Why do we love women in groups of three?

There is something seriously satisfying about women in groups of three. Brides of Dracula, Sanderson Sisters, Charlie's Angels, The Halliwell Sisters, Destiny’s Child, First Wives Club, The Plastics, Witches of Eastwick. I could go on but I know you know what I’m talking about.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

We love when they have different “themes.” One sweeter, one tougher and one more wild. They might have different colours, like the Power Puff Girls, but they are best together as one unit. One has red hair, one black, one blonde or maybe they wear their signature outfits and have different magic powers that compliment each other.

The ‘lone ranger’ character for men is instantly recognisable, relatable and desirable. John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford. John McLean takes down all the German terrorists on his own etc, etc. 20th century films are centered on the gruff man who doesn’t need anyone, as he is begrudgingly forced into the journey. This archetype makes sense considering the context of the time. If men were allowed to feel their feelings, they would crumble beneath the horror of wars they were forced to take part in.  

Sarah Connor in Terminator (1984)

As Daughters of the Father, we’ve seen a rise in female ‘lone ranger’ action heroes. Women in masculine roles, like Sarah Connor in Terminator or Ripley in Alien. It’s no coincidence that these movies coincide with rise of the “superwoman” archetype, as women enter the workforce AND raise a family in the real world. They really can do it all! And better yet, they can pretend to be men while they are doing it! 

Blockbuster movies now are just factories that plop a little can-do attitude and propensity for violence on a woman, sending her down the line, slapping the “strong female lead” title on her and pooping out boring action films that lack any originality or intrigue.

Hercules (1997)

But women in groups will never not be interesting to me. I still watched the new Charlies Angels and Mean Girls even though I knew it wasn’t going to be good. I like to watch women interact with each other. I don’t want to watch three hours of beige men talk about “the war.” (Which war? I don’t know! But it’s probably WW2. It’s always the bloody nazis.) This is precisely this reason why I only really want to watch a Dune movie about The Bene Gesserit and not plain old borin old Paul Atreides.

Women in groups of three symbolise an otherworldly power. In fairytales, you may have three wishes or three trials, as three is associated with the divine. Three of Cups in tarot means friendship and celebration, often with three women holding golden chalices in the air. In Neopaganism, The Triple Goddess: Maiden, Mother, Crone, are viewed as three distinct aspects of figures united as one.

This may be the reason we find the different personalities or colours schemes of women so satisfying, as they are meant to be parts of the whole. Or, you could see it as the united elements of one self.

Charlies Angels (2000)

In Greek mythology, the three fates (or Moirai) were the goddesses of destiny, and they were responsible for spinning the threads of human life. The Weird Sisters in Macbeth are a darker representation of the power of three, they represent dark thoughts or forces within us.

As myths are expressions of an ancient shared knowing, we resonate with these archetypes on a subconscious level. We have known of the power of women in groups of three for thousands of years.

Primavera (Botticelli - 1470)

• The Hesperides (Greek Mythology) are the nymphs of evening and golden light of sunsets. Aegle, Erytheia, and Hesperia guarded the golden apples of immortality in a garden at the edge of the world.

• The Charites (Greek Mythology) Aglaea ("Shining"), Euphrosyne ("Joy"), and Thalia ("Blooming") were three or more goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, goodwill, and fertility.

• The Norns (Norse Mythology) Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld represented the past, present, and future, weaving the destiny of gods and humans.

• The Morrígan (Celtic Mythology) This triple goddess embodied war, sovereignty, and fate, appearing as three sisters or a single raven-like figure.
  

Three women can strike fear in the hearts of men. A woman on her own may be easier to underestimate or do away with. But THREE women, united against you? Good luck.

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