Everything Under the Moon

Rule of Three (Wiccan)
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The Rule of Three (also threefold law or law of return) is a tenet of Wicca. claiming that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times. John J. Coughlin states that " . . . there is a literal reward or punishment tied to one's actions, particularly when it comes to working magic," and that "there are many Wiccans, experienced and new alike, who view the Law of Return as an over-elaboration on the Wiccan Rede." The Rule of Three has been compared by Karl Lembke to other ethics of reciprocity, such as the concept of karma in Dharmic religions and the Christian edict, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12), also called the "Golden Rule.

One version of the Law is written: "Ever mind the Rule of Three, three times what thou givest returns to thee, this lesson well, thou must learn, thee only gets what thou dost earn.
The Rule of Three has its prototype in a piece of Wiccan liturgy which first appeared in print in Gerald Gardner's 1949 novel High Magic's Aid

'Thou hast obeyed the Law. But mark well, when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold.' (For this is the joke in witchcraft, the witch knows, though the initiate does not, that she will get three times what she gave, so she does not strike hard.)

During the next few decades, many other Wiccan religious leaders articulated some form of the Rule.The first published reference to the Rule of Three as a general ethical principle may be from Raymond Buckland, in a 1968 article for Beyond magazine.Belief in the Rule of Three is not universal among Wiccans, some of whom believe that it is a modern innovation based on Christian morality.
The Rule of Three is mentioned in the popular Wiccan poem, "Rede of the Wiccae", written by Gwen Thompson.

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This rule is not a universal concept. It comes from Wicca. I am not ,nor ever have been , Wiccan in any way.I see no need to limit myself with Christianity based ethics. I don't understand why so many people these days think that Wicca = Paganism and Wicca = Witchcraft. Too many easily accessible junk authors with poor sources , it would seem.

I think the rule of 3 is a logical way to keep order within the world!You can have people doing bad things and not having them be punished for it or have them experience something bad. It just doesn't make sense.

"Mind the threefold law ye should, three times bad and three times good"
- Wiccan Rede

Yes, i believe in the Threefold Law.

question to Wiccans.

How many of you believed in the ThreeFold Law before you identified as Wiccan? I forever hear Wiccans spouting on and on about the three fold. But i've never heard them say they believed in 3 fold before they became Wiccan. I personally dont see reading the rede and going, "hmm, i'm wiccan so i believe that " as believing.

Good question!

Well, I'd always been a strong believer that "what goes around comes around." I was raised Catholic, but I never quite got the idea that you could repent at the last minute and be forgiven. I always figured there had to be consequences to your actions, and while eternal punishment didn't seem likely, a get out of hell free card didn't either.

All that being said, I didn't think about the consequences of using magick until, well, I learned about using magick. The threefold law showed up at pretty much the same time, and since it made sense to me I accepted it without question.

I believed in the threefold law LONG before I became Wiccan! I've believed in the threefold law my entire life.

I think the three fold rule is like karma really. In fact is karma....

You treat people liek sh*t, you get sh*t back

Course, you can get sh*t in your life for apparently no reason but I believe it's to learn lessons and to keep the necessary balance of life in order. If you weren't unhappy at some points in life....you wouldnt know what happiness was!

However, cursing people is not a natural way. Taht's you trying to shift the balance of energy in a malicious way....who knows what could happen....personally I ain't taking the risk (to sound very cockney - that's the London accent in Britain for those who dont know!)

Wiccachicken xxxxxxxxx

question to Wiccans.

How many of you believed in the ThreeFold Law before you identified as Wiccan? I forever hear Wiccans spouting on and on about the three fold. But i've never heard them say they believed in 3 fold before they became Wiccan. I personally dont see reading the rede and going, "hmm, i'm wiccan so i believe that " as believing.

I personally did believe it before I even knew what wicca was. My family has always told us about Karma and I honestly can't remember when I heard the three thing, but it was before I knew the craft.

Blessed Be,
Wolf Heart

i think theres a law of return but unlike us who are governed by time, its not restricted to time so it can come back in the next life or the one after, it knows we are coming back so it doesn't need to rush and fit it all in one lifetime it can take several and it only gives as much as we can take

morak

"Ever mind the law of three,
Three times your acts return to thee,
This lesson well, thou must learn,
Thou only gets what thou dost earn."

Yeah, I believe in the threefold law.

Yup, it's in the rede.

I have to apologize for the huge avatar, but it must stay because it is some excellent shots of my framiliar (kali) that my cousin took and put together.

sorry guys, i just like it too much i guess.

Don't apologise I think it's beautiful!
And compared to some others we've had yours is small.
does ask that avatars be kept to a maximum of 200x200 pixels though............