#Threefold Law

[traegorn]

There's a lot of debate among witches about the Threefold Law (I think? I mean the Law where whatever magic you cast, it will happen back at you three times as strong), which of course discourages cursing of any kind. I like using that as a challenge: like, damn that person was awful. What could I do about it/hope would happen to them? I bless that person. I hope they become a better person. I hope that they realise their faults, and that they can persevere to fix their mistakes and right their wrongdoings. (and I hope I can do that, too). I hoped to see a discussion about this, but I am not a witch and idk who else to ask to see a discussion like this.

The threefold law/law of return was a (possibly intentional) misinterpretation of a passage from Gardner's (fiction) novel High Magic's Aid created by Monique Wilson and popularized by folks like Raymond Buckland to make Wicca seem more palatable to the general public.

So I mean, do what you want. Sounds like you've come up with an interesting thought exercise for yourself. But also, if you aren't a witch (let alone a Wiccan), why were you worrying about it to begin with?

[x-x-witchcore-x-x]

The Wiccan Threefold Law

Also known as “the Rule of Three,” the Threefold Law is part of many, but not all Wiccan traditions. It states that every magical act sent out into the Universe—whether positive or negative—will be returned to the Witch three times. This is somewhat akin to the concept of karma found in some Eastern religions, but with a Western twist, as it applies a specific equation (“three times”) to the return of the energy sent out by the practitioner.

Just what does “three times” mean, however? Some people believe that the magical work will be returned in three individual instances. For example, if you worked a harmful spell against someone you dislike, you could end up experiencing bad luck on three different occasions (a car breakdown, a horrible day at work, and burning your dinner, to name three random possibilities). Others interpret “three times” to be a multiplier, meaning that the consequences for you will be three times stronger than the intention you sent out. So you might end up with far worse luck than car trouble or a bad day!

The origins of the Threefold Law are a bit murky, but the idea is generally traced back to Gerald Gardner, who raised it in his early fictional work about Witchcraft, but did not include it as a major part of his teachings. Later Witches who learned from Gardner’s initiates—most notably Raymond Buckland—brought the concept into more widespread awareness. It is also referred to in the long poem known as the Wiccan Rede, which contains adages and advice regarding magical traditions and spiritual beliefs.

Nonetheless, there were many others involved in the origins of Wicca who did not encounter teachings on the Threefold Law, and who doubted that there was a special karmic rule that involves the number 3 and only applies to Witches. Today, some Wiccans view it as just a playful elaboration on the ethical stance against causing others harm. Others take it quite literally, while still others pay it no mind at all. Those who dismiss the Threefold Law generally point to other concepts—namely, the Law of Cause and Effect and the Law of Return—as being more accurate explanations for the karmic exchange involved in magic.

At the very least, the Threefold Law serves to remind us that there are consequences to our actions—whether those consequences come in “threes” or not!

[dowsingfordivinity]

Myths about Wicca

Fantastic article by River Enodian from the Tea-Addicted Witch blog. A Tale of Two Wiccas: Tackling Misinformation Explains how eclectic Wicca and initiatory Wicca are two different things; discusses cultural appropriation in Wicca; looks at the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law; and explains Wicca’s relationship with Crowley, Thelema, and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. I’ve tackled…

[iridescentalchemyst]

The Wiccan Way

Recognizing that there is more than one path to spiritual enlightenment and that Wicca is but one of many, and that Wicca holds within itself the belief that there is more than one type of step set to the spiral dance, find here listed common denominators of the Craft. That there is above all the Goddess in her three-fold aspect and many are her names. With all her names we call her Maiden,…

[wizardsaur]

Someone just reblogged a wizard-themed physics joke from me, that I myself had reblogged from @sexygaywizard

Claiming it was about the threefold law in the tags?

For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction --- that's the Third Law of Physics. It has nothing to do with the Wiccan Threefold Law. If anything, it's the antithesis.

The Threefold Law means you get triple the same energy returned to you that you put out into the world??? Bite an ass, get your ass bitten 3x.

I drop a rubber ball, it's gonna come up almost as high as the height from which it was dropped... (but without oppressing forces, it would come up just as high. Gravity & friction)

Unless I'm missing something here???

[terven-queen]

Any other witches on here interested in cursing some men with me? Men who deserve it: abusers and such. Let’s curse the famous ones like J*hnny D*pp but also the ones that have personally caused hell in our lives. We are stronger as a group. Let’s make them all fucking pay.

[spicy-and-yet-sweet]

[yourlocalmissingtexture]

I don’t remember if I rambled here about this or not but I’m tempted to practice tarot reading again.

I know there’s not really a set Way to do that sort of thing but I really like the idea of knowing the basic gist of the cards but mostly letting the imagery and the brain’s storytelling ability do its thing. The way I like to read isn’t formulaic whatsoever and is probably not “authentic” or “legitimate” by some standards but also I don’t care.

Most of my more effective witchy/pagan/whatever the fuck spiritual things I do sometimes stuff happened during or after rather informal and unorthodox practice. Simple prayers with little to no prep. Hastily put together spells. Finding immense beauty and comfort in watching grasshopper on my window or driving past prickly poppies.

Idk. This shit doesn’t have to be gothic cottagecore witchcore dark academia aesthetic or prim and proper to be legitimate I think. It can be, but the more basic, mundane, and improv stuff shouldn’t be overlooked.

Tl;dr: tarot is fun, also spiritual/magical elitism can suck eggs.

[just-a-queer-fanboy]

Murder and legal repercussions are not options but I have access to a secret third thing (witchcraft. Makes me sound scary but in reality I'm angrily chanting while throwing lemon juice and ghost peppers into a jar)

[breelandwalker]

Oh for fuck's sake, are we having the curse-shaming argument AGAIN??? Every time I think we're done unteaching this nonsense.....

Arright, quick rundown of the points, more or less in order, because I've already had this discussion a hundred times:

One - There is no universal moral or ethical code in witchcraft. Not every witch is a Wiccan or follows Wiccan principles. Not even all Wiccans follow every Wiccan principle, and that includes the Rule of Three / Threefold Law. The Wiccan Rede is ADVICE, not a set of hard and fast rules or divine mandates. You don't get to tell other witches what types of spells they should and should not cast.

Two - If you think the Rule of Three / Threefold Law means, "Whatever you give out comes back to you times three" or if you think it only applies to baneful magic, you don't understand the rule. The original rule, as stated by Robert Graves in "The White Goddess" (you know, the fictional novel that Gardner used as a model for Wicca) states that whatever a witch is dealt, they should deal back three times over. In fact, the passage cites a particular initiation ritual that involves symbolic flagellation, NOT a code of ethics for witchcraft.

It was picked up by later authors as "Whatever You Give" and popularized by media like The Craft and Charmed and authors like Silver Ravenwolf in the 90s when the modern witchcraft movement was having its' millennial boom. (This is a gross oversimplification, but that's when the concept became common enough in pop culture that non-witches were starting to become familiar with the term.)

Three - Karma has absolutely nothing to do with it. Karma is not instant or sentient and the bastardized version of the concept that's been worked into much of modern witchcraft literature more closely resembles the Christian concept of sin and judgment than what karma actually is. Remove the word from your vocabulary when you're talking about magic. The universe does not give one single flying fuck what you do with your spells.

Four - The word you're searching for when you talk about these concepts is CONSEQUENCES. Every action you take, every spell you cast, everything has consequences and everything has a price. This isn't a divine mandate or a cosmic law either. It's a simple fact of life. BUT. It doesn't mean that baneful spells are morally or ethically wrong or that they're going to blow up in someone's face. The only reason a baneful spell might be more likely to rebound is that it's one of the only types of spells that witches actively ward against.

Five - Witches have a right to use magic for persuasion, defense, justice, retribution, binding, prevention, or outright harm if they so choose. If you don't like those types of spells, then don't cast them.

Six - Moral puritanism is a cancer that will destroy us all. Get off your high horse, drop the holier-than-thou bullshit, and remember that being a witch does not make you immune to propaganda.

Thank you for coming to my Toad Talk.

[khaire-traveler]

Baneful Magic Masterpost

***I understand that cursing is a controversial topic for some people. I don't believe in the threefold's law or whatnot, so such things aren't a concern for me. I do, however, advise you to only curse someone who truly deserves it. Curses are meant to be permanent and difficult to break, while hexes aren't nearly as potent. Do with that knowledge what you will. Intense spells will be marked with "***".***

Curses (long-term, usually permanent)

"Supernatural Soul Eater" curse***

"Gentle Curse" curse

"Hekatean Witchcraft Curse" curse

"From This Pain, I Will Rise" curse

"Blood Rain" tied with protection↓***

"Curse For Protection" tied with blood rain↑***

"Drown In Your Horrors" curse

"To Sink A Sailor" curse

"Curses For Empathy" curse

"My Pain To Yours" curse

"Beauty & The Beast" curse

"Your Joy Will Turn To Ashes" curse***

"Your True Nature Revealed" curse

"Releasing The Hounds" curse***

"The Curse Of Arrows" curse

"Lollipop Curse" curse

"Anon Hate" curse

"Sickness Killer" curse (DOES NOT REPLACE MEDICAL HELP)

"A Bellyful Of Stones" curse

"Bind & Break" curse***

"Forget Me Not" curse

"Did You Miss Me?" curse***

"Dragon Fire" curse

"Red Heart" curse

"Headless Horseman" curse

"Only A Memory" curse

"Hurricane Curse" curse***

"Let Loose Your Crimson Arrow" curse

"Hypnotic Flame" curse

"Drown In Your Guilt" curse***

"Stomp Out The Bastard" curse

"Duress" curse

"Essence Extraction" curse

"Red In Your Ledger" curse

"Sin Collector" curse

"The Ferryman's Curse" curse

"An Ancient Greek Curse" curse

"Knitting Curse" curse

Hexes (short-term, usually temporary)

"The Seven Stings" hex

"The Lemon Hex" hex

"Coffin Hex" hex***

"Curse Alternative" hex

"Hex Bramble" hex

"Black-Out" hex

"Burse Your Bubble" hex

"Year Long" hex***

"Ants Nest" hex

"By All Means, Panty Away" hex

"Hazy Smog" hex

"Hexing In A Pinch" hex

"Hexball" hex

"Revenge On Cheaters" hex

"Frostburn" hex

"Mess With A Witch" hex***

"Bring About Consequences" hex

"Riddle Of Lightning" hex

Jars, Charms, & Pouches

"Jar Of Consequences" jar hex

"Feel The Pain You've Caused Me" sigil

"To Banish & Bind: For Abusers" jar curse

"Wither & Rot" jar curse***

"Your Hatred Is Your Own" jar curse

"Revenge Curse Cage" jar curse***

"Box Of Terror" box curse***

"Catcall Hex Stone" hex charm

"Begone Neighbors" jar hex

"All Purpose Curse Powder" curse powder

Removals, Reversals, & Protection

"Curse Removal & Reversal" removal, reversal

"The Healing Pool: Cursebreaker" removal

"Mild & Spicy Cursebreaker Powders" removal

"To Stop Someone From Casting On You" prevention

"Return To Sender Spells" reversal

"Curse Removing Wash" removal

"To Reverse A Spell" reversal

"Curse Removal/Protection" removal, prevention

"Decoy For Protection Purposes" prevention

"Protection From Curses" prevention

"Curse Decoy" prevention

"Substitute Spell" prevention

"Witch Bottle" prevention

"Blackthorn Reversing Spell" reversal

"Break A Curse Candle Spell" removal

"Curse-breaking, Purifying, Protective Witch Jar" prevention, removal

"To Destroy A Curse" removal

"Hex & Curse-breaking" removal

"Hex-breaker Candle" removal

Information

"Curses vs. Hexes: What's The Difference?" info

"So You Think You've Been Cursed" info

"Object Cursing" info

"Jinxes, Hexes, & Curses" info & spells

"Lessons Learnt From A Hex" info

"Curse Correspondences" info

"Cursing101" info

"So You Just Did A Big Curse...Now What?" info

"Foxen's List Of Baneful Ingredients" info

"Nasty Shit To Put In Curse Jars" info

"Something To Consider Before You Curse" info

"Taglocks" info

[radiofreederry]

Happy birthday, Magnus Hirschfeld! (May 14, 1868)

A pioneering figure in the field of sexology, Magnus Hirschfeld was born in what is now Poland to an Ashkenazi family, the son of renowned physician Hermann Hirschfeld. After earning his medical degree, Hirschfeld spent some time in the United States and involved himself in the gay scene in Chicago, which would spur him to study sexuality and gender. Hirschfeld was struck by the universality of homosexuality and the fact that gay subcultures existed in most major cities, as well as the rate of suicide experienced by his gay patients. Hirschfeld worked tirelessly to normalize homosexuality in German society and foster greater acceptance, through both academic and political means. In the liberal atmosphere of Weimar Berlin, Hirschfeld found some measure of success, as the Social Democratic government of Prussia had no interest in enforcing federal laws against homosexuality. He founded the Institute for Sexual Research and built an immense archive of works relating to sexuality and gender research. Hirschfeld made the Institute his literal home, living there with his partner Karl Giese and his sister. Hirschfeld's fortunes would turn as first conservative Chancellor Franz von Papen seized the government of Prussia and began to crack down on homosexuality, and then the Nazi Party came to power in Germany. As a gay, Jewish socialist, Hirschfeld was a threefold target for the Nazis, and he never returned to Germany, having already been abroad on a speaking tour when the Nazis took power. The Institute was shut down and then ransacked, with its library burned. Hirschfeld would spend the rest of his life in Nice, France, dying in 1935.

“Soon the day will come when science will win victory over error, justice a victory over injustice, and human love a victory over human hatred and ignorance.”

[myscalesofjustice]

MAWS Clark embodies the Big Blue Boy Scout title so well that I think this Earth's Batman would be the better foil if his morally grey stance is focused on.

Superman tries his darnedest to be good and lawful. Batman's good at heart, but plays by his own rules. If your crime doesn't take a life or terrorize innocents, you might convince Bats to walk away. That would not sit well with Clark. And as the most paranoid man on the planet who can accept doing a wrong thing for the right reason, Bruce will be less than cordial with the human-passing alien.

Batman is threefold. Everyone knows he's part ninja and part detective, but they tend to forget he's part boogeyman. Here's how I picture the first "encounter": Bruce deduces Clark is Superman, as he always does, but the research proves he can't overpower Superman if deemed a threat. Scare tactics will be necessary. So he sneaks into Clark's home and the Daily Planet, even hacks his phone, to leave cryptic warnings and threats of leaking his identity. Really make use of the all-seeing, all-knowing, ambiguously supernatural mystique to be more intimidating when they meet face-to-face.

[will-o-the-witch]

Writing a Witch Character, Respectfully

This is by no means a complete list, but it'll hopefully lay a foundation of things to keep in mind so that you can write a good character while still being respectful to real people and traditions.

Look at actual magical traditions to compare your magic system to. Obviously it's your work of fiction and you can create your own rules, but it can help provide some frame of reference. It'll also help you avoid unintentionally coding a 1:1 stand-in for an existing tradition.

Harmful stereotypes about witches often have roots in racism, antisemitism, and the satanic panic. Avoid terms like "black magic" which are used to demonize afrodiasporic religions (especially Vodou) and Santería. Avoid having your witches kidnap people, especially children, in order to use/drink their blood (this is called blood libel.) Avoid cabals of evil witches secretly conspiring to control the world, or who already do. (Another antisemitic trope.) Make sure your super-earthy witch who can talk to animals isn't an anti-indigenous charicature.

Be mindful of Wiccan-based stereotypes. Wicca dominates a LOT of magical discussion, especially from an outside perspective, but is definitely not representative of all witches. Ideas such as the threefold law, the "burning times," a single important Goddess, or heavy emphasis on the moon and wombs/fertility is really stale to read about, especially if all witchcraft is portrayed as being like that. It's okay play with those themes, but make sure you're not stacking too many on top of each other or just writing about a Dianic Wiccan.

When writing about a real tradition you aren't a member of, study the hell out of it and talk to members of that tradition. They can help provide more specific details about what is/n't respectful and even give insight into the tradition that may help develop the character. Be sure to compensate people for their labor.

ALSO when writing about a real tradition you aren't a member of, (or a fictional tradition that's coded as a real one) make sure it's really your story to tell. It's great to write about characters who are different from you, but some stuff can only be written from lived experience. While not all magical practices are closed or marginalized, it's inappropriate to profit off someone else's oppression. If your story/character is all about what it means to be X in today's world, grappling with one's identity as X, or what it's like to experience bigotry against X, consider lifting up X writers telling their own stories instead.

People are still people. Just like other characters, people's lives don't usually revolve around only one thing. I'm a witch, but I also have a career, love life, hobbies, and interests completely outside of that. Let your witches be three-dimensional.

If critiquing the character's (fictional) magic beliefs/tradition, make sure you're still doing it from a place of respect for real people. It's really cool to see characters realize something they believed in isn't real, watching them grapple with this new information and the impact that has on their worldview. It's really annoying to see authors use that scene to say, "Haha, look how stupid they are for believing in things. What a hack." If it's a real tradition, just don't. You'll just come off as an asshole.

[nanomooselet]

Little but Fierce IV

Of course, you can't talk about Meryl without talking about Roberto. He's only there because of her. He's easy to dismiss - oh, drunk old dude who condescends to his female protégé - but he shouldn't be, no more than than Meryl herself should be dismissed.

Roberto is a teacher. He's there to impart lessons. He's also a journalist, so he's there to tell stories. Put them together, and you have the local critical thinker, as well as a good excuse for Meryl to back out if she decides it's too dangerous. He exists to give her choices and to shield her from the consequences of her mistakes, until she's firm enough on her feet to have learned.

And boy howdy, does she need to learn. Meryl got a lot of raw confidence, but it's punctured when she encounters situations she doesn't know how to navigate, mostly the trappings of adulthood - planning ahead, economic hardship, encounters with the law. But also partnership and teamwork.

I pointed it out before but Meryl doesn't have a poker face. Everything she feels or thinks tends to show clear as day. Roberto's more controlled - especially considering he doesn't like or trust the MPs. He uses the slight authority he has to get some information out of these guys, and then Meryl misdirects them. Without ever really discussing it, they form a partnership to protect Vash, and they had to do it together. Roberto wanted to leave him tied up, Meryl was too startled over his identity to talk. And Vash is happy to see it! It's stuff like this that he loves most about humans. (Though he's also playing up the gosh-I'm-just-a-silly-little-guy bit.)

Also, consider the other definition of adult you might know. Check this out.

Meryl goes from marching in like the sheriff to peeking over the edge of the counter like a kitten. Why? Well, apart from the place falling silent and someone yelling that this isn't a place for kids, what did she see?

Sex work probably hasn't played a big part in her life so far. Every character up until these two has worn quite modest clothes, and look at the way these women look back at Meryl. They're not ashamed, they're almost... endeared. They think she's sweet. Girl's just a wee bit intimidated. And Rosa's disinterested hostility probably isn't making it easier.

Meryl's prone to raising her voice and going on lectures, but Rosa tells her to speak up, and that's when Vash and Roberto find her. Specifically, Vash suspected she'd head to the diner and guided Roberto to it, and Roberto sighs that Meryl's a lot of trouble/needs a shorter leash - they formed a partnership to protect Meryl.

(I wonder if these ladies will appear again.)

Roberto's purpose is threefold. 1) Protect Meryl 2) help her achieve what she wants 3) teach by information and by example. He almost never acts outside of those parameters.

I could probably write a whole other series of meta posts about the English dub (and don't think I'm not tempted, but also trapped in meta factory somebody help) but for now, here's one of my favourite exchanges in the first episode. Never mind the exposition.

Meryl: Any day now I'll get my big scoop! Roberto: Any minute now, I'm sure. Meryl: I'll be running the entire bureau before you know it! Roberto: Then could you give me a raise, boss? Meryl: I'm being serious! Roberto: So am I.

What's he being serious about? Money? Nope. (Or only a little.)

He agrees. Meryl's the boss.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Part IX