TheRule of Three (alsoThree-fold Law orLaw of Return) is a religious tenet held by someWiccans,Neo-Pagans andoccultists. It states that whateverenergy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times. Some subscribe to a variant of this law in which return is not necessarily threefold.[1][2]
Rule of Three is sometimes described askarma by Wiccans; however, this is not strictly accurate. Both concepts describe the process of cause and effect and often encourage the individual to act in an upright way. InHinduVedanta literature, there is a comparable idea of threefoldKarma referred to as Sanchita (accumulated works), Kriyamana, Agami, or Vartamana (current works), and Prarabdha (fructifying works), which are associated with past, present and future respectively. According to some traditions, the rule of three is not literal but symbolizes that our energy returns our way as many times as needed for us to learn the lesson associated with it.[3]
According to occult author/researcher John Coughlin, the Law posits "a literal reward or punishment tied to one's actions, particularly when it comes to working magic".[4] The law is not a universal article of faith among Wiccans, and "there are many Wiccans, experienced and new alike, who view the Law of Return as an over-elaboration on theWiccan Rede."[4] Some Wiccans believe that it is a modern innovation based onChristian morality.[5][6]
The Rule of Three has been compared by Karl Lembke to otherethics of reciprocity, such as the concept ofkarma inDharmic religions and theGolden Rule.[7]
The Rule of Three has a possible prototype in a piece of Wiccan liturgy which first appeared in print inGerald Gardner's 1949 novelHigh Magic's Aid:[8][9]
"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.)
However, The Threefold Law as an actual "law", was an interpretation of Wiccan ideas and ritual, first publicised by noted witchRaymond Buckland, in his books on Wicca. Prior to this, Wiccan ideas of reciprocal ethics were far less defined and more often interpreted as a kind of general karma.[10]
Raymond Buckland made a reference to an ethical threefold law in a 1968 article forBeyond magazine.[11] The Rule of Three later features within a poem of 26 couplets titled "Rede of the Wiccae", published byLady Gwen Thompson in 1975 inGreen Egg vol. 8, no. 69[12] and attributed to her grandmotherAdriana Porter.[13][14] The threefold rule is referenced often by the Wiccans of the Clan Mackenzie in theS.M. StirlingEmberverse novels.
This rule was described by the Dutch metal bandNemesea, in the song "Threefold Law", from the albumMana.
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