The Threefold Law? Hard Pass 🙅🏼♀️🚫 (Just a brief personal observation on a popular subject.)I was present during a "class"...
The Threefold Law? Hard Pass 🙅🏼♀️🚫
(Just a brief personal observation on a popular subject.)
I was present during a “class” regarding witchcraft and the Threefold Law, or Law of Three, was brought up. The Wiccan Rede says:
“Mind the Threefold Law ye should,
Three times bad and three times good.”
and ends:
“Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
And ye harm none, do what ye will.”
During this convo I clearly stated I don’t adhere to this belief. This statement was met by the “speaker” with a look of shock and pity, a shaking head, and grave warnings that I’m basically asking for trouble.
WHATEVER
It’s fine to mold your practice by this if that’s what you choose. To each his own, and all that. However, it’s not fine to be openly skeptical of those who do not. This type of attitude is very patronizing. If someone does me wrong — REALLY wrong, there’s no way you can convince me I’m gonna catch hell for protecting myself, or for hexing them if they continue to cause me grief. As a witch who follows a pagan path, I will empower, heal, show gratitude, cast a love spell and more with the best of them. I will also protect, block, bind, jinx, hex, or curse if the need arises and I’ve tried everything else, according to my personal practice.
A Universal Law for Witches? Nope.
The concept that witchcraft requires a “universal law” is laughable. Stop and think about this for a moment. We’re talking about the Craft. Worked by WITCHES. Why would a witch allow themself to be restricted by laws? Especially one that says if you cast something (benevolent or baneful) it’s gonna turn around and bite you on the ass 3 times harder? Nope.
I believe that if you start tossing out hexes and curses left and right, particularly if you don’t know what you’re doing, they might come back to bite you. If you cast something at someone who is well protected, that can also turn on you. I DO NOT, however, believe that if I hex someone something bad will happen to me threefold.
Benevolent and Baneful
Benevolent and baneful magick, aka the Left and Right Hand Paths, are considered by some to be good and bad, or white and black. Personally, I embrace them both, as I work with ALL magick and feel these classifications are biased terms.
Just How Old is The Threefold Law?
The Threefold Law is treated as something divine carried on from the dark ages, when I believe (I could be wrong) it was first brought to light in 1949 by Gerald Gardner. Gardner wrote a novel called High Magic’s Aid which contained a passage with, “Thou hast obeyed the Law. But mark well, when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold.” (Doesn’t this fear of punishment for “commiting a sin” smack of a strong Christian influence?)
In Closing
Let me be clear, I’m not saying it’s my way or the highway. Or that the Threefold Law is bad. While I do believe you should be prepared to take responsibility for your actions, the Rule of Three is not it for me. Everyone has a right to practice magick in their own way.
Don’t worry about me and my practice. I’m strong and happy in my magick. You just do you and move it on down the road.
Be magickal, y’all!
