, Sacred Grandmother of Tradition
I admire Rev. Ser Ed Hubbard’s dedication to the Correllian Tradition. He’s been giving his best always. Ser Ed, best wishes for your future and prayers for all the success that you’re dreaming of.

Rev Ser Lori Blackman, HP, Correllian Press Secretary
I have heard many people say, "Ed is not my cup of tea." Well, guess what? He's not a f****** cup of tea! Ser Ed is one of the most influential people in my life. Meeting him in 2015 and listening to his guidance led me to a path I did not know existed. He has an excellent mind for setting people up with the projects necessary to get them where they need to be for what they want to do. Whether you listen to his advice or not is your choice. I have and do not regret any of them. I am proud to call him a friend and a Brother. What a brilliant mind! 

Rev. Ser Eboni Nash, Paladin Major
So I met Ser Ed at the last in person Lustration, and because of his speech and Liz's and ever since I became a paladin, he has been so supportive of what I do and has encouraged me ever since. In the midst of one of the hardest moments in my spiritual path, he was there and he heard me and listened and I'll never forget that. I will always consider him family and offer my sincerest congratulations on thirty years

Rt. Rev. Ser Laurie Denman, Arch Priestess and Elder, Dean of Witch School
I got to know Ser Ed at my very first Lustration as a newly dedicated Postulant for Priesthood. I enjoyed his quick humor and sharp mind. Fast forward to my 2nd Degree project, building a Pagan library in South Africa, where I found Ser Ed mentoring me in all aspects of the project from where to find inexpensive books to crowdfunding to speaking on radio and working our social media outlets. I got to know Ser Ed through that process and he became one of the people I knew would always have my back in the Tradition. Fast forward a few more years and as I became Dean of Students and Mentor for Witchschool.com I once again found myself working with Ser Ed as he was one of the original three founders of the school, which is the Seminary for the Tradition. Again our friendship grew. Fast forward a few more years and that friendship became so close he adopted me into the Great Correllian Family. I can’t imagine my life without this man who has given of himself so selflessly over the past generation for this Tradition. His ripple effect of all the lives he has touched and the now leaders within the Tradition he has mentored along the way is immeasurable. Thank you Ser Ed for believing in all of us!

Rt. Rev. Ser Jason Highcorrell, Correllian First Director
Working and knowing Ed has been been an amazing adventure. We have had many talks on what is coming next and he is usually thinking ten years down the road. He is a great person to have at your side, when the world is against you. It has been my pleasure to have known and worked with for the last twenty-five years. Happy Thirtieth Eldership Anniversary and many more.

Rt. Rev. Alyssa Maxon Kemp, Correllian First Elder
Ser Ed is an amazing and singular man. If you are lucky enough to be able to spend time with him, you will always learn something new that changes your perspective. His magic is in opening up and expanding the consciousness of those around him and pushing us all forward, challenging beliefs and pushing boundaries. His unique perspective is invaluable and world-altering. I am honored to know him and to learn from him. Happy Anniversary Ed!!!

Rev. Krys Copeland, Speak Your Own Book
Rev. Ed Hubbard began shaping my life -- as he has so many others -- long before I ever knew him personally. While the accolades and accomplishments of someone thirty years an Elder are endless, the one that has impacted me the most is WitchSchool.com. At eighteen years old, I discovered Witch School while living in rural Texas. Suddenly, I was no longer isolated and alone in the world. Suddenly, I found other people who thought like me, who believed like me. That there was more to this life and this universe than an angry, petulant deity who commanded complete obedience. I learned that the universe was full of energy, of power, of love. I don't know if Rev. Ed understood just how deeply and profoundly an impact Witch School would have on the lives of us Pagans, especially those in the Bible Belt of America who were still living as our ancestors in the Burning Times did, too fearful to speak out, hiding our beliefs and our magick from all around us. Rev. Ed freed us with Witch School. He empowered us with a freedom that we never had before, despite it being encoded into the U.S. Constitution for over two centuries -- true religious freedom, and the courage and words to speak our beliefs out loud, to fight the oppression around us, to pave the way for the children and newcomers to our faith to proudly declare themselves Pagan, Wiccan, Heathen, and Witch. Rev. Ed understood then -- and now -- that education truly is power. And freedom. And choice. And a voice. Rev. Ed energized our voice, emancipated our spirits, empowered us with the knowledge to harness the power of the universe and shape our lives with kindness and honesty towards each other and the Earth. I could speak on the numerous ways that Rev. Ed has impacted my life since the founding of Witch School, and especially since meeting him, working with him, and counting him as a dear friend and mentor. But this first impact, this first interaction with the brainchild of Ed "The Pagan" Hubbard in the form of Witch School, forever changed my life, and the lives of millions. On behalf of those millions, thank you for giving us a voice, Rev. Ed.

Rt. Rev. Ser Mike Neal, Arch Priest and Elder
It is a pleasure to celebrate Rev. Ed Hubbard’s Pearl Anniversary with the Correllian Tradition as a member of the Council of Elders.  Since meeting Ed over fifteen years ago, I have always viewed him as an innovative, forward looking individual.  He thrives on making Wicca / Paganism accessible to all who wish to take that journey.  Just as Deity draws each of us to this path, Ed’s walk goes back many years and from my knowledge has not wavered but has intensified.  Where the Correllian Tradition stands today – a worldwide family, connected via technology, as well as his assistance to other Pagan organizations is in no small part because of Ed.  His focus on new and future technologies allows for an ever-increasing population to utilize expanded teaching tools and inter-personal growth among the like-minded. A pearl is created and nurtured within a shell from a grain of sand and amazes those who look upon it, thinking how it that possible.  Well, Ed is much like a pearl, a tiny thought starts in the recess of his mind, that becomes an idea and then reveals itself as a new way to share and learn.  It is a privilege to call Ed a friend.  Congratulations on 30 years of innovation. 

M. Rev. Stephanie Leon Neal, Correllian First Priestess
From the first day, I met Rt. Rev. Edward Hubbard Correll in Illinois, he has exhibited a finely tuned skill of aspirational inventions. All to develop new platforms and processes whereby, Paganism may be taught and celebrated publicly, so all may experience living the Pagan life, be it with a group or a Solitary. I have always found Rt. Rev. Ed is generous with his time, energy, and provoking ideas, and I have treasured every moment working with him. Because his consistent devotion to the Correllian tradition never waned, today is the arrival of his thirtieth year, the Pearl Anniversary as an Officer of the Council of Elders. To commemorate this day, I send the energies and blessings of the Pearl. The Pearl receives negative energy from time to time. Yet, it is impossible to remain. This energy is quickly transmuted into positive energy and tossed back into the world as a stepping stone for good. All this in the advancement of wisdom and integrity. And So It Is.

Rt. Rev. Ser Elizabeth Hamilton-Highcorrell, Arch Priestess, Paladin General
Ser Ed is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. I am grateful to know him and be counted as a friend and a colleague. He has helped me become the person I am today, by reminding me I have so much opportunity before me -- all I need to do is reach out and grasp it. And then execute. That's one thing I admire about Ser Ed: he's always been one to execute, even on a plan that isn't entirely formed. It's quite the opposite of how my brain typically works, but Ed's long list of projects and achievements proves the way his brain operates indeed works, and works well! I am so pleased to be one of the Generals in the Order of Paladins which General Ed formed oh so many years ago. I look forward to all we can do together for Gaia and for our people, with the help of the many Paladins who have joined us in accomplishing those goals. General Ed, thank you for opening my eyes to the future. Thank you for being one of my first friends in our Tradition. Thank you for believing me as the 16-year-old whose goal it was to be a High Priestess and a powerful Witch. And thank you for all you've done -- and all you will do.

Rt. Rev. Jon Anastasio, Arch Priest
Congratulations to Ser Ed Hubbard! We are fortunate to have such a courageous and insightful innovator helping us push the limits of possibility. His contributions to the Tradition and the Pagan world are well known. I appreciate his extraordinary Spiritual depth, knowledge, and dedication to both, and I’m grateful for his friendship and wise counsel.

Rev. Ser Mary Hawk, PaganWorldTV Station Manager, Paladin
Ser Ed has been a great inspiration for me.  He and the Order of the Paladins helped us keep Nashville Pagan Pride Day going virtually in 2020 and 2021.  He gave me the opportunity to be a part of The Virtual Circle Project.  I learned so much technically on this project, and even more, I learned how to present myself on video. Then Ser Ed gave me the opportunity of a lifetime when he asked me to be General Manager of PaganWorld.co and later PaganWorld TV.  Building the next step for Pagans to connect in the Metaverse has been an incredible journey for me, and now we are building the best Pagan Channel for Pagan news, information, and entertainment.  I can't thank Ser Ed enough for giving me these incredible opportunities.

Phaedra Bonewits
I've known Ed since 1992. He and the Correllians have treated me well, especially at times when I really needed it, and you all have my enduring gratitude. Congratulations, Ed, on a well-lived 30 years!

Rev. Ser Rolando Gomez Comon
Congratulations Ser Ed. If I may add to the Comment that you were one of the first Technomages I have ever known that have built (as far as I know) a Magical educational system based on modern information technology so as … to connect all Correllians around the world through online platforms. You have seen many extraordinary things that all of us appreciate so as you are the one who I am considering my Mentor on being active in social platforms such as Youtube and Tiktok. As I remember you have said to use all these free platforms, as many as we can, so that we can deliver the message of the Tradition to the world. In my case as part of the Correllian Order of Peace Weavers, I bring the Message of Peace. Thank you Ser Ed for all your hard work you do for all of us.

Rev Melanie Silver, Order of the Library
Here’s a big congratulations to Ser Ed on his 30th anniversary with the tradition. From his start in Chicago area Paganism to the far reaches of the world, the ideas under his wings have brought Paganism and The Correllian tradition out to more people. Here to Many more years of hard and rewarding work.

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