To Wiccans and Pagans: The Three Fold Law?

Question

While some of you here might know I'm against the use of a three-fold law, since I'm not Wiccan. I'm still a magician though, and a lot of old school do not use this law. Alright, I'm asking you all to tell me, yea or nay, why you believe or do not believe in this Law and/or it's counterparts, such as the 7 and 10 fold laws. Best answer, even though it might be against my belief on the matter gets 10 points. ;) I'm asking this to generate some good discussions on the matter.

Answer 1

I believe your conscience subconsciously punishes you when you do something you know is wrong--I don't like the whole threefold return thing, because, as you said, it's not old school and is more of a fundamentalist wiccan way of controlling practitioners--also it gets blown way out of proportion when added to the rede, and then someone decides we aren't supposed to used magick for personal gain, or ever interfere with another person's will--it all winds up being a list of 'No's longer than the ten commandments

Answer 2

Great Question!

I'm a pagan. I can't say that I believe in the three/seven/ten fold laws of return per se.. they seem to imply that once we put something out there, we have no control over what will happen but, at least our intent was good.. or not..

I believe that nature is our teacher (as above-so below, as within-so without) and that when we plant a seed in the ground, nurture and care for it, we can hope to see a return in the form of a plant with many potential seeds on it.. however, many factors come into play that can affect the outcome.. lack of sunlight, infertile soil, too much or not enough water, etc...
and then, nothing- no fruit from that seed at all.

So, regardless of whether I intend something for "good or ill", many factors can affect its return or lack thereof.

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" -Robert Burns

Just my two cents' worth..
Brightest blessings,
Lady K

Answer 3

I don't believe in any 3, 7, or 10-fold laws. I do believe that our actions have consequences either in this life or the next ones. I simply don't believe in some mathematician in the sky keeping track of everything that I do/say. We learn what we need to learn, when we need to learn it. To me, an X-fold law just seems like a tenet to instill fear. I suppose that I understand the reasoning behind it, but it just doesn't ring "true" for me. If I were to believe in any law of return, it would probably be an equal one.
YMMV, of course.

Answer 4

I believe that what goes around comes around, and I leave it at that. I do not strictly believe in the threefold law because well...
Say you do something good for someone. According to the threefold law, three good things will come back to you, probably meaning people will do three good things for you. Now they each are supposed to get three good things, too. You end up with exponential growth in the number of good things, and I think you'd run out of positive energy eventually. It cannot just keep going like that forever.
I also don't believe in the threefold law because its basically impossible to measure. Who decided three, or seven or ten, anyhow??? It seems to be an arbitrary measure.
I also don't strictly believe in karma, because with karma, you can end up "owing" something, and I don't think thats how it works. You can owe someone a favor, maybe, but not a karmatic turn... So I stick with "what goes around comes around" and let it happen in whatever way and quantity it will be.

Answer 5

Personally, I find the threefold law to be an attempt to explain the way karma works. I do believe in karma, but I do not see the inclusive threefold law as absolute truth. The same goes for the other polyfold laws as well: just mere hypotheses of an abstract subject. As mere humans on this earth, we will most likely never completely understand the exact way karma works. It is both too simple and too complex, which is a logical fallacy to humans, but not to supernatural beings who are not bound by human logic.

Answer 6

I believe in the three-fold law because it was taught to me as simply:

"If you help someone by sending out positive energy and the problem is successfully resolved, this automatically makes you feel good about yourself and influences your thoughts; thus your state of consciousness is altered. In turn your thoughts stir the emotions, which has a physical effect in the body by causing glandular secretions to enter into the blood stream. The resulting state of mind and body lifts your spirit, which is what makes you feel good. Thus with the act of a single good deed, you have been effected three times, in mind, body, and spirit. This then is your three-fold response to the return of positive energy."

Answer 7

I beleive in some type karma but not that it comes back in multiples. Perhaps not even back to the sender, and not in the same form. Rather than a mirror type effect more like a river - with different eddies all flowing and swirling around.

Answer 8

I believe that the energy that you send out comes back to you, and yes, I believe it comes back in a multiple. Not necessarily in strength, but in direction.

I look at it this way:

Start with a still pond. Drop a stone in that pond, and it generates ripples that radiate out. As the ripples radiate out, they encounter other rocks, plants, the shore, etc. and ripples bounce back from them towards the origin point. Those ripples eventually come back to where the stone was dropped in, but they come from multiple sources.

My actions have a wide effect on the world around me. As I interact with the world around me, how it interacts with me also changes.

Answer 9

Wow 9 minute and Man has not answered.

What is the three fold law?
More information please?