Circles of Connection: Understanding Our Spiritual Lineage
Spirituality is not a straight line—it’s a circle, a layered web of connections stretching from our blood ancestors to the Divine Source itself. The image above maps out these layers, showing how we are held within a living network of guidance, love, and power. Each ring represents a dimension of relationship, from the most intimate to the most transcendent.
The Core: Direct Blood Ancestors
At the center are our direct blood ancestors—the family members we descend from biologically. They carry our DNA, our stories, our patterns, and often our unresolved wounds. Honoring them grounds us in identity and roots us in continuity.
The Second Ring: Non-Direct Ancestors & Extended Family
Beyond immediate lineage lie non-direct blood ancestors—extended family, kin, and even cultural forebears. Their influence may not be as direct, but they shape our traditions, habits, and shared history.
The Third Ring: Spirits Assigned at Birth
Some spirits arrive with us into this lifetime. They may not share blood, but they are ancestral or spiritual allies assigned to guide, protect, and test us. In many traditions, these are called guardian spirits or ancestral guides.
The Fourth Ring: Spirit Guides Gained on Our Path
As we grow, we attract new guides. Teachers, helpers, and unseen allies come when we need them, responding to choices and experiences. This layer reminds us that spiritual support evolves as we do.
The Fifth Ring: Main Initiatory Spirits & Spiritual Lineage
Here dwell the guides linked to initiation and lineage. For those walking priesthoods or initiatory traditions, these spirits represent the deeper current of ancestral masters and elders who anchor the path. They carry authority, wisdom, and responsibility.
The Sixth Ring: Deities, Gods, and Divine Beings
This ring expands to the great forces we know as gods, goddesses, or cosmic beings. They are archetypal powers—vast presences that embody universal truths. Our relationship with them is devotional, transformative, and often initiatory in its own right.
The Seventh Ring: Angels, Elementals & Higher Entities
Beyond deities are angelic and elemental forces. These are messengers, keepers of balance, and guardians of natural and cosmic law. They remind us that spirit expresses not only through blood or worship but through creation itself.
The Outer Ring: God / Goddess / Divine Source
At the edge of the circle is the Source—the Origin, the One. Whether called God, Goddess, Olódùmarè, Brahman, or by another name, this is the infinite field from which all else flows. It is not separate from us, but the ultimate reminder that we are part of a divine whole.
Why This Matters
Seeing ourselves in this circle changes how we walk in the world. We are never alone. Every step we take echoes through bloodlines, resonates with guides, and ripples back to the Source.
When we honor each layer—ancestors, guides, deities, and Source—we align with the full spectrum of our spiritual inheritance. And when we forget, we risk living disconnected, unaware of the power flowing through us.
Reflect on your own circle. Which layer do you feel most connected to right now? Which one feels distant? Consider creating a simple ritual of acknowledgment—light a candle, say a name, or offer a prayer—and see how the circle responds.
