The Wiccan Rede or Threefold Law has been the subject of disagreement. I’m not intending to add to that, but I did want to offer a perspective that might be useful to others. I have done no scholarly research, and my source is my own thought. Take it for what it is worth to you, and May It Harm None.
In my job, we use scales a lot. This isn’t a finished product and the idea will likely evolve, so for now I will use a scale of 1 to 5 rather than 1 to 10.
Wiccan Rede Adherence Scale
5 - Strict. You are responsible for everything you think, say and do, even privately. You are responsible for unintended consequences, even those that occur from your use of protection magic.
3 - Moderate. When we cast spells, we connect with the universe and focus our intention to create an outcome. We use herbs crystals and other tools to enhance our spiritual connection and intention, but without connection and intention crystals and herbs are just pretty rocks and tasty ingredients (mostly. I know this is oversimplified, but stay with me).
If you laugh privately at someone else’s misfortune that you did not cause, you are not subject to the Threefold Law because you did not connect and intend. There may be negative energy, but its effects remain local (you). You are responsible for malicious intent that you put out through connecting with the universe at large, and you have an obligation to consider and avoid unintended consequences, and perhaps correct them if possible. Protection magic that shields, deflects or returns negative energy is not subject to the Threefold Law.
1 - Minimal. Wiccan Rede? Pff! Superstitous nonsense! I am witch, not a Wiccan. You mess with the bull, you get the horns. I am responsible only for what I do, there is no Magic Karma Police coming to punish me. Consequences are things that happen. If I wanted rules, I’d go to church.
There will certainly be lots of in betweens and things I haven’t yet considered, and you’re free to totally blow this off. I just wanted to give a framework in the hopes that it might be to useful to someone else, even if it is only as a starting point for research into your own beliefs. Obviously by the amount I wrote, I consider myself moderate. In the end, you must determine what level of responsibility fits for you - and hold yourself accountable to it.