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February 18, 2025

The Threefold Law vs The 10 Commandments

The Threefold law thought to be passed down from Wealthy Trask’s (1787-1829) family to Sarah Arnot Cook (1818-) to Adriana Porter (July 1857 – March 1, 1946) and then to Lady Gwen Phyllis Thompson (September 16, 1928 – May 22, 1986). Lady Gwen then began initiating outsiders into the tradition in the late 1960s. Their poem was published in 1975 in The Green Egg magazine.

While learning British witchcraft in England Gerald Gardner promised Dorthy Clutterbuck that he would not publish any of his writings as real magics. So, he wrote fiction novels and, in his book, ‘High Magic's Aid’ in 1949 he wrote about The Rule of Three as an ethical threefold law, in the form of "Mark well, when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold." Dorthy Clutterbuck gave him permission to publish nonfiction in 1951 just before she died. This is also when the last of the witchcraft laws were overturned in England.

In 1964, Doreen Valiente first publicly stated the Rede at a Pagan gathering. This was the first published version of the "eight words" verse. "An' it harms none, do what ye will"

In the Wicca Rede poem, mostly written by Doreen Valiente states “What ye send forth comes back to thee. So, ever mind the law of three”. This was to help clear up any mistaken beliefs.

There is also a poem called "The Wiccan Rede" that was published in Earth Religion News in 1974.

Raymond Buckland popularized the threefold law in his books on Wicca.

It's important to note that there are many Pagan traditions that do not adhere to this guideline at all.

Some believe it is literal and others symbolic. Some believe it is a deterrent for newbies to not run out and play with spells. Others believe it’s a reminder that actions have consequences. Some Wiccans believe it is karma. Where others believe it is cause and effect.

I believe that if I do good then it will come back to me. And I don’t mean doing something good in order to get something back. Just do it because it is the right thing to do.

The threefold division of the law is a doctrine in the Bible that divides God's law into three parts: moral, ceremonial, and civil. The moral law, which is summarized in the Ten Commandments, is considered to be permanently binding. The threefold nature of God is a concept in Christianity that refers to God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The threefold way is a Buddhist path that involves ethics, meditation, and wisdom.

I didn’t realize that there were 2 versions of the 10 Commandments. There is also a third which is a short version, but I thought we would just go over the first two. There is the set which the Catholics and the Lutherans use and the one that the Protestant and the Orthodox Churches use.

The Catholic/Lutheran version

The Protestant/Orthodox Churches version

I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. *
I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. *
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Honor your father and your mother.
Remember the Sabbath Day.
You shall not kill.
Honor thy father and mother.
You shall not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not kill.
You shall not steal.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.*
Thou shalt not steal.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.*
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.*
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house nor his wife nor anything that belongs to him.

When I was working as a casino dealer, we had a list of things to do and every week there was one particular thing we were supposed to emphasize. One day the pit boss came up and asked me what the saying for the day was and I told him that I didn’t know. He proceeded to tell me that I was supposed to know these and do them. I told him that I did. I did all of them every day, so I didn’t think I needed to know what the one thing for the week was. He just walked off.

If we do what we feel is right, then I believe that is good enough. I know what is right and wrong. And for those that don’t like to make a decision, well you just did because that will come back as well.

What do you think about this and what do you believe?

The Threefold Law vs The 10 Commandments

In 1964, Doreen Valiente first publicly stated the Rede at a Pagan gathering. This was the first published version of the "eight words" verse. "An' it harms none, do what ye will"

In the Wicca Rede poem, mostly written by Doreen Valiente states “What ye send forth comes back to thee. So, ever mind the law of three”. This was to help clear up any mistaken beliefs.

There is also a poem called "The Wiccan Rede" that was published in Earth Religion News in 1974.

Raymond Buckland popularized the threefold law in his books on Wicca.

It's important to note that there are many Pagan traditions that do not adhere to this guideline at all.

Some believe it is literal and others symbolic. Some believe it is a deterrent for newbies to not run out and play with spells. Others believe it’s a reminder that actions have consequences. Some Wiccans believe it is karma. Where others believe it is cause and effect.

I believe that if I do good then it will come back to me. And I don’t mean doing something good in order to get something back. Just do it because it is the right thing to do.

The threefold way is a Buddhist path that involves ethics, meditation, and wisdom.

I didn’t realize that there were 2 versions of the 10 Commandments. There is also a third which is a short version, but I thought we would just go over the first two. There is the set which the Catholics and the Lutherans use and the one that the Protestant and the Orthodox Churches use.

The Catholic/Lutheran version

The Protestant/Orthodox Churches version

I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. *

I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. *

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Honor your father and your mother.

Remember the Sabbath Day.

You shall not kill.

Honor thy father and mother.

You shall not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not kill.

You shall not steal.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.*

Thou shalt not steal.

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.*

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.*

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house nor his wife nor anything that belongs to him.

If we do what we feel is right, then I believe that is good enough. I know what is right and wrong. And for those that don’t like to make a decision, well you just did because that will come back as well.

What do you think about this and what do you believe?