The Magic of Three

by

The Tao created one
One created two
Two created three
The three created all 10.000 things 

Das Tao erzeugte Eins
Eins erzeugte Zwei
Zwei erzeugte Drei
Die Drei erzeugte die zehntausend Dinge

(Lao Tsu ‘Tao Te Ching‘)

The Lake District, Cumbria, England

‘Is three a lucky or unlucky number for you?‘, Siri and Selma asked when they saw Dina’s picture.
Originally the meaning of the number three goes back to the three phases of the moon which were personalised as Hebe, Hera and Hekate, the three moon goddesses who are standing for becoming, being and passing away.
In east and southeast Asia, it’s considered inauspicious to take a photo of three people. It is believed that the middle person will die first. Fortunately, Dina photographed trees. We Bookfayries are quite superstitious and believe good and bad luck always comes in threes. We also say ‘Third time’s the charm‘. For donkey’s years, we believe that the third try is lucky. Everything new arises through a third element. That’s Hegel’s dialectics when the Weltgeist creates from thesis and antithesis the new synthesis. Even the wise Lao Tzu agrees with us Bookfayries, three creates life’s abundance.     

‘Ist die Drei eine eine Glücks- oder Unglückszahl für euch?‘, fragten Siri und Selma angesichts Dinas Foto.
Ursprünglich geht die Bedeutung der Zahl Drei auf die drei Mondphasen zurück, personifiziert durch die drei Erscheinungen der Mondgöttin als Hebe, Hera und Hekate, d.h. als als Werden, Sein und Vergehen.
In Ost- and Südost Asien gilt es als höchst ungehörig, ein Foto von drei Personen zu schießen, da die mittlere Person, so glaubt man, als erste bald sterben wird. Zum Glück fotografierte Dina hier ‘nur’ Bäume. Wir Buchfeen sagen aber ‘alle guten Dinge sind drei‘. Seit ewig und drei Tagen glauben wir daran, dass beim dritten Mal oder dritten Versuch alles gut wird. Alles Neue entsteht doch als Drittes, wie bei Hegels Dialektik aus These und Antithese das Neue als Synthese entsteht. Kein Geringeres als das weise ‘Tao Te King’ gibt uns Buchfeen recht: Die Drei erzeugt die Fülle des Lebens.

Do you know that our dear friends live under these three trees? The three-wishes-fairies who grand the elected three wishes. You have to think quite hard what you are wishing because it will come true. Around three corners our three-wishes-fairies are related to the three Norns, those weird sisters, who are busily spinning the yarn of destiny and cutting it in the end.
Gurdjieff, the philosopher and spiritual teacher, writes also about ‘the law of three‘ as a ‘fundamental cosmic law‘. In his Eneagram, a symbol that encoded his teachings and shows the stages every process runs through, a triangle stands central in the middle.
‘Should your photograph also be an encoding of the law of three?‘, we asked Dina
‘Of course! The trees stand for hope, sleep and laughter in the landscape of efforts. By the way ‘Alle gode ting er tre‘ (all good things are three) we say in Norway. Do you see the point? ‘tre‘ means tree and also three.‘ 

Wisst ihr was? Bei den drei Bäumen am See vor den Bergen leben unsere Freundinnen, die Wunschfeen, die dem Erwählten drei Wünsche erfüllen. Die freilich gut überlegt sein müssen, auf dass einem das Schicksal kein Schnippchen schlägt. Über drei Ecken, sind diese Wunschfeen mit den drei Nornen verwandt, die emsig den Schicksalsfaden spinnen, um ihn letztendlich abzuschneiden.
Der Weisheitslehrer Gurdjieff, ging ebenfalls vom ‘Gesetz der Drei’ aus, das er als ‘ein grundlegendes kosmisches Gesetz‘ erkannte, weswegen er das Dreieck zentral in das Enneagramm setzte, eine geometrische Figur, die Prozessabläufe und letztlich seine gesamte Lehre verdeutlicht.
‘Soll dein Foto auch eine ikonogaphische Verschlüsselung des Gesetzes der Drei sein?‘, fragten wir Dina.
‘Klar doch, die drei Bäume stehen für Hoffnung, Schlaf und Lachen in der Landschaft des mühseligen Lebens. Und außerem ‘Alle gode ting er tre’ sagen wir im Norwegischen. Erkennt ihr den Clou? ‘tre’ heißt ‘Baum’ und ‘Drei’ zugleich.’

We are relieved having concluded this text. It wasn’t easy for us poor Bookfayries writing a text for Dina’s photograph from the Lake District that would have stunned even Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey. We say goodbye bringing out three cheers for you.

Jetzt machen wir drei Kreuzchen, dass wir diesen Text vollendet haben. Es war nicht einfach, zu diesem Bild aus dem Lake District einen Text zu schreiben, der selbst Wordsworth, Coleridge und Southey verblüfft hätte. Nun ist’s geschafft; wir verabschieden uns lieb mit einem dreifachen Hoch auf euch

Love and greetings
Mit lieben ❤ Grüßen
🧚‍♀️ Siri 🙂 und  🧚‍♀️ Selma 🙂

P.S.:
We clever Bookfayries think this picture is a paradox. It’s paradox because photography can’t reflect time. But with these three trees time sneaked in as three is time’s number as past, present and future.

Ist es nicht ein Paradox, dass Fotografie keine Zeitabläufe widerspiegeln kann, aber mit den drei Bäumen, hat sich die Zahl der Zeit, nämlich die Drei eingeschlichen, die für Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft steht.



.

© Text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers and Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea, 2018

 

221 thoughts

  1. My dear friends, let me first start with congratulating Dina on this very atmospheric photo. It’s almost a painting, so very different from anything else I have seen. Where in The Lake District is this?

    The magic of Three is very special to us in Sweden. In the flag of Sweden, we have Tre Kronor, the Three Crowns. 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Sending you best wishes from frosty Stockholm, have a lovely weekend and take good care. Hope the storm has calmed down around yours now. The UK has been featured in the news several times because of the wintery weather, now that’s something totally different! 🙂
    Kram Annalena

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Hi Annalena,
      thank you very for your lovely comment. 🙂 Come to think of it, the flag of East Anglia (our part of England) has three crowns in it too. A shield of three golden crowns, placed two above one, on a blue background, has been used as a symbol of East Anglia for centuries. The flag as it is today was proposed by George Henry Langham and adopted in 1902. It superimposes the three crowns in a blue shield on a St George’s cross.
      Klem til deg fra oss i Fredrikstad. Ha en god helg. Xx

      Liked by 3 people

    • Hi, our dear friend Annalena,
      we wanted to know as well why there are 3 crowns in the flag of Sweden. Usually, the crowns in a flag indicating different united kingdoms. But we have unfortunately no idea what the three crowns of the East Anglian flag mean.
      Thanks for liking Dina’s picture 🙂 🙂
      Wishing you a wonderful weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

    • Somehow I feared and almost anticipated this question. A tricky one! Both the crowns, and the fact that there are three of them, have led to much speculation and some quite fanciful interpretations of the significance of the arms. Three golden crowns on a blue field is the small coat of arms of Sweden.
      Please forgive me for quoting as I’m trying to get it right and I’m not sure if this is right: 😉

      Scheffer mentions three such myths (or hypothesises), all of them attempting to explain why there are three crowns in the arms.

      The crowns represent the three crowned gods of the Uppsala, the seat of a holy place, before the introduction of Christianity.
      The crowns represent the three areas of Uppland (the area around Uppsala) that had the right to participate in the election of the king.
      The three crowns represent the Three Wise Men (or Holy Kings).

      A hypothesis that the three crowns were the arms of Sweden’s patron saint King Erik (died 1160) has also been presented. King Erik is sometimes depicted together with the three crowns. However, there is nothing to suggest that he used the arms [sch53, pp 236-244].

      The arms with three crowns were first used in a seal of a Swedish king in 1364, when Albrecht became king of Sweden (he was originally Duke of Mecklenburg). In a short time it became the arms of Sweden, rather than the arms of the dynasty in power. However, there is evidence that the arms are older. It has been suggested that the crowns are just a symbol of the king’s power, and that the number three is without significance. One, two or three crowns had been used on coins of Swedish coins before Albrecht’s time. King Albrecht also used a seal with only one crown [sch53, pp 236-244]. The actual arms with three crowns are also found in a fresco in Avignon, commemorating a 1336 meeting of cardinals [nev92, p 15]. In 1336, Magnus Eriksson (1316-1374) was king of Sweden. He had inherited the crown of Norway from his grandfather Haakon V of Norway, and got the Swedish crown because his father was the brother of the king of Sweden. In the 1330s king Magnus bought Scania from Denmark, and subsequently used the title King of Sweden, Norway and Scania. It is therefor possible that the three crowns were intended to represent King Magnus’ three kingdoms. This interpretation also fitted well into the union policies of later times (Denmark then replacing Scania). Even today we can find three crowns in the coat of arms of Denmark, now officially said to commemorate the Scandinavian unions (rather than territorial claims).

      There are some references to the three crowns as the Swedish ‘national banner’ (Swedish: riksbanér). In the chronicle Ernst von Kirchberg started writing in 1378, the Reimchronik, King Albrecht is depicted with a pennant like banner that is dark blue and charged with three golden crowns [nev93, pp 44-45]. However, as far as I can see, this did not become established as the flag of Sweden. Rather, a blue and yellow flag, gradually came to represent both the king and country. This was at first striped alternating blue and yellow, later it became a cross flag patterned after the Danish flag. This cross flag Sweden became the sign of the Swedish state under the reign of Gustavus Adolphus (1594-1632) [abe74, pp 13-23].
      Jan Oskar Engene, 13 June 1996

      In the Danish COA, the three crowns are in commemoration of the Kalmar Union between the three kingdoms Sweden, Norway and Denmark. That’s the official story, of course.
      Ole Andersen, 03 February 1998

      According to Erling Svane: “Det danske Rigsvåben og Kongevåben”, the three crowns were adopted by Albrecht of Mecklenburg in 1364, instead of the Folkunga Lion, which is known from Birger Magnusson’s seal in 1238 and 1254. Magnus Ladulås used the crowned Folkunga Lion in 1275.
      Ole Andersen, 12 May 1999

      Svane’s argument that the three crowns were adopted by Albrecht of Mecklenburg – the long dominant view – has been killed, because the arms of Sweden was discovered in an Avignon palace fresco dated to 1336. This means that the three crowns, placed two over one, were probably introduced by King Magnus Eriksson (1316-1374), who styled himself King of Sweden, Norway and Scania. Hence three crowns.
      Jan Oskar Engene, 21 May 1999

      Today the [Command Sign of the King], a special flag for use as a command flag by other members of the royal family than the king, consists of three yellow crowns on blue [nor86, pp 434-449]. The king himself has a personal banner consisting of the greater coat of arms of Sweden. This is also a command flag. The Royal Standard on the other hand is the three-tongued flag with the large coat of arms on a white field in the intersection of the arms of the cross. Both these flags were adopted in 1943. Currently, the Swedish rank and command flag system is under review (Militære kommando- og rangflagg i Norden IV: Sverige[mun96, pp 12-16]).
      Jan Oskar Engene, 13 June 1996

      That’s a lot, but you asked for it. Or sort of. 🙂

      Kram, Annalena Xx

      Liked by 1 person

    • WELL done, dear Annalena,
      now we know much more about the 3 crowns in the Swedish flag. Thank you very VERY much 🙂 🙂
      You still like to research and find out, don’t you?
      With lots of love from wintery Cley
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      XXXXXXXXXXXXX

      Like

  2. Interesting reading with an outstanding image, Fab Four! I remember back in the sixties, my dad used to drive a Chrysler with three crowns. It was not the usual Chrysler logo, only for this type, the New Yorker. 🙂
    You have been in the news with your wintery weather in the UK. Stay safe and keep warm! 🙂
    Best regards, Paul and Amy

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Paul and Amy,
      we are very happy, we have a real winter right now and we love it. We built a huge snowman, drove around a bit enjoying these masses of snow, well ‘masses’ the English call it. We find it quite normal for a real winter. Nothing extraordinary but nevertheless chaos on the roads. Although very special are the high winds building snowdrifts across the roads.
      Maybe, New York has a connection to these three crowns?
      Thank you and have a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Ah, like the three wisdom’s of life…the wisdom of listening and hearing,; the wisdom of contemplation and reflection, and; the wisdom of meditation and application…I bet under any of those lovely tree’s it would be very easy. Or at least cover the fourth wisdom…sleep 😀
    Many thanks for sharing your 3’s, an interesting tale 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Mark,
      under those trees, three fairies are living seducing everyone sitting there to follow them to the forth wisdom.
      We like your idea of the three wisdoms 🙂 🙂
      Thanks and, of course, 3 cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 3 people

    • Our dear Lady,
      it’s great! We have a real winter here. We love it. We already built a big snowman and we are around the country enjoying the whiteness making everything so smooth. Unfortunately, it will not hold for a while. The temperature is already rising but it’s still freezing.
      Thanks for liking Dina’s picture.
      Wishing you a great weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Like

  5. Spannend zu lesen, gern verfolgt.
    Die Zahl 3 ist einer der ersten positiven ganzen Zahlen, deshalb auch bietet sie sich zur Kontemplation an.
    Ich verfasste mal eine Ode an die Zahl 5. Ich sollte das mal wieder hevorholen 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Wir finden überhaupt die Primzahlen ganz besonders. Da ist doch eine Magie mit verbunden, diese Unregelmäßigkeit, mit der sie sich auf dem Zahlenstrahl anordnen und diese einzigartige Unteilbarkeit. Und es ist einmalig, dass die Summe der beiden vorausgehenen Zahlen 1 und 2 als Ergebnis die darauffolgende Zahl 3 ergibt. Während die 3 eher magisch göttlich gesehen wird, so steht die Venuszahl 5 für die Harmonie, da im Pentagram sich alle Linien im goldenen Schnitt teilen.
      Deine Ode an die 5 würde wir gerne lesen. Masterchen findet alle Aspekte der Numerik spannend.
      Danke und wir wünschen dir ein feines Wochenende
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

    • Ich werde diese Ode wohl nicht mehr finden.
      Mein Bruder feierte einst aus 5 Anlässen ein Fest. Ich verwies darauf, daß die Hände und Füsse auch jeweils 5 Glieder haben, denn der Mensch hat 4 Extremitäten. Meistens sind die Glieder einer Extremität im Tierreich ja plus 1.
      Aus 5 Gründen zu feiern kommt einer Hand gleich. Ist handlich, reicht die Hand. Wie genau ich das formulierte, weniger eckig und gezwungen, weiß ich aber nicht mehr genau, wie gesagt.
      Schade.

      Liked by 2 people

  6. Hanna, a stunning photo from the Lakes and it reminds me of old masters painting … wonderfully atmospheric and full of foreboding! Maybe that is because of the threes! What terrific musings in the number and I feel as if I’ve been in class this morning! I have heard the same saying in Sweden … and Three seems to be Central in so many thoughts and philosophies. Reading about the Asian belief of the middle person of Three dying first if photographed I just hope this beautiful middle tree fares well! Hope you’re all keeping warm and snug on the Norfolk coast! 😀❤️

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Annika,
      we are so happy 🙂 🙂 that is the third real winter’s day today. We love it. We built a huge snowman and were outdoors nearly all the last two days. Everythings looks so beautiful. Very special is the high wind going with the snow building up quite some snowdrifts. And it’s so light outside and at the same time, it’s much quieter.
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma made sure that the middle tree will not die early.
      We are so happy that you like Hanne-Dina’s picture 🙂 🙂
      With warm greetings from the cold sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

  8. Seit einigen Tagen übe ich schon den Satz: Wow, wie schön ist das denn?! gedanklich und dann würde ich gar nichts mehr kommentieren können, denn ich wäre wirklich geplättelt von all der Schönheit eures nächsten Blogbeitrags…
    123, so war´s!!!
    Genial!
    Ich schicke euch nächste Woche ein Video von unserem Tanz mit den 3 Kräften, den wir diese Woche die ganze Zeit getanzt haben. Vor lauter Begeisterung habe ich das Filmen vergessen und wir müssen es nächste Woche nochmal machen.
    Die 3 Möglichkeiten sind “nahe sein” , “weit weg sein” , “umkreisen”…die KInder und auch die Erwachsenen hatten so einen Spaß und wollten nicht mehr aufhören…
    So, das konnte ich noch anfügen, denn ich hatte mich ja auf die Großartigkiet eurer Blogpost vorbereitet….jetzt genieße ich noch….
    Wunderschön!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dankeschön, liebe Pia 🙂 🙂
      Die Idee der 3 Möglichkeiten finden wir spannend. Wir sind aufs Video gespannt 🙂 Raumanordnungen kommen oft als eine Gruppe von 3 daher, wie auch der Raum meistens durch Triangulierung vermessen wird.
      Wir haben endlich einen richtig schönen Winter hier, den wir sehr genießen mit Schneemannbauen, Schneeballschlachten und Staunen über die die großen weißen Flächen.
      Mit lieben Grüßen und den besten Wünschen für ein feines Wochenende
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Like

  9. Dinas Picture remind me to The moods in The paintings of Caspar David Friedrich- so deep and also romantic lonesome moments of nature. I am a fairy like Siri and Selma. Yes, all of good and bad is to find in number three. A holy number. My Most lucky number is seven. Okay, I am a fairy and The crossing sum of my birthday date is seven, The number standing for some kind of magic. Some Photography is artwork. Then when it shows the unvarnished soul of a thing, a mood, a person…all having a soul…
    Many greetings to you fab fours ✨🧚‍♀️

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Karfunkelfee,
      you are right, it’s a typical Romantic picture. The fascination with nature’s mysticism and everything that is a bit secretive like in the “Kunstmärchen der Romantik” (I love Ludwig Tieck’s “Der Runenberg” und “Der blonde Eckbert”). You can easily understand how the Lake-Poets got their inspirations here and how the gothic novel was born at this time. You are absolutely right, this picture is romantic as romantic can be.
      We are very proud that our beloved Dina can photograph such moody pictures. Thanks for liking her photography 🙂 🙂
      We love the 3. From 3 all development starts. Hegel had his Super-Fayrie called Weltgeist, a special fairy watching that change follows the law of thesis and anthesis to produce something new, the synthesis. From the Polarity of 1 (positive) and 2 (negative) future (the child) is born. 3 is the number of time and this crazy Weltgeist-Fayrie does time magic. Unfortunately, we have to admit we are not as nearly so good as him practising our fayrie magic.
      And your 7 is the 3+2+2 No 7 without a 3 😉
      We built a big snowman today in our garden. Great winter weather right now, therefore we have to go outside immediately.
      Wishing you a GREAT magical weekend, finest fairy dust 💫⭐️✨⚡️
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Hello, Dina,

    I second the previous praising comments for your amazing picture relating so well to your interesting writing. You are a multitasking artist. 👏🏻

    In France, unfortunately, when bad luck strikes a second time, we use to say “Never two without three”, expecting another bad occurence happening subsequently.

    Thank you for revealing the three crowns on our host county’s flag of East Anglia. We’ve been here for 35 years and never noticed such a detail.

    Have a safe journey back to Cley, still covered in snow with a blistering cold wind that has created havoc all over he UK.

    Kind regards, Frederic

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Hi, dear Frederic,
      we love this weather. And do you know what? We built a really big snowman in our garden. Looks great! And we love going to Holt and further in road conditions we are used to and – sorry – joking about drivers but helping as well. It’s like winter has to be and we throw snowballs and enjoy this white very graphic landscape.
      Yes, the number 3 has both sides, the lucky number and the unlucky one. There is a tradition that odd numbers (except 1), in general, were seen as rather negative.
      Our dear Hanne-Dina will, unfortunately, stay in Norway for another 10 days.
      You wouldn’t believe it but we have more snow in Cley than she in Frederikstad.
      Thanks for commenting and warm greetings
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I have always thought that three was a special, perhaps sacred, number – something wholesome and balanced about it. You have jogged my memory about Gurdjieff’s teachings regarding the law of three – I remember devouring Ouspensky’s writings on it many, many years ago. I am currently staying (trapped!) in a village just to the east of Edinburgh, house-sitting a friend’s house while I concentrate on getting some writing done. We must all meet up again soon – when/if I ever manage to get back down south again I will give you a call. All the best from East Lothian (twinned with Siberia). Laurence

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Laurence,
      KEEP WARM. North Norfolk is GREAT, we built a big snowman in the garden, the landscape is magic and very graphic. These are conditions we are used to and they produced happy childhood memories. And guess what? Dina is in Norway, where it is much colder (- 15 C) but she has not as much snow than we have.
      Isn’t that an ideal situation to write, well, this reminds us of “Shining” but we are sure you’ll have a happy end. My problem with the winter right now I can’t write because I don’t want to stay in. And here the real winters are so short, you easily miss them.
      In a way, Gurdjieff and Ouspensky had the same basic ideas about ‘the laws of the universe’ and their structures. Seen it as a triangle, the 1 and 2 form the basic polarity, the hypothenusis, the 3 is above this basis and it points outside the system > in the future? another dimension? For Gurdjieff, the 3 points of the triangle are seen as ‘shock points’, points where a system needs an impulse from outside the system for avoiding repetition.
      Dina is in Norway, having less snow than we in Cley, for another ten days. We would like to meet VERY much. We keep in touch.
      Happy survival, keep your feet warm, dear Laurence
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Hello, Dina,

    I second the previous comments for your amazing picture of the trees relating to your very interesting writing. You are a multitasking artist. 👏🏻

    In France, unfortunately, when bad luck strikes a second time, we say “Never two without three!”, expecting another subsequent misfortune.

    Thank you for revealing the three crowns of our host county’s flag of East Anglia. We have lived for 35 years in Blakeney… and never noticed the design of our flag 😔

    Have a safe journey back to Cley, still covered with snow with a blistering wind.

    Kind regards,
    Frederic

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  14. Ah, such a thoughtful essay abut the number three.
    When I used to play the card game Brag, for money, three threes was the top hand. Unbeatable.
    Third time lucky has indeed been a saying all of my life. I have been married three times, so always hoped that this third time would be the best.
    In WW1, soldiers were taught to never have the third light from a match, as it gave enemy snipers time to target the third soldier.
    It would seem that three is not always so lucky…
    A lovely image from Dina, the perfect accompaniment as always.
    Love from Beetley, Pete and Ollie. X

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Pete,
      we love this real winter weather here in Cley! A big snowman is watching the front of our house and we drive around the countryside taking pictures. Dina is in Norway and has less snow than we have but it is much colder, down to minus 17 at daytime, under minus 20 night time.
      There are very few negative aspects of the number 3. As many of our associations concerning a number are based on magic the number 3 has a positive image. In European folklore, the 3 is mostly seen as positive like in Hegel’s dialectic system of history. In esoterics, the 3 is quite often symbolising the intellect and its colour is seen as yellow. That’s because a triangle points into the universe, outside its own system. In Christianity and other religions, we have a holy trinity. This influenced us over centuries to see the 3 as a positive number.
      Thanks for your examples.
      Keep warm and have a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks a lot for reblogging our post. We feel honoured 🙂 🙂
      3 is the classic number of time and space.
      Wishing you a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

    • Good afternoon,
      great that you like our post.
      Usually one doesn’t think about numbers, one takes them for granted. But in the centuries before people thought a lot about numbers. There existed a philosophy of numbers from classic Greek times onwards.
      Thank you very much and all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

  18. In 1998 I was a carpet dealer and journalist in Armenia on the hunt for the history of the oldest carpet in the world, the Pazyryk. My search led me from Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, to the small village of Harich near Gyumri in the north east of the country. Though I was unaware of it at the time, Gyumri used to be known as Alexandropol, the birthplace of Gurdjieff. Coincidentally, as well as being a mystic, philosopher and spiritual teacher Gurdjieff was also a dealer in carpets. So what an earth can another of Bryan’s far-fetched tales have possibly to do with the number three? I can sense you asking. Well, as my guide took me walking across the barren, windswept hills beyond the village to an archeological site, three old women invited us into a cave by a little plot of land next to a stream, where they were growing vegetables, for coffee. Their names were Noush, Anoush and Nuvard. After finishing my coffee, Anoush read the grains at the bottom of my cup. She made several observations that were uncannily accurate, before making two predictions, both of which came true within weeks. All are recorded in my diaries and notebooks of that year.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear Bryan,
      you lucky one met the three women of magic, the virgin, the mother and the wise woman. Gurdjieff describes in “Meetings With Remarkable Men” some of the magic practised (successfully) in this part of the world (Armenia). But it’s spooky, isn’t it?
      Thanks for your story of the 3 women. These 3 women remind me on the 3 Norns in Nordic mythology.
      Was the oldest carpet in the world ever found?
      We wish you a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

  19. Fab Four of Cley,
    I don’t seem to have a luck or un-lucky number, but like you, I do find bad luck for many does come in threes. I’m certainly not saying that Dina’s magnificent picture is unlucky or the middle tree will die first. In fact, I think it symbolizes a more realistic theory – as I enlarged it and took in the sky, mountains, trees and earth, I saw Heaven, Earth and the underworld depicted (oops, 3 again),
    Well, Bookfayries, I see you are right again. Whether good or bad – we are stuck with the “Threes”. Say hello to your 3-wish fairies for me!
    GP Cox

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear GP Cox,
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma voiced your greetings to the Three-Wish-Fairies. We shall greet you back.
      Dina is very happy that you like her picture, it’s so moody, isn’t it?
      We suppose that 3 is a natural basic order – after polarity comes synthesis. We see time in threes as past, present and future. We can’t escape the magic of three.
      We wish you a great weekend, a lucky and happy one
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

  20. Three is definitely a lucky number, it implies completeness and can be found in many cultures and religions including Christianity with the concept of Trinity. Kudos are going to the photo by Dina of the three trees. It looks like it has been lovingly painted in a most beautiful blend of pixels. Congratulations to the Group of Four!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Peter,
      oh, such kind words, they move us. Thank you very much for liking our post 🙂 🙂
      We agree, 3 is completeness, an end of a process.
      We wish you a relaxing weekend.
      With warm greetings from the cold sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

  23. I see Peter mentioned the Christian Trinity, which came to my mind first, followed by another threesome: id, ego, and superego. Of course, photography also has its rule of thirds, and there’s one of my favorite folk tales: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Here, of course, we have Dina and the Three Trees, which is at first, second, and third glance pure delight. It’s an image that surely would have inspired any of the Lake Poets to pen a few more lines.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • When we saw this picture we immediately said the same. It would have inspired the Lake Poets. William Wordsworth would have made a long poem about these 3 trees. A pity that he isn’t on WordPress 😉
      3 is a basic order-system of mankind. We project the 3 at the time and all movements, actually we can’t escape it.
      We wish you a great weekend and thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks a lot for commenting. Actually, the 3 is a kind of archetypal special number, a natural ordering-principle.
      We stay cosily warm. We are outside quite a lot, building a big snowman and admiring this white landscape. We love this real winter. Unfortunately, it will only last a couple days. So we have to be quick to experience as much winter as possible.
      Happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

    • Enjoy the ❄️snow, the snowman ⛄️☃️and the short winter 🌨 in Cley. In Fredrikstad today the temperature rose from -15° to -3,5°. 👍🏻
      Please tell the snow to make a revisit in December, it’s very welcome to stay over for Christmas 🤶🌲🎅 and new Year and January…

      In Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Marley’s Ghost tells Ebenezer Scrooge he will receive visits from three spirits:
      The 👻 Ghost of Christmas Past, The 👻 Ghost of Christmas Present, and finally The 👻 Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, to which Scrooge says, “Spirit, I fear you most of all.”

      Have a lovely evening at the neighbours, say hello from us and enjoy😍❣️
      😘💃🏼🤗🤗👭🙋‍♀️🇳🇴

      Liked by 1 person

  25. From wintry S.E. England I send warm greetings and a thank you for your post with atmospheric accompanying photo. Brought up in Ireland, I have a great respect for the fairy trees of that country which can often be seen isolated in a field around which the farmer has ploughed. It would have made his life easier if he had ripped it out, but then the fairies would have been displeased and would have visited accidents, ill-health or death, on him. There is no proof, of course, but a lot of interesting tales. At any rate, I respect them and would do no damage to a fairy tree. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t damage any tree!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Mari,
      yes, these fairy trees are VERY important and, of course, one shouldn’t annoy the fairies. If one doesn’t interfere with their habitat and respect them they will bring good luck.
      There are such a lot of Irish fairy fairytales. We suppose in Ireland and Iceland most of the fairies live nowadays and in the romantic Lake District.
      With lots of love and wishing you a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Dear Dina, first of all I should talk about this amazing photograph… So beautiful, so artistic, and so mystical too… I can believe it is a fairy land… or a fairy touched to the photograph… 🙂 Fascinated me. About three/tree… when I was a student I always confused them, my teacher corrected me always… But still I remember those days, and I was asking to myself why they were so similar… T(h)ree… one letter add, it’s being 3, one letter remove it’s a plant…

    It was so enjoyable reading you lovely fairies, We had a snow too but gone soon… have a nice day and weekend, and enjoy your snowy days, Thank you so much and also Thank you, I am learning new things from your post, like “‘Alle gode ting er tre‘ (all good things are three) we say in Norway. “, Like “Gurdjieff, the philosopher and spiritual teacher, writes also about ‘the law of three‘ as a ‘fundamental cosmic law‘. In his Eneagram, a symbol that encoded his teachings and shows the stages every process runs through, a triangle stands central in the middle.”

    Love, nia

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Nia,
      we are happy that you like Dina’s moody photography. It’s great, isn’t it?
      You got it, Selma Bookfayrie gave this picture the last genuine fairie touch. She is good at it.
      In the Enneagram the triangle in the middle with its ‘three shock points’ keeps the process going. There an impulse from the outside comes in to prevent endless repetition. It is the fundamental cosmic law of development of all levels – by the way, not unlike Hegel’s ideas about dialectics.
      Thank you very much. Wishing you a wonderful weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

  27. Dina’s photo is beautiful. The Bookfayries’ text on three reminds me of sayings of my childhood such as ‘two’s company, three’s a crowd’ and
    “One for sorrow,
    Two for mirth,
    Three for a funeral
    And four for birth” This latter rhyme we said when we saw birds.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Gallivanta,
      thanks a lot for these sayings. We didn’t know both.
      The second one is one of the few examples of the negative associations concerning the number 3. Is funny to say this rhyme when you see birds. Here are always birds around. It would be a kind of mantra for us.
      We wish you an easy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

    • Your lovely comment reminds me of a saying; There are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each differently. I must admit, getting older, so many memories are not so vivid any longer. 😉

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Annalena,
      there are your memories, the truth and memories forgotten. Interesting to research how memories change over the years.
      Wishing you a GREAT Sunday
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • You are absolutely right. But it seems to be that the meaning of 3 is kind of archetypal or at least similar in many cultures.
      Wishing you a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  29. I don’t have any superstitions about three, but I love the photo. 🙂 Should I write that three times? I think not. Have a wonderful weekend, starting today, which would give you three days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

    janet

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thanks, dear Laurie,
      we really like the end of your comment “And speaking of time, ending with time, time, time” – Great. In a novel, we would mark this sentence.
      We are happy that you like our post.
      Wishing you a wonderful weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  33. That was very interesting. I thought the comfort of 3 was just coincidental. To write ‘this’ and ‘that’ always requires one more. As do reasons. Now, I understand why it’s more comfortable to offer up three instead of two, or four.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Indeed, dear Jacqui!
      The number 3 with all its connotations seems to be archetypal, at least that it is a special or magical number. In our culture, you find a trinity from classical Greek times onwards. It’s mostly a number of goddesses in early history and later in Christianity, it became the Holy Trinity.
      But the 4 is archetypal as well. Jung wrote a lot about the Quaternity Symbols. Whereas 3 is more something you can’t grasp, more ethereal like time, dialectics, trinity, 4 is more like real material, since Plato saw the cube as the symbol for earth.
      3 is communication, 4 is grounding
      This is one slightly esoteric idea about these two numbers.
      Have a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • THANK YOU SO MUCH. GREAT!!!
      We saw the video thrice immediately. Here you hear and see everything about the three 🙂 🙂 🙂
      Lots of love for our dear friend in the Arctic
      The Fab Four of Cley xxx

      Liked by 1 person

    • Love the holy hand grenade, Per Magnus! I can’t press the like button so I’d thought I’d tell you. 🙂

      Like

  35. “Thrice to thine and thrice to mine and thrice again, to make up nine.
    Peace! The charm’s wound up.”
    The Bookfayries’ magic is growing more potent every day!
    If you could dream me up a white horse, or unicorn I suppose, I’ll happily ride off into that fantastical painted backdrop.
    Oh, and I’d like a saddle. And please make it a very tame and well-behaved steed, not too tall, I’ve fallen off horses three times in my life, and don’t want to spoil your beautiful scene with my carcass. I’ll bring carrots and sugar cubes. RPT

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Robert,
      thanks for your comment with that saying, we didn’t know before.
      Yeah, our dear Bookfayries getting more and more and even more into practising their magic regularly for 2 hours daily. They have been lazily playing with their iPhones recently and just done some writing for our blog. But now they are getting into the magic world with their growing powers again. But unicorn, well, that’s a special field, one of our last lectures ‘producing a mythical creature’. To get there they have practice a bit harder, we suppose.
      Sorry. But can they give it a try? But beware, maybe you end up with an ugly princess – faulty magic, shit happens – or a big spider
      Wishing you a great weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Folks and Fayries – I don’t mean to sound cowardly but if there’s a possibility of spiders, l’ll just borrow a bicycle. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend,
      Your posts never fail to be amazing. RPT

      Liked by 1 person

  37. I liked your interesting take on threes. In landscaping I learned to group plants in odd numbered clusters – usually three – because it looks more harmonious than even numbers.
    I rather like the number 3, although less fond of being the 3rd wheel 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Joanne,
      we heard this from our dear gardener as well. To order something in threes seems nearly always harmonically to us maybe because of the eye can see 3 without counting. Three seems to be the basis of most systems describing an order of things.
      But the third wheel, oh dear – a quite new metaphor we suppose.
      Thanks and happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  39. Three is a magic number in photography too. In composition (the brain can take in three objects, but four or more becomes cluttered), the rule of thirds and the use of triangles to help us in creating a sense of distance, depth, and perspective in our images. So this is why Dina’s photo works so well. 😀 😀

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Interesting, Jude! The rule of three is also a writing principle. It makes the author or speaker appear knowledgeable while being both simple and catchy. Now doesn’t that sound good? 🙂 The rule of three suggests that a trio of events or characters is more humorous, satisfying, or effective than other numbers in execution of the story and engaging the reader and the reader or audience of this form of text is also thereby more likely to remember the information conveyed.
      Sarah x

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Jude,
      the world was measured by triangulation and it is still used. The sextant uses the triangle to measure the position at sea as well surveyor uses the theodolite on land. The three is basic in most harmonies, in pictures, landscape and architecture.
      Thank you very much for pointing out that Dina’s compositions are based on the 3.
      With warm greetings from the cold sea
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks, dear Sarah,
      one can project the 3 on every creative process, we suppose.
      We had never heard of this idea about writing before. Where did you found that or is it your brilliant own idea?
      Have a great weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  40. Zauberhaft Dina, ein wunderschönes Foto! Mitt großem Interesse habe ich den Artikel und alle Kommentare gelesen. Dabei ist mir ein Märchen eingefallen uund jetzt habe ich nachgeschaut wie Rumpelstilzchen auf Englisch heißt; also, Rumpelstiltskin! 🙂 He spins thrice for the heroine and lets her guess his name thrice over a period of three days.
    Have a great weekend, Fab Four.
    Jürgen

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Lieber Jürgen,
      dieses Rumpelstiltskin … Wir müssen stets über diese Umbennung lachen.
      Im Märchen kommt die 3 relativ häufig vor, auch im Märchen “Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren”, ebenfalls ein Grimmsches Märchen, und verzauberte Jungfrauen haben meist 3 Brüder. Die Magie der 3 ist so in unserer Kultur verankert, dass sie uns vielfältig begegnet. Jung betont sehr das Quaternitätssymbol, aber uns scheint das Trinitätssymbol häufiger aufzutreten. In der Feenschule gab’s Kurse über die Magie der Drei, die wir Buchfeen auch emsig besuchten.
      You have a great weekend as well
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

  42. T(h)ree is wisdom. And wouldn’t life be empty without both? I think I could spend a whole day just sitting under a gorgeous tree. Maybe you did that already? Love the post. And the photo does have a painterly quality as somebody else pointed out. There is a mysterious atmosphere and a little uncertainty exuding from the photo. It’s beautiful.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Otto, for your kind words.
      What a pity, we didn’t sit a whole day under a gorgeous tree yet. Well, half a day we did under an old lime tree on the grounds of a ruined priory. Really romantic. As romantic as Dina’s picture here. When we saw this photograph we immediately noticed how the painterly quality expresses the romantic mood perfectly well.
      Wishing you a great weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 1 person

  47. What a beautiful landscape. It looks so much better than when I visited the Lakes district in the 1970s. I see to remember rain, rain and more rain.

    Dina’s photo reminds me of a Constable landscape painting. It has a certain ‘muddy’ tonal range.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Vicki,
      indeed, you are right, the colour range is quite similar to that of Constable’s pictures. And the painterly quality of Dina’s photography supports this.
      We were lucky, we had quite nice weather in the Lake District in autumn – but we remember some heavy rain showers as well.
      Thanks and have a relaxing weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dankeschön, liebe Tanja,
      wir meinen auch, dass die Drei hauptsächlich die gute Magie prägt.
      Dina freut sich darüber, dass dir ihr Foto gefällt 🙂
      Mit lieben Grüße und besten Wünschen für ein wunderfeines Wochenende
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃🚶‍♂️👭

      Liked by 2 people

  50. There’s three sides to a triangle, the strongest form on earth. This is a beautiful photo, a bit like a fine watercolor from ages past.
    Here’s wishing for blue skies for the Fab Four this weekend,
    Ω

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Allan,
      your wishes worked 🙂 We have a blue sky and sunshine and no wind. Perfect weekend-weather!
      Thank you very much for liking Dina’s photography. That watercolour-appearance adds quite a bit to this romantic mood.
      We wish you a great Sunday full of joy
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  51. Yikes! I never thought about the deepness of three! Being a Christian, it reminds me of the Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Btw – I love the photo! Love tree pictures! One of my bucket list items is to build an awesome treehouse!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • The number three is archetypal, you find it in many Religions and in mythologies. Friedrich von Hardenberg, a German romantic poet known as Novalis as well, writes in his major works “Heinrich von Ofterdingen” ‘God is mathematics’, an idea you find in classic Greek philosophy as well.
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma got very excited reading about your plans for building a treehouse. Now they want one as well in our garden. Good luck with your treehouse project. Could you send us a picture, please, when you are finished? Thank you.
      Have a happy Sunday
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks Klaus … It will be some time before I can build a treehouse – first need to purchase a property with an awesome tree! Maybe when I retire in a few years.There’s an interesting place I would like to visit called the “Treesort” – you can arrange to to take a tour or sleep in one of several treehouses there. They even offer courses in treehouse construction.They are located south of us in Oregon, USA on 36 acres. Here is their website … http://treehouses.com/joomla/

      Liked by 1 person

  52. Thanks for asking about the Rule of Three in writing, Klausbernd. It is one of the oldest writing techniques–it turns up in old stories over and over again. The Rule of Three states that events should happen in groups of three. These events should follow this pattern: establish conflict, build conflict, resolve conflict. Or they can follow this pattern: similar, similar, different. The cool thing is that you can use it at a macro level (the deep structure of the story) or at a micro level, such as in individual sentences. At a macro level, the Rule of Three is behind Three Act Structure, which is the basis of many Hollywood films and quite a few novels. How it works in a sentence; “She was beautiful. She was perfect. She was everything he couldn’t have.” It’s trite, but you can see the pattern: similar, similar, different.
    I could go on and on, but I’ll not 😉 I have just lined up for an online workshop in creative writing. 🙂
    Sarah x

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • That’s interesting Sarah. I thought the rule of three would foremost refer to a collection of three words or sentences, a triad, like Veni,vidi, vici or Stop, Look and Listen! In photography, the rule of thirds produces a similar effect by dividing an image into three, vertically and horizontally.
      Hope you are doing fine in the cold. Or isn’t it that cold in London right now?
      Greetings from Norway, Dina x

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you so much, dear Sarah 🙂 🙂
      In a way that’s Hegel’s dialectic applied to writing. This similar-similar-different rule provides a kind of tension or even suspense. Keith Cunningham mentioned this idea in “The Soul of Screenwriting”, the Bible of Holywood’s screenwriters, but not as clear as you do. He tries to use Jungian psychology for screenwriting techniques. And remembering reading this book, we thought actually the human psyche can be seen as Anima-Animus-Self. Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma are thrilled because in Fairish (Fairy Language) you build every sentence following the rule of three, often positive-negative-synthesis or similar-similar-different. But, oh dear, we are looking at our sentences here, we can’t find the law of three there – and therefore we don’t want to bore you any longer.
      Love
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Dina xxx
      the division in threes seems to feel harmonious. We suppose that has to do with the physiology of our perception. We have 3 different groups of colour sensitive cells in our eyes but that regulates the perception of colour. We just think if we have a similar set of organs regulating the perception of forms. Thinking about forms we remember the Bauhaus where Kandinsky, Klee and other masters were very much involved studying the 3 basic forms triangle, square and circle. The triangle was seen as yellow, the colour of communication and the intellect. We always use to see 3 as a wholeness like body, mind and soul. Maybe, therefore, the law of 3 creates harmony as Goethe saw it writing that harmony is produced by wholeness.
      Anyway, we wish you a great, cosy, happy Sunday
      Klausbernd xxx, Siri 🙂 xxx and 🙂 Selma xxx

      Liked by 1 person

    • When it comes to pleasing the human brain, it seems like three is simply a magic number. At least that’s what Schoolhouse Rock taught us in the Fairy school.
      Love, hugs and fairy dust from Dina, Siri and Selma in Norway
      ❤ ❤ ❤ 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Dina, Siri and Selma xxxxxxx
      thank you so much for this funny video about 3 as a magic number.
      I wish you a great week in Norway 🇳🇴
      Lots of love ❤️
      Klausbernd 🚶‍♂️🌊🇬🇧

      Liked by 1 person

  53. Here in the US we say “third try’s the charm” and we also believe things (both good and bad) happen in 3s. Worlds apart but of similar minds! Now if we could just get our share of Fayries we’d be all set!!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Tina,
      as you point out, the 3 is everywhere in our perception worldwide. That makes it an archetype.
      Well, Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma speak to their Fayrie friends if they wouldn’t mind going west across the big waters. We will see …
      Thanks and all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hallo, lieber Ernst,
      ja, es gibt keine Zahl, die so magisch besetzt ist wie die Drei. Im gewissen Abstand folgen Sieben und Fünf. Es fällt auf, dass dies alles Primzahlen sind.
      Toll, dass dir Dina’s Fotografie gefällt. Das Gemäldeartige der Fotografie verstärkt die romantische Stimmung. Es bleibt wie im Kunstmärchen der Romantik alles im Vagen, sozusagen ‘konjunktivistische Fotografie’ – so verrückte Worte fallen nur Siri 🙂 und 🙂 Selma ein.
      Mach’s gut, hab noch einen gemütlichen Sonntag
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  55. Dear Klausbernd and the gang of three, I have just skimmed through a few post of yours. You use the rule of three often, but not always.
    I hope you don’t mind me posting this short video:
    🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • This is brilliant, Sarah. Thank you so much for sharing this inspiring video. I’ve learned my lesson now; never use more than three photos in one post. Hans B Bjørstad once told me not to worry about the amount of photos. The average reader don’t really look at any photos after the third one. Max. three, that’s it!
      I listened to a program about the real estate on the radio earlier. The only thing what counts: “Location, Location, Location!” 🙂 🙂 🙂
      Dina, Siri, Selma xxx

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Sarah,
      thank you so much for sharing this brilliant video about the law of three. As an editor, I noticed that many writers want to say too much in a sentence or paragraph or they invent too many actors for their plot. And even the plot is easy to grasp when you use the law of three. It starts usually with a problematic situation one wants to solve, that activates the powers against your doing and in the end the Katharsis – happy end or catastrophe.
      Anyway, thanks again for this video
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  56. Einmal im Yogakurs: Der Yogalehrer legte jedem das Om-Zeichen vor die Matte und fragte: Wer weiß, was das bedeutet?
    Stille…jetzt war er sichtlich enttäuscht…ok, ein paar alte Yogahasen wussten was…
    Der Yogalehrer zeigte sich zufrieden, er war erleichtert; letzte Woche dachte jemand es bedeutete: Alles Liebe zum 30. Geburtstag…
    Was, wenn jemand das Th nicht sprechen kann, kommt dann schrie oder srie oder was heraus?!
    …
    Na gut, man muss auch nicht alles wissen…
    Brutal..daWanda schreibt: Pia, auf die Hasen los…Werbung, mitten im Kommentar…
    Wanda ist eine Orchidee nicht? Und Pua auch eine Blume…ich finde, man muss immer mehr aufpassen, was man denkt!
    Also, das ist, glaube ich, der bescheuertste Kommentar, den ich je geschrieben habe, könnte ihn noch löschen…zu spät…
    Eine fröhliche Woche wünscht euch Pia und herzlichen Dank!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Liebe Pia,
      don’t worry, es ist eh zu spät 😉
      Om wird auch oft als AUM ausgedrückt, wobei wir wieder bei der Magie der 3 sind. Und das noch zur 3 im Buddhismus:
      Dort spricht man von den Drei Juwelen Buddha, Dharma (Lehre) und Sangha (die buddhistische Gemeinde). Wer zu diesen 3 Juwelen Zuflucht nimmt, ist Buddhist.
      Also, mach’s gut.
      Liebe Grüße, angenehme Woche
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

    • Ach so! Wir leben in einem Aumbaumtraum? Kuuhhhl!
      Ob Buddha ein Buddhist war/ist?
      Wir wissen es nist…
      Ich trinke jetzt lecker “Holztee” in diesem meinem Traum und wenn ich Photosynthese kann, sage ich euch Bescheid..
      Dina hat es schon geziegt mit ihrem wundervollen Bild!!!

      Liked by 2 people

    • Cheers and thanks.
      Die müßige Frage, ob Buddha ein Buddhist war, ist nach dem historischen Ausspruch von Karl Marx geprägt, der sagte, dass er kein Marxist sei.
      Dann hab noch einen schönen Rest der Woche
      Klausbernd 🙂
      Dina, Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma are in Oslo right now for a couple of days. They send warm greetings as well.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Sanskrit 3 = tri, Baum = Druma…aha…
      ..wie gesagt ich würde meine Dummheit und mein Unwissen opfren wollen….ein paar Löcher und Lücken kann man ja schließen….
      Man kann auch erkennen, dass viele anderen auch nichts wissen, aber so tun als ob und somit brandgefährlich sind….
      Naja…
      ..ich lese bei Barbara Walker weiter spannende Sachen…wollte ich nur noch mal kurz, heute am Frauentag, loswerden….liebe Leute bekomme ich Fotos per WhatsApp….krass!
      Gestern Todestag von Yogananda, wie oft er sich wohl im Grabe drehte, nein, sicher wurde er verbarnnt…
      Ich sende herzliche Grüße nach Oslo und Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Hi, dear Pia,
      ich wünsche dir einen hoch angenehmen Donnerstag. Da es draußen regnet, studiere ich gerade die Auffassung der Wahrnehmung der Gestaltpsychologen wie Köhler, Koffka und Wertheimer. Mich interessiert, warum wir etwas als schön bzw. harmonisch bezeichnen und anderes als hässlich. Welche Wahrnehmungsgesetz stehen dahinter?
      Alles Gute, fröhliches Tanzen
      Klausbernd 🙂
      Grüße von Dina, Siri 🙂 und 🙂 Selma aus Norwegen

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Dennis,
      there we 100% agree, three trees are better than one. We were sure that you would like trees for your pees 🙂
      A happy week wishing
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

  59. Such an interesting group of ideas about three, some of which are brand new to me. Even the idea of three moon phases seems strange, t least mathematically, but becoming, being and passing away – that makes sense. It’s nice to see a reference to dear Gurdjieff, too, and I love the idea of hope, sleep and laughter in the landscape of efforts – wow, nice! I bet many people have added more threes in their comments, so here’s another (if it isn’t already there) – in astrology, three references the trine, or the aspect of planets being 120 degrees away from each other. It’s considered an easy one, full of harmony and flow. Like your photo!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Bluebrightly 🙂 🙂
      you are the first who mentioned the trine. Thank you. Amazing, wherever we look we see the law of three. Should it be a projection of our mind which likes to organize in threes for better understanding?
      Dina is happy that you like her photography and says ‘Thank you!’
      Wishing you a wonderful week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  60. Na, dafür, dass es schwierig war, zu diesem ausdrucksstarken Foto,, einen passenden Text zu schreiben, ist Euch aber letztendlich eine perfekte Einheit von Bild und Text gelungen – mit noch dazu einem sehr interessanten Text.
    Also für mich bedeutet die Drei eh nur Gutes – drei Kinder, drei Katzen … ;-)D
    Liebe Grüße von der Silberdistel

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Silberdistel,
      bei uns ist’s ebenso: Die Drei ist unsere Glückszahl nach dem Prinzip ‘alle guten Dinge sind drei’.
      Dankesehr fürs Kommentieren. Wir wünschen dir eine höchst angenehme Woche
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  61. Dear Klausbernd,
    As I don’t seem to be able to reply to your reply to my comment, I’m doing it this way round.

    Though I obviously haven’t made it quite clear enough, I was researching into the history, or origins, of the Pazyryk, which has yet to to be firmly established, not the carpet. The carpet itself, which is nearly 2,500 years old, was discovered a Scythian burial mound in the Altai Mountains of Siberia in 1949 by Russian archeologist Sergei Rudenko. It is now in the Hermitage in St Petersburg. Though some experts believe it is a product of Turcoman weavers and originates from central Asia, another school of thought has its origins in Persia. My own thoughts and research lead me to believe that Ulrich Schurmann, a respected authority of old carpets and rugs, got it right when he wrote: “From all the evidence available I am convinced that the Pazyryk rug was a funeral accessory and most likely a masterpiece of Armenian workmanship”. When I was in Armenia I did manage to uncover some evidence that give some credence to his theory, though it is by no means conclusive. From time to time, I go back to a paper I’ve been writing on the subject.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Brian,
      sorry for the misunderstanding.
      We find this very interesting with this carpet that we probably passed by visiting the Hermitage several times.
      Does a pattern usually tell you the origin?
      Good luck with your paper.
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • A pattern is certainly one way ascertaining the origins of a rugs or carpet, particularly when it comes to tribal and village pieces. City carpets and rugs also have their various styles and techniques but tend to follow similar classical traditions as one another. Nevertheless, they are reasonably easy to differentiate with a small amount of knowledge Comparisons can be made between images on the numerous borders on Pazyryk and stone carvings on the walls of the ancient Persian city of Persepolis. They are certainly contemporaneous, but I sketched a frieze in a similar style painted on the walls of the ancient fortress of Erebuni above the city of Yerevan, while I was there. The art of the time travelled, much as it does today. Just as important, or perhaps in many cases more important, are the techniques employed, the materials used – mostly wool and animal hair with cotton sometimes used for warps and wefts – and the various dyes.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, you are right, we can picture this as a Tolkien landscape or a landscape of Lord Dunsany’s neo-romantic phantasy novel “The King of Elfland’s Daughter”.
      Thank you very much for liking Dina’s photography 🙂 🙂
      Have a great day
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Good afternoon, dear Davy,
      it’s indeed easy to understand why those landscapes inspired the romantic Lake Poets.
      Thank you for liking Dina’s photography. It’s very romantic as well, isn’t it?
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Gewndoline,
      thank you very much for your kind words. Shouldn’t be a post a bit educational? We love to read blog posts that make us aware of something new and so we try to do it with our posts as well.
      We wish you a happy end of the week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  67. I see trees so green…
    Heute habe ich noch nichts Gescheites gaten…Mist, der halbe Samstag vorbei….
    Und, warum finden wir Menschen etwas schön oder nicht?
    Haben die 3 Psychologen es herausgefunden?
    Wenn 2 bis 3 Psychologen forschen, sollte ja was heraus gekommen sein…
    Ich muss jetzt frühstücken, schon kurz vor drei….
    Liebdrücker von Pia

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Guten Abend, liebe Pia,
      das finde ich auch spannend. Es ist wahrscheinlich von Proportionen abhängig und scheint so zu sein, dass dass der Faktor der Irrationalzahl Phi wichtig ist, der in der Spirale, in der Fibonacci Reihe und in den Proportionen des Menschen auftaucht. Auf jeden Fall scheinen Symmetrie und Proportionen das Geheimnis hinter der Schönheit zu sein. Es ist übrigens nicht so sehr ein Forschungsfeld der Psychologen als eins der Mathematiker und Physiker.
      Dieses Phi tritt als Verhältnis im goldenen Schnitt auf, der schon immer als eine `schöne Proportion’ gesehen wurde, zumindest seit den klassisch griechischen Mathematikern und Philosophen.
      Ein schönes, entspannendes Wochenende wünschen dir
      The Fab Four of Cley
      Übrigens ein anschauliches Buch zu diesen Maßverhältnissen: György Doczy “Die Kraft der Grenzen”

      Liked by 1 person

  68. Guten Morgen, lieber Klausbernd, Danke für Deine Buchempfehlung! Werde gleich mal schauen…..
    Eine neue Schülerin, Frau Dr. Grimm, Mathematik….
    Mich interessieren ja neben den platonischen Körpern auch die archimedischen und neben der Fibonacci Reihe muss es doch auch noch andere wichtige (neue, spannende, intelligente) Zahlenreihen geben….
    Jetzt wollen wir mal hoffen, dass die Frau Dr. Grimm mit ihrer Ballettlehrerin zurfrieden ist (die so komsiche mathematische Fragen stellt…und bestimmt sucht sie zu der vielen Rechnerei doch den Ausglaich, schwitz…)!
    Ob sie dem Namen gefolgt ist: Phi ah…Vorbewusstsein heißt das oder?
    Ich hadere etwas mit meinem Namen, es klingt auch nach i a wie bei einem Esel, obwohl rückwärts: Lese..
    So, ich räume dann wieder auf und meditiere dabei über die 123, 369, 783, 42, 72, 99…321, schluss

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • …und gerade entdeckte ich ein schönes Liedchen, das mir das Aufräumen erleichtert: Duo Domide “Ungarischer Tanz”, nur 225 Aufrufe, aber meine ungarische Urgroßmutter hopst bestimmt mit mir…und dann erhöhen wir die Zahl der Aufrufe….
      Dachte gerade, wenn man das Geistige zu ernst nimmt, wird es böse enden….lieber noch etwas herumhopsen….
      Schönen Sonntag!

      Liked by 2 people

    • Liebe Pia,
      ein anderes Phänomen ist die algorithmische Spirale, die wir in Muscheln und allen möglichen Wirbeln finden. Allerdings folgt die auch mit ihren Abständen Phi und kann gemäß der Fiobinacci-Reihe (aus Quadraten) konstruiert werden. Phi ist eine Irrationalzahl wie Pi, also eine unendliche Zahlenfolge. Es ist eine Klasse von Zahlen, der kein Punkt auf dem Zahlenstrahl genau entspricht.
      In einem der Romane von Dan Brown spielt die Fibonacci-Reihe als Code eine Rolle.
      Einen schönen Sonntag dir
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
      aus Cley next the Sea und Fredrikstad in Østfold/Norway

      Liked by 1 person

    • Wenn Könige krank sind, könnten sie genesen…entweder Wunderheilung oder singen…aber man braucht Geduld…
      Oder Tarantella tanzen oder Ballett…z.B. Freudensprünge…temps lie´ verbundene Zeit…muss man viel üben…´
      Russische Ballerinas wussten nach ihrer Flucht in den Westen auch nicht immer, wie man das wirklich ganz genau macht das temp lie
      Alles sehr schade!
      Ich küsse mit den 4jährigen oft die Knie, dass sie noch eine Weile halten….
      Hier ist einiges vollkommen gestört!! (hier=erde)
      Gehe jetzt wieder frühstücken…Wochenende!
      Soll nochmal kalt werden, schönes Wochenende für euch!!!

      Liked by 2 people

    • In der Tanzwelt war sicherlich die Begegnung von Wigman, Laban und Pilates sehr interessant…
      Finde mein Leben sehr spannend….
      Liebe Bäume sehr…
      Hoffe, es geht euch gut!!!
      Danke!!!

      Liked by 2 people

    • Liebe Pia,
      seit gestern Abend ist es hier bereits kalt und es schneit auch ab und an bei Sturm, der mit dem Windchill immerhin eine gefühlte Temperatur von minus zehn Grad etwa erzeugt, aber bei schönstem Sonenschein.
      Übrigens die Zahlenreihe auf die du meditiertest hat ja auffallend eins gemeinsam, dass nämlich alle Zahlen ein Vielfaches von 3 sind.
      Gemütliches Wochenende
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Muss meinen Schreibauftrag Nr 11 beginnen….endlich habe ich eine Idee….(das Doofe: Es gab gar keine Vorgaben, einfach eine Geschichte schreiben, 80 Zeilen)
      Ich werde über ein Kind schreiben, das immer den Streit zwischen Vater (Mars) und Mutter (Venus) aushalten muss und dann überlegt, wo es eine “höhere” Sicht im Streit bekommen kann…wo es sich in seiner “Not” hinwenden kann um seinen “Frieden” zu finden…
      Keine Sorge, werde mich bemühen die Erzählebenen nicht zu vermsichen, es wird ja für Kinder geschrieben sein….
      Nichts “Okkultes” einfügen…das mag die Tutorin gar nicht…weiß der Kuckuck warum nicht…
      Ich finde diese Dritte Idee gar nicht übel…
      Alternative 1 war: Die Zauber(schub)lade
      Alternative 2 war: Tauben kacken grün
      ..Danke, ich glaube ich nehme Idee 3, es soll ja eine 1 oder 2 heraus kommnen, keinesfalls nur eine 3…
      Fotini, meine Schülerin, sie ist Übersetzerin für Griechisch, sagte: wenn sie bei Zeugnissen das griechische Wort sehr gut ins Deutsche übersetzt, denken wir es wäre eine 1…die Griechen haben aber noch Excellent und Hervorragend vor Sehr Gut…man bot Fotini schon mehr Geld an für “gefälschte” Übersetzungen….
      Happy Sunday!

      Liked by 1 person

  69. A beautiful and very atmospheric photo and the 3 trees placed in the bottom third with the image divided into 3 main sections, sky, mountains and trees ticks all the boxes of artistic excellence it’s what makes me want to keep looking at it. A calming picture that could be hung on a wall in a prominent room.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 🙂 Dina is very happy with your commentary. You made her day, the last one in Norway before she comes home tomorrow.
      We wish you a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  70. Love the photo, every time I have visited the Lakes it has been the weather like in your photo which I guess is why there are so many lakes :).
    I learnt a Lewis Carrol monologue once that featured the lines:
    ‘He thought he saw a Garden-Door
    That opened with a key:
    He looked again, and found it was
    A double Rule of Three:
    “And all its mystery,” he said,
    “Is clear as day to me!” ‘

    I always wondered what this meant.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Charlotte,
      thank you very much for this Lewis Carrol quote – we are all fans of Carrol here. Carrol as a mathematician surely knew about the irrational number Phi (Φ = 1.618033988749895…) which you find in the golden cut as well as in spirals in nature. The `Rule of Three’ would be 1,5 but that’s near enough to Φ for non-mathematicians. Anyway Φ or more or less 1:3 is the proportion that we connect with harmony and beauty.
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dina just sent her idea about the Rule of Tree:
      “While the rule of thirds is taught like a cure-all for bad composition, it’s rare that anyone seems to teach why. The truth is that it’s all about balance. There are two kinds of balance: static and dynamic. Put a person smack in the middle of the frame and it’s balanced but static. Boring. Put that same person on the left-most third and it’ll also be balanced, but dynamically so. That’s a simplification, but it’s a start.”
      But why is this? Maybe because you find this Phi as the factor of human proportions. From Leonardo da Vinci to Le Corbusier artist were convinced that using this human proportions makes an artefact to a graceful aesthetical object.

      Liked by 2 people

  72. “In east and southeast Asia, it’s considered inauspicious to take a photo of three people. It is believed that the middle person will die first.” This is something I have never heard. Good to know. I rather not look back on some favourite threesome photos I have.

    I haven’t been around in a while but I certainly hope that post (a while back) got enough likes that the person who deserved it had all the promised ice-cream. Daily. 🙂 I shared the post on Facebook and I hope some good came from it. (My father understood and liked it immediately.)

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Manja,
      well, it helped. Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma got their icecreams. Thanks a lot for sharing this post on facebook. Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma send lots of finest fairy dust to you.
      As we don’t live in southeast Asia we are free to take photos of tree people 😉
      All the best and have a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  73. Such a stunning, perfect photo ~ the feel of looking back into a mystical time. A time and place, a perfect home for the Bookfayries to create their own life’s abundance. The Lao Zi quote to open with is perfect, from one all can become. Wishing you all a great weekend.

    Like

    Reply

  74. I don’t know if three is a Lucky or unlucky number, but I’m not so superstitious and when I look at Dina’s marvelous picture, I see the symbolism of three trees. Why three and why “three” trees? Trees symbolize wisdom! Three trees, for the three sages … Knowledge and wisdom should bring luck… So, I would rather believe that three brings us luck!
    Best regards, Heidi

    Like

    Reply

  76. Pingback: The Magic of Three — The World according to Dina – elunarcom

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