I've said it before and I'll say it again - the Three-fold "Law" is a big fat serious lie.
I don't have to go digging up archaic historical references or try to mis-apply laws of physics to justify that statement, either. Look at your own lives and the people you've known. How many people who have died of cancer actually deserved such a painful, horrible death? How many folks who gleefully run around giving others the shaft and stabbing people in the back have financial success and have a whole lot of fun? How many people in the 9/11 attacks might have had the "bad karma" that meant they deserved that death?
Yeah, exactly.
Do I believe that what we put out we get back? Yes. Just not 3 times. Do I believe that Deity punishes people according to our moral guidelines? Nope. The gods have their own rules, and they aren't sharing what they are.
Personally, I think Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente made the 3-fold "law" up in an effort to keep people from running around hexing everyone willy-nilly. While I understand that it may have been for "the greater good", I also question whether they should have been teaching magic to people they didn't trust to use it wisely? Maybe for the time period, it was the prudent thing to do, but do we really need those kind of training wheels anymore?
I think the "Rule of Three" has itself caused harm. There are all sorts of people who won't even cast a healing spell for someone in a coma because it might "interfere with their free will". Poppycock. If someone is meant to die, or stay in a persistent vegetative state, or even have a really bad case of the flu, then my attempts at healing them won't make a bit of difference. If, however, the sick person is presented to me as an opportunity to help someone and I don't try to help them for fear of negative repercussions (which many are), then what kind of witch am I? Personally I think if you don't help, you don't deserve to call yourself a witch. I know we can't help everyone because trying to do that would burn us out completely, but a wise witch listens to their intuition and knows when and when not to try to help, and doesn't live in fear of backlash.
So yes, I'm saying it publicly - go ahead and cast healing spells. Cast fertility spells for friends who are trying to have a baby (as long as they're not also doing fertility treatments, or they could wind up with triplets or more). Cast a curse on people who are raping, robbing, and otherwise causing harm. You might help save lives that way. Have the cojones to be a witch, for goodness' sake.
Quick addendum - before anyone worries about witches "playing God", they need to think about the fact that voting, having domesticated animals as pets, and creating life (babies) is also "playing God". Witches don't have the exclusive on that one, all humanity does it to one degree or another.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said it better myself. Sometimes more harm is done by doing nothing than by taking the bull by the horns and doing what you can to help.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet someone who has the cajones to say what the rest of us know is true but are afraid to talk about.
Thanks Christian and Eileen. To your point Eileen, I think lots of modern pagans who obsess about the 3-fold rule wind up in a state of analysis paralysis. So afraid of the possible repercussions they wind up not helping anyone at all - not even themselves. Our magic, trancework, and other aspects of our various spiritual/mystic paths is supposed to help make us better people with happier lives. If that's not happening, I think some things need to be re-examined and reworked.
ReplyDeleteWoohoo!! As a hedgewitch who loves her plants, I always look to nature for my lessons. A seed coming to fruition has to have the right amounts of water and sunlight, the right nutrients in the soil, etc... sometimes, no matter what I do, the seed never sprouts. Sometimes, I get more plants than I bargained for.. this is what I see as "karma" or "reaping what you've sown". There's no 3 to it- it's random (seemingly so) and it's strange. There is no way to foresee every possible outcome to any spell I do.. therefore, should I not do them? That's like telling someone not to breathe. I am a WITCH for cryin out loud. It's who I AM, not what I do. Great post, as usual, Alan!
ReplyDeleteI just found this from the recent links in conjunction with Kallan's blog from today. I have to give you a HUGE Way to GO! This is totally spot on. Like Kallan says above, I AM a Witch, it's how I live not some game I play... Thanks Alan for standing up and saying what so many believe!
ReplyDeleteI, too, made my way over here from Kallan's blog today. Thanks for the post, Alan! As a newbie, I have thought my way into some anyalysis-paralysis when trying to figure free will, "meant to be", and all the rest of it. Your post is a welcome perspective!
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that the Three Fold Law might not be an accurate description/measure of how our actions (good or bad)impact us, it does provide a useful guideline. It tells us that our intentions matter. That what we say and do carries real weight in our lives and in the world at large. The point is not to use this as a reason to fail to act when action is needed, but as a reminder that we must act with proper restraint and consideration.
ReplyDeleteI love what you said here. Right on. I always found the law of three a little asinine myself. If it were true, then we would all be having the best life ever and all the "bad guys" would be in jail or dead or something terrible.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree that intentions matter, and we should be mindful of possible consequences to our actions. I do not think it's useful to a person's spiritual growth to *ever* have a "cosmic bogeyman" to answer to. The way Karma is mis-used in American New Age Spirituality (and by extension, the pagan community), I think it's more of a weapon than the *actual* definitions of what Karma really is.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Alan!!! I have always struggled with the 3-fold law. It is a big fat load of hooey. We all (should) have our own moral compass and have no need for something like this to dictate our actions. As witches, we KNOW our intentions matter. That is a huge part of spellwork. If our intentions are not true or we do not believe in what we are doing, our spellwork will be crap. Maybe we should make a "Good Witch Law" similar to the "Good Samaritan Law" where we cannot be sued for our actions when trying to help someone in need. :-)
ReplyDeleteI tell my students to behave as if the Threefold concept is real. Use the idea as a measuring stick if you're in doubt about working some magic, but don't expect to win the lottery if you are casting a spell to help someone find a parking space. The universe just doesn't work that way. Karma as an Indian religious concept is vastly different than the way it's used in modern pagan culture. The wikipedia entry isn't a bad start for those who want to see the difference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma
ReplyDelete