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Going through last year’s April’s A-to-Z blogging challenge, I stumbled across The Keeper’s Path (https://thekeeperspath.com/), a well-written Wiccan blog which answers many questions clearly. Check out both her 2016 and 2025 lists of articles and dig into her “Knock on a Cottage Door” where she answers questions.
The one posting that caught my eye, especially for the third month of the year and just past the Spring Equinox, is “The Law of Threefold Return” (posted April 7, 2025).
Anyone who has read fantasy or urban fantasy, whether high, low, or smut, is well aware of the Law of Three, but I’ve always seen it approached in fictional writing as a volume thing. You slam someone into a wall, you will trip and break an arm. You help someone move, when it comes time to move you will have the help you need. That sort of thing. Either “karma,” what you send out returns in equal measure, or “threefold,” what you do comes back to you times three.
But Lady Serpent points out magic isn’t just one level of energy; we are not just creatures of one energy. We are mind, body, and soul. We are land, sea, and sky. We are earth, wind, and fire. If goodwill is sent out, it might come back in three different forms; evil intent, likewise.
As writers and readers, we are equally aware of the rule of three. Beginning, middle and end. Write, edit, publish. Plot, character, backstory. And, of course, the trilogy series. (Sidenote, I think the Two applies to creation, the number of balance and duality: muse/inspiration and effort/determination.)
Anyway, if you are writing about witches either in a fantasy or contemporary (urban fantasy) setting, you might want to check out this blog (Lady Serpent is also on Twitch and Facebook) for a new variation to your worldbuilding or to learn more about Wicca.
Let me just say, this would be similar to doing research into indigenous lore, European myths, or Oriental religions. Remember to always act in good faith because the universal law of three is place; good faith returns trust, belief, and hope — bad faith, well, I think you can guess the results.
The Keeper’s Path is an informative blog and The Law of Threefold Return is a thought-provoking post.