Lines and Lineage in Wicca

From the outside, something like lineage seems like it's of critical importance to Gardnerian Wicca. And in a way, it is! But lineage isn't important for the reasons that seekers often assume it is. Lineage is important because it's the story of how someone came to be in the Craft. However, having one lineage over another doesn't confer greater legitimacy, nor does it guarantee all that much about what your practice will look like.
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[@johnstiteler4088]

Thanks Jack! Knowing my lineage in Wicca is like knowing my Ancestry Family Tree. It tells you some history about the people that came before me, and how I connect to the past, but really nothing about how I and my family live today.

[@MelieneGardner]

"Sometimes this story is complicated." *laughs in I'm my own Grandpa*

[@ElhoimLeafar]

We need much more talks about this topic ❤️🙌🏻 Thanks Jack for this!

[@YvonneAburrow]

I broadly agree with your points. I tend to distinguish between upline (the single initiatory line that connects me back to Gardner); downline (all the initiates who fan out from me and my initiates); lineage (a group of covens / initiates who share a particular set of rituals); and egregore (the magical cohesiveness that emerges from a particular way of working). . From the perspective of the seeker, it is more important that you find a coven that you find sympatico and aligned with your values. . From a perspective within the lineage, there are differences in practice and egregore. But there are also differences between covens. . Great points about diaspora effect too.

[@YvonneAburrow]

So true that the people who claim to have the One True Way are the ones doing the weirdest things, too 💯 😂

[@YvonneAburrow]

Love your opening example- looking for Sheffield line in Gloucestershire is a non-starter since Sheffield is quite a long way from Gloucestershire 😂

[@jacquieclapperton9758]

It's closer to Sheffield than central Scotland! 😁