Grandmother/Grandfathering of Clergy

Grandmothering (or Grandfathering) in of clergy from other traditions is the EXTREMELY RARE process by which the clergy of one tradition may identify and affiliate with CUEW without losing their status as a priest/Priestess. The grandmothering-in clause is designed below for a three degree system. Traditions that use other systems are considered on a more case by case basis. Please review the entire Clergy Handbook and understand it fully before requesting Grandmothered status in UEW. Also please note: Grandmothering a person into UEW clergy status is limited to those individuals who have a personal, real time relationship with a member of the Third Circle.

Grandmothering into the First Circle from Initiate-type level: Grandmothering into the First Circle is accomplished by demonstrating understanding of the Five Points of Wiccan Belief and Affirmation of Acknowledgment.

Grandmothering into the Second Circle from First or Second degree:Grandmothering into the Second Circle is accomplished by fufilling the requirements of the First Circle, Above, and by providing a detailed explaination that shows you understand the basic Wiccan concepts of "wheel of the year," mulitple afterlife beliefs, etc. It is important at this stage that you show where your tradition begins and where it ends. For instance, if your tradition has a belief about the afterlife that is set in stone, you have to be able to understand that that belief is not held by all Wiccans.

Grandmothering into the Lay ministry from Second or Third degree: This is accomplished by doing the above, plus signing a NOTARIZED copy of the Oath of Practice. You also have to show some proof that you've been involved with Wicca or a similar form of paganism for no less than 3 years in a leadership capacity (priest, activist, networker, coven leader). For ONE YEAR this lay ministry is "provisional" This is different from the method used for UEW Lay ministers because we need to work a little harder with helping people in the transistion phase. You will require a sponsor, usually your third circle contact, during that year. Grandmothering into the Third Circle from Third degree/High Priest(ess): All of the above, plus proof of no less than 5 years in Wicca with titled leadership (For example, Priest, Priestess, High Priest, etc), and proof of or creation of a project providing a unique contribution to Wicca requiring approximately a year to complete (working at a fairly slow pace). (All One Wicca, and Coven of the Far Flung Net are two examples). As with the lay ministry above, this is a method by which you become a PROVISIONAL member of the Third Circle for one year. Grandmothering into "Priest" from Third Degree:Completion of the above, plus the college requirements. If you've gotten through your provisional year, you come in as full fledged clergy.

Grandmothering into "High Priest" from "High Priest":Completion of the above, including one year as provisional Priest. HOWEVER, while the title High Priest is retained, the position of High Priest in membership/clergy association is limited to those who've completed 10 years as a priest in the UEW tradition. You can use some of your years as a priest (or high Priest) in your other tradition to make these ten years, basically they count for 1/3 of the time. So, if you had 30 years as a Priest in One Tradition, you could become a High Priest in UEW after your provisional year. If you had 20 years it would be Provisional Year + 2 more. If you had 3 years it would be provsional year +8 more. This is primarily structured this way so that a majority of High Priests have been UEW for quite a while, and so that UEW Priests with 9 years of experience in UEW aren't "behind" High Priests who've never really studied UEW (unless they've had 30 years of experience, and then who is gonna stop them??)

Grandmothering in whole covens: UEW allows entire covens to join as UEW affiliates, either by abandoning their tradition (NOT RECOMMENDED) adapting their tradition to fit within UEW (not hard) Or by creating a sept of UEW. Septs are subtraditions that use their own names for the gods, their own rituals and their own management styles, but still follow UEW as an outline. Leaders of septs can be called Priests, Popes, or Poobahs if everyone in the sept is okay with it, although the position in a sept doesn't affect your position in the Clergy Association. Grandfathering in a coven can only be done with full consent of everyone involved.

For more information on the Septs of UEW, click on the Sept Creation Handbook section of the Clergy handbook.

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