Law of Three vs. Law of Reaction
Wiccan's and some other magical traditions hold to something called the "Law of Three". The basic tenet of this law is that whatever you put out into the universe, good or bad, by magical means will come back to you three times. Other traditions talk about karma or karmic law, which equates to basically the same thing. Many druids adhere to these laws. There are other traditions such as Vodoun and pre-Gardnerian folk witchcraft that don't hold to these laws at all. In Druid tradition, we adhere to something called the "Law of Reaction".
A basic scientific principle is that "for every action, there is an equal reaction." Or put another way, everything we do has consequences that are built upon our previous actions. Sometimes the outcomes are exactly what we wanted, other times they're not. We are responsible for our own actions and the reactions they get - magical or otherwise. We don't hold that unfavorable reactions are necessarily the direct result of bad karma, or a punishment from the universe. We believe that the universe is neutral when it comes to morality, though many god-forms are not. Even if the universe isn't morality neutral, it wouldn't necessarily have the same standards of morality that we do. Many practitioners of magic cite the neutrality of the universe as a reason for always adding the phrase "with harm to none" at the end of a spell or magical working. The reasoning goes, suppose you cast a spell asking for money. If you don't specify with the "no harm" phrase, you may just as easily get your wish when a wealthy relative unexepectedly dies and leaves you his inheritance. You may have just been hoping to win the lottery. The universe makes no moral distinctions in carrying out your wish. Usually magic follows the line of least resistance and manifests along the lines of highest probability. We find it amusing that many magicians cite the morality neutral universe theory as a reason to add the "harm to none" phrase, and then contradict themselves by claiming that the universe will enforce its morality through karma or the law of three. Either it is moral, or it isn't. We believe it is neutral, at least in terms of human understanding.
So, if we believe that the universe is morally neutral, then how do we explain negative reactions or outcomes to magical workings? First and foremost, magic is based strongly on individual belief. If you don't believe in magic, you'll never see magical results. If you believe that what you are doing is wrong and that the universe will punish you for it, you'll see results that support your beliefs. You may even subconsciously play a part in bringing your worst fears about. Another reason magic might not give you the results you planned is because the results you asked for weren't the results that you really wanted in the first place. You don't always get what you ask for, sometimes you get what you need. You may have asked for a new job, but you really needed more money, so you get a raise instead. Your subconscious or higher consciousness may not always agree with your conscious wishes. A third reason why magic might not give us our desired results is a lack of experience on the part of the magician. Since magic is based on individual belief and the inner workings of the human mind, results aren't always predictable.
Besides our belief that the universe is morality neutral, we diverge from the three-fold and karmic laws for other reasons. If we believe that people receive three-fold whatever they put out into the universe, good or bad, it really doesn't explain why so often in life bad things happen to good people, or why some very negative and self-centered people get ahead in life. In fact, in modern life, it is often those people who don't concern themselves with others that get ahead. Also, the original druids, witches, and other magicians were oblivious to such a law. While modern magicians argue about whether it is morally acceptable to cast love spells or to do anything that affects anyone or anything but oneself, the original folk magicians were casting love spells on whoever caught their attention, cursing their neighbor's crops and livestock, and hexing their rivals. The three-fold law is a fairly modern invention. It was first seen as part of the Gardnerian tradition in the mid-twentieth century. No mention of it is ever made of it before that time. It was originially seen as a part of their initiation ceremonies, and may have been a way that over eager initiates were kept magically in check.
Some traditions hold that it is spiritually pious to seek a life of poverty, chastitity, and dare I say it, pure "wimpiness". They also hold that magic shouldn't be used for any kind of personal gain. The Bethany Coven Of The Oak does not hold to these beliefs. We believe that it is the responsibility of each person to do whatever he can to better his own life. In fact, when we believe that a higher sense of spirituality can be attained when we no longer have to struggle for life's necessities. Spirituality based in suffering and struggling acts more as a crutch that hinders higher spiritual pursuits. Druids live both in the magical, spiritual world and in the materialistic world of men. Achieving balance between the two, and improving yourself and situation in both, is important to your success as a whole person. We may have been taught that spirituality and materialism cannot exist together, and that it is selfish and wrong to do magic for personal gain. These beliefs are a hold-over from Christian beliefs and influence. They have nothing to do with working magic. If we believe this, we place ourselves in a trap that prevents us from manifesting by magic what we need in our lives. The Ancient Celts had no trouble reconciling materialism and spirituality, because they realized that each is present in the other, and that matter is only solidified spirit. One can be materialistic in the sense that he is concerned with his material well-being, and yet not be superficial or controlled by material things. One can enjoy the comfort of wealth without being fake or shallow. We also hold that human sexuality is sacred in all its forms. As for "wimpiness", we do not believe that you should be a doormat when it comes to protecting yourself or your loved ones. We believe that one should act in life with intent and confidence. Anger, and even retaliation, can be justified if it seeks to prevent an injustice from being repeated, to right a wrong, or to teach a lesson. Allowing a wrong or evil to exist unchecked is harmful to everyone.
To summarize, we hold to a law of reaction in magical working, and the threefold law. Whatever actions we take, magical or otherwise, create a reaction. Sometimes the reaction is exactly what we wanted. Other times it is not. We believe the universe is morality neutral. As such, it's a good idea to end each spell with a phrase such as "and harm to no one." Being morality neutral, the universe doesn't punish us for our intent. We do believe that a person doing magic should choose to act based on his own sense of morality, not because of fear of any kind of retribution from the universe. We believe that one can be both material and spiritual. One's material well-being is as important as their spiritual well-being, if one is to live a balanced life.
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