Sorry Doll, But There's No Witchcraft Gene... (And Other Hereditary Bullshit)
So guys, in the 90s there was this crap that went around where people would claim to be a "3rd generation hereditary witch" as if it was a badge of honour or a "I'm better than you" certification. It was cringey then, and honestly, I thought we'd moved on... apparently not. Here we are in 2025 and I was recently told about a woman who said one of my friends isn't a real witch because her parents aren't witches. I got second-hand embarrassment for the person who told her this! According to this logic, after 30-35 years of practice, being pagan my entire life, intense study, ritual and spellwork out the wazoo, multiple covens, lived experience, years of teaching... I'm not a witch apparently.... HOWEVER... my 15yo daughter who, sure... she was brought up pagan, but has only now taken an interest in witchcraft... SHE is the real deal guys. Not me. Why?? Because her mum is a witch.... but then, by this definition I'm NOT a witch because my parents weren't... so therefore does that mean she isn't a witch? And by that train of thought, literally no one is because at some point in their bloodline there had to be a patient zero haha.... a "first" witch... but they didn't have witchy parents, so that makes that definition null and void doesn't it?? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!
Now, can I just say... I'm a witch, but I'm also a literally a geneticist in my day job... a molecular biologist specialising in genetics. Let me tell you a secret... There is no fucking witchcraft gene! You can't inherit witchcraft in your DNA anymore than you can be born knowing how to drive a car. What can be passed down to you are beliefs, traditions, practical experience, tools, etc. Just like a kid who is born into a family of athletes has a bit of a head start in athletics if they choose to pursue it, so too does a child have a headstart in witchcraft because information is literally at their fingertips. They have parents and family members who can act as mentors and guides and answer questions, practice with them, learn from etc. Others may need to work harder to get to the same level but that doesn't mean they're any less a witch for fucks sake. In conclusion guys, witchcraft is not a bloodline. It's a path. A spiritual practice. A way of seeing and shaping the world around us. It's learned. It's lived. It's chosen. And above all, it's personal. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having family traditions, with honouring ancestral practices, with lighting the same candles your grandmother did. That’s beautiful. But to gatekeep the entire spiritual path because someone didn’t “inherit” it? That’s elitism. That’s insecurity. And it’s frankly laughable and embarrassing.
The witch wound runs deep, and the last thing we need is to keep carving each other up with it. So whether you were raised in a circle or stumbled into your craft later in life, whether you found it through books, dreams, Instagram, or sheer curiosity.... you belong. You are a witch.... because you are a witch. Because you chose it or it chose you. Because it called you and you answered. Blood has nothing to fucking do with it.
Through the Blood and Through the Land... - Raven LeStrange
