I have a question about the rule of three.

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

OK...I am *extremely* new at even *thinking* about this stuff, so please be gentle.

My question is about the rule of 3. If you use magick, for example, to bring in money to pay a bill -- how does that "come back to you" ? Do you lose 3 times as much later? I know this is probably an insanely stupid question, but I am really a newborn baby here. I just started looking into it because I took a "what religion suits you best" quiz and scored 100% neo-pagan (and I didn't even know what the heck it WAS!)

I am lonely and am considering asking someone I know (who is an initiated Wiccan priestess) for help with a ritual to bring love into my life. What are the rule of 3 consequences for that?

Thanks, and I apologize again for being so woefully ignorant.

[Behind the Aegis]

1. Questions are welcomed

Don't apologize for asking questions. Even people who have been on this path for several years have questions. It is part of the base of the path itself. So, as long as you are respectful, and you have been, ask as many questions as you want. I will also add, read, read, read. Perhaps you will discover the answer there or it will inspire the answer in yourself! :)

The rule of three is mainly Wiccan. There are paths that state something similar...whatever you put out (magickally) you get back. As for your question about the money, it has to come from somewhere, it won't appear out of air. Therefore, by asking for money, it could come from the coffers of a rich miser or the pocket of a homeless person. We are all connected in a variety of ways. But, let's say you "win" the money, that comes from someone already giving it away. When some people do a money spell, they are VERY specific. It is a "be careful what you wish for" type of deal. The rule of three applies to the magick itself, not the result (in most cases). Therefore, if you use 'white' magick, it will return to you 3 times over. If you use a 'dark' spell, that too will return to you 3 times over.

As for the love spell, as long as it is a general one, maybe a spell on yourself to allow yourself to be more receptive to love, it is OK. If you use a spell to 'make' someone love you, that is 'dark' magick.

I hope this helps. I can be verbose and unclear sometimes.

Brightest Blessings!

[Chovexani]

2. BtA explained it well

The only thing I would add is that the Threefold Law is more of a general principle than something specific. Things don't necessarily come back on you "times three" or whatever. It's just a general way of expressing the fact that we are all connected in a great web, that there is no action that goes without consequence, and that everything we do not only affects other people but also affects ourselves. Many Witches (self included) will include a statement at the end of a spell or ritual that is something to the effect of, "may this work cause no harm to myself or others" or some such.

As for the love spell thing, BtA pretty much said what needed to be said. No responsible Wiccan will cast a love spell on a particular person, for one because it is coercive and violates the Rede ("Harm none"), but on a deeper level because we are falliable human beings that often don't know what's best for us. To tie in the idea of the Threefold Law, let's say you're really interested in a guy and decide to cast a spell to get him to love you. He turns out to be an abusive drunk. What we want and what we think we want are often two very different things. The ethically sound love spell is one that opens yourself to the possibility of love, and asks the universe to send the person that is right for you, and that you are right for.

If you're interested in spellwork I would highly suggest reading Scott Cunningham's books, particularly "Wicca for the Solitary Practicioner" and "Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic". The former is a generalized introduction to Wicca that touches upon some of these principles in a concise and easy-to-understand manner, and the latter is a really great primer on magic that not only talks about methodology but also explains the "whys".

[Der Blaue Engel]

5. I can attest to this one

"To tie in the idea of the Threefold Law, let's say you're really interested in a guy and decide to cast a spell to get him to love you. He turns out to be an abusive drunk. What we want and what we think we want are often two very different things."

One of the first spells I ever cast as a fledgling witch was a love spell on someone I had a crush on. He was already interested in me, but after the spell he became obsessively devoted to me to the point where all I wanted to do was get away. I ended up finding out I was pregnant a few weeks after I had decided to break it off with him.

Still getting payback from that spell 14 years later. ;)

[robbedvoter]

3. It's a bout energy - not specific events.

Accepting that for everyone there is a balance, karma - a reaction for every action, using magick merely intensifies this effect. Which makes sense, as performiming magic accelerates the forces of the universe - in the direction they were already going anyway.
Think of it as putting a lid on when boiling water.

[yardwork]

4. You took that "Faith-o-Meter" test, didn't you? So did I!

I'm also very new to this path, and I started reading about Paganism and Wicca after my score on the "Faith-o-Meter" indicated that might be my path.

I haven't started doing magic yet. I'm still reading and thinking about what I read.

In terms of magic, so far I think of it much the same way I think of prayer. When I prayed before, I asked that God's will be done. My prayers are pretty much the same now, only I'm grateful to say "May the Mother's and Father's will be done" or something along those lines. In other words, I ask the Goddess and God to intercede for the best. Rather than asking for a specific outcome, I ask them to focus positive energy on the best outcome from their point of view, not mine.

Does this make sense? In your case, you might ask for help in paying your bills, or even more generally, meeting your responsibilities. The Goddess will figure out the best way to answer your request. Similarly, you might ask that loneliness be lifted from you, and that you develop a closer, more positive relationship with other beings. That might mean a new lover, but it also leaves the door open for other positive results that you might not even have thought about!

[Is It Fascism Yet]

6. Beautiful Wiccan Reed

Wiccan Rule:
"Bide the Wiccan law ye must
In perfect love and perfect trust
Eight words The Wiccan Reed fulfill,
And if ye harm none, do what ye will.
What ye send forth comes back to thee,
So be ever mindful of The Law of Three.
Follow ye this with mind and heart,
Merry we meet, and merry we part."

Cool, isn't it? I especially love the freedom of harming none and do as I will, I like that. Keep your money spells simple and humble never want more than you need. It's better not to want money, better to simply want to be able to meet expenses.

[Lizzie Borden]

7. I find it helpful for me...

to think of spells as very elaborite prayers that build power and then suddenly release it. But I think there probably is a segment of the population that would find thhis to be confusing. In that case, they should reject this idea. It really is about you doing what works for YOU.

[solinvictus]

8. Threefold law..

I don't believe in it as it defies conventional common knowledge. Energy, mass, force, etc. are multiplied by exponents of three when they are used. Why would magick be any different? I believe in a simple karmic law; that is what comes around goes around. If I conduct a ritual with the intent of doing harm out of revenge, it's up to the universe to decide the ethics of my actions and it certainly isn't going to curse or bless me three times over what I performed.

[davsand]

9. Spell work for me is based on free will.

I was taught that you should always make sure to establish "according to free will and it harm none" when doing spell work.

If you choose to do spell work for something like money, think of "just enough" or think of "according to my needs as it harms none." As has been pointed out, you want to be certain that your windfall will harm nobody else--that it is freely given.

Similarly, if you are casting for love, I'd urge you to maybe focus on something that draws "the right person" for you into your life rather than a specific person. (In fact, try REALLY hard NOT to think about a specific person when doing magics for love!) You may be surprised at WHO you draw into your life by doing this. Who we think we want and who we end up with are sometimes different!

The rule of three can be taken quite literally, or it can be seen as a caution to exercise judgment in what we do. Frankly, for me, it has been some combination of both over the years.

Brightest blessings!

Laura

[arikara]

10. I believe that its about cause and effect

with your words being the cause. If you set up a "cause" to harm or manipulate someone or something, that harm or manipulation can/will come back to haunt you. I find it safer to work towards the essence of what it is that I need, for example, the perfect relationship for me, the perfect job for me, perfect abundance for me and always specify that it is for the good of all and according to the free will of all.

There is so much to learn, isn't there?

[Why Syzygy]

11. Not every Pagan or Wiccan

believes in a literal three.

~snipped

The Law of Return
Simply put, the Law of Return states that all actions have repercussions. There are many versions of the Law of Return. I, personally, believe in a one-to-one correspondence in line with with Newton's law that "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction". Far more popular, however, is what is commonly referred to as the Threefold Law, often phrased as:

Ever Mind The Rule Of Three
Three Times Your Acts Return To Thee
This Lesson Well, Thou Must Learn
Thou Only Gets What Thee Dost Earn

http://wicca.timerift.net/wicca101/ethics.shtml#law