Is threefold law required in the practise of Magick?

[JackFrost102]

Okay so.. as some of you may know - I have a severe form of anxiety. I have been told by various sources to ''expose'' myself to my worries and fears and I have done so. I have found to enjoy Magick albeit with a little fear still residing from within. I have finally traced my fear back to the Law of Three/Threefold Law.

Long story short - My teacher introduced me to the aspects of Magick and Witchcraft.. however one of the first things he made sure we understood was that we pay attention to the threefold law. I can appreciate him telling us to be careful but it installed the fear I'm trying to overcome.

Would it be possible to practice Witchcraft without a belief in Karma?

[Vesca]

I understand what the idea of the threefold law is, but I wonder what exactly your perception on it is? If you could elaborate on your thoughts and perceptions of what it is and what it entails, it would help us elaborate on it or maybe help you find alternate ways of looking at the concept.


The short answer is, yes you can choose to not believe in some concepts. But in experience, there are consequences for the choices you make. Even when those choices involve energy work. Just like everything else you do in life.

[JackFrost102]

I have often believed that whenever you do good deeds, Good will come back on you three times. The same concept exists where if you commit bad deeds then bad will return to you threefold.

Due to my anxious beliefs attaching to the worst aspect of this concept, my fear stretched the concept where if you commit to Magic.. You are basically cursing yourself

[Nyd]

You are not cursing yourself unless you cause others harm. So the easy answer is - only use it for good, and you won't have to fear anything. And even better, if you use it to help others as well, your Karma is even better.

[Vesca]

Maybe give these threads a read; I'm sure there are more throughout the forum's archives on this topic.


http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum ... fold%20law
http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum ... fold%20law
http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum ... fold%20law

[Chalice]

Would it be possible to practice Witchcraft without a belief in Karma?

Yes.

[MsMollimizz]

I just had an odd thought hit me in the head *ouch*
If the three-fold "law" is going to bother you during
a ritual try eating a spoon full of honey slowly before
you start ritual ! The honey will calm you down enough
that you shouldn't have any problems...
Just my three-cents !
Gentle Light
MsMollimizz

[Becks]

Hi Jackfrost. I think that Vesca is quite correct here. If you take the time and really identify exactly what it is that leaves you feeling anxious about "three fold law" then you will have an easier time of it. The threads that she highlighted are great. Do read them.

I think about magic and it's repercussions as an extension of myself. Think about the choices you make in your secular everyday life. I'm sure you maybe question yourself, and it's impossible to know exactly how people around us perceive our actions, but you probably know how to act in society, in your job...with your family. I think about how I speak to people, how I treat the people around me, and do I consider how my social actions affect those around me?

Well magic is an extension of you, and it operates much the same. You probably have an internal set of values and practices that dictate how you behave.

The threefold law never sat well with me either. I'm not Wiccan, and even when I was in a coven that belief always struck me as odd and unfounded. I don't see the physical universe working in that way. I'm like the others and like to stick to the known laws of physics......

Not to say all actions don't have consequences...I do think of my actions as ripples on the surface of a lake. They can be far reaching. I am responsible for that, but I'm also responsible every time I get into a car or help a client. That doesn't scare me.

If some of your anxiety comes from the "not knowing" piece of practicing magic then that may be a different situation. That is also valid.....there is a lot we don't know.

Use your internal compass...it's inside you...and consider others.

[Xiao Rong]

At some point, I would like to write a longer post on the subject -- I do not personally believe in the Threefold Law, the Law of Return, the Secret, the Law of Attraction, or any variant of "like attracts like", "you deserve what you get" law of the universe. While of course I think that would be nice, I think there is too much injustice and suffering in the world to be explained by "they must have done something to deserve it". I have come to conclude that suffering is simply a natural and unavoidable aspect of an imperfect universe, much like gravity and thermodynamics.

Karma, on the other hand, I have come to have a very different opinion on ... Granted, I am not an expert on Eastern philosophies, though I have done a little research. And most readings from Hindu and Buddhist sources agree that karma is not synonymous with the Law of Return, which is a Western distortion of the concept. Instead, as best as I can tell, karma means, "Actions have consequences" -- as simple and yet as profound as that. It doesn't mean that if you act virtuously, you will one day receive heaps of money as your "good karma"; your karma for acting virtuously is that you cultivated a virtuous heart. It doesn't mean that your actions have the consequences that you expect or deserve. Therefore, karma is a reminder to be mindful of your intentions behind your actions, because they will have consequences, that will one day affect you, for good or ill.

So how does this apply to magic? I am of the belief that magic is simply taking action (except perhaps a little more finicky and less understood than more mundane actions). You cannot ever fully know the consequences of your actions, but they will nevertheless have consequences upon yourself, upon others, and upon the world. Karma urges us to think carefully on what those consequences might be and to act with good intentions in the hopes of bettering yourself and creating a better world.

[mrsdavid1975]

I think your fear of threefold is about repercussion. I had the same fear as a child about " hell and the devil". Due to some things some of my family " taught me". Luckily my great grandmother helped me. She taught me of love to everyone and everything. That even bad things, animals, people, events serve a purpose. " good and bad" are only mindsets. Draw your own lines! ( I'm not Wiccan though. These are pretty Wiccan beliefs. The whole threefold thing).

My beliefs stem from ancestral old ways. Folk healing and things like that. .. Sometimes a person needs a good offense in times of defense.

[HopefulChild]

The threefold law exists because telling people that it's ok to do whatever the hell they want is "anarchy"...if you were trying to relaunch an ancient religion in the age of civil discourse you can't advocate for anarchy or you end up on a government watch list, and no one takes you seriously.

The threefold law was put in to place by very caring very learned and very considerate people who wanted Wicca to be able to grow into a recognized world religion.

The three fold law is a political tool used to sooth the anxieties of groups in established positions of authority so that rigorous scrutiny could be argued in court to be harassment and bigotry and not reasonable concern based on radical declarations of anarchy.

The three fold law is a drastic and fictional literary contrivance to simplify a principle believed by many people who practice ritual magic known as, "The principle of equivalent exchange", where in you cannot create an event or result without supply the universe a pool of resources from which to draw out what was needed to manifest your will into the real world.

At least all of this is what I have come to believe.

That's all man. And you might want to go to a shop and buy a chunk of Lithium Quartz, and wear it on a necklace or bracelet. I made one for my son who has a severe anxiety disorder and within 6 months he was able to stop taking his anxiety medication...he's doing pretty good without the mediation.

[JackFrost102]

I'm very sorry for the late response, I've just been so busy with my studies as of late. I'd like to thank you all for the kind advice and help! I really appreciate it.. The fear can sometimes be paralysing.

[SnowCat]

A practical way to work on your fear might be to practice small random acts of kindness. We hear about the person in line at the Starbucks drive up paying for the person behind them, and then it snowballs. That's an example of the threefold law in action. Do some small nice thing for someone, just because it's a nice thing to do. Don't do it expecting that you'll hear the universe applaud, just do it to be nice. You might have something nice happen for you, that you don't expect. Overcoming fears can be a matter of baby steps. Best wishes to you.

Snow

[JackFrost102]

Thank you, I'm sure I'll overcome my fears with the support of the community here.

[Wandering Warlock]

The threefold law was put in to place by very caring very learned and very considerate people who wanted Wicca to be able to grow into a recognized world religion.

I agree with this for the most part. The three fold law seems to have been made up to make people feel less afraid of those who practice the craft. There is a general belief that without an external form of justice and judgment, people are prone to evil.

Would it be possible to practice Witchcraft without a belief in Karma?

Karma is a little different from the three fold law, however they are related. There are various views of karma. A great deal of reading should be done on this subject by the serious inquirer, as it can become lengthy.