Threes

Three has long been considered a significant number. It is considered both lucky and unlucky on different occasions.

Certainly my parents' generation believed that bad things would always happen in threes, whether breakages or deaths. A further example is the belief that it is unlucky to light 3 cigarettes from a single match, although it is thought by many that this is because in warfare the enemy would sight on the first light, take aim on the second and then shoot on the third. Interestingly, it was also thought to be unlucky to have 3 lighted candles or lamps in the same room. Three, however, is considered positive in terms of trying to achieve things, as in third time lucky. A very old form of divination involved 3 dishes; one filled with clean water, one with dirty and the third left empty, placed in front of the fire. A Blindfolded person dips their left hand into one at random. If they select the clean water they will be married, the dirty they will be widowed and if it is empty then they will never marry.

Of course, in the Craft 3 is significant because many Goddesses have three aspects: Maiden, Mother and Crone. Hence, many spells will require that something is done three times, or over 3 nights, and chants are usually repeated thrice. Furthermore, there are three degrees of Initiation. In some traditions of the Craft, it is said that magic should always be worked in 3 parts: one for yourself, one for someone else and one for the land.

"Look after the planet; you may need it one day."

~from the Real Witches Year by Kate West

Some other ways that threes work well.

My favorite tarot layout works in five groups of three.  The first group of three represents the current state of the querent (sic?).  The bottom two groups of three represent the known past and the 'karmic' past.  The top two groups of three show the unchanged future and the future that could be with concentrated effort.

The druids had the idea of a divine ratio. of which 3 is the forth number.  The ratio is derived from a basic sequence that runs 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, ...  Of these numbers 2 - 13 had a particular signifigance as well.  2 is the first male number, 3 is the first female number, 5 for the elements of air, earth, fire, water, and spirit, 8 for the festivals, and 13 for the number of months in the druidic year.

Three also represents all forms of the goddess: maiden (virgin), mother, and crone.  As mentioned above 2 is the first male because there are two faces of the male deity, also known as the Oak and Holly King.

The Solitary Druid,
a.k.a. COpagan