OK this might prove to be a very short discussion but the question I have, has bugged me for a long time so I thought "Wth just ask it!". Here it goes: I keep seeing mention of different lines within Traditions of BTW like the Long Island Line of Gardnerian Wicca or the Du Bandia Grasail of Alexandrian Wicca. My Q is: what other lines are out there and what is their role/meaning? Why do they exist? And why does it appear to create a fuss amongst the initiates? Curious! :D

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I'm not BTW, but I would have to say that the lines show the proper lineage that is required and revered in BTW, so the fuss (to me) would have to come from the fact that some of those lines may have broken off, or they have moved just enough away from the core teachings from BTW to no longer qualify to call themselves BTW. That's just my guess, but another answer could be that if someone is initiated through a "bad" line and doesn't know it, then they try to take on students and their students try to vet the line and find out its bad, it could cause all kinds of drama and those students may even have to be re-initiated through a proper line.

 

I would think that some of the other lines out there would be one of those "neither confirm or deny" kind of things since I haven't seen any mention of other lines of BTW, but rather coven names or traditions. This is just me thinking about it and the closest answer I can give you. I hope it was food for thought.

In the case of Gardnerians (and possibly Alexandrians, but I can not be sure), the "Lines" are just a descriptive way of saying that one's initiatory lineage goes back through a particular "line" to a certain Priestess. People being people and having differing tastes and preferences, this has resulted in some lines having slightly differing practices from others while retaining the core. For instance, while Line A uses pillar candles at the Quarters, Line B might use tapers. The core is there, just kind of dressed a little differently.

 

There are some Lines that have branched off from Gardnerianism to become something else by changing some (or many) of the core practices so much that they have become a whole new thing, but that is a rare occurrence.

 

-Jet

Gardnerian 3*

Huge disclaimer: This page is profoundly inaccurate, out of date, and a total mess of pop-up nightmare. On the other hand, this is one of the only sites out there that I know of that has attempted to untie the Gordian knot of lines within traditions. 

http://beaufort.bravepages.com/

 

 

As a further caution on this particular site.  The individual who designed the site has shown where different groups may trace back their roots, but that does not mean that the lineage is BTW.  For instance you'll see Silver Ravenwolf's Black Forest Coven listed there, but she does NOT have a valid Gardnerian lineage.  Oftimes what you are seeing is someone who was once Gardnerian starting a new Tradition which is not BTW in any form.  So it would be a terrible mistake to believe that all of the groups listed are BTW.

Leisha #NotIntendedToBeFactual said:

Huge disclaimer: This page is profoundly inaccurate, out of date, and a total mess of pop-up nightmare. On the other hand, this is one of the only sites out there that I know of that has attempted to untie the Gordian knot of lines within traditions. 

http://beaufort.bravepages.com/

 

 

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