Crafting Effective Magical Goals

Why doesn't magic work?

This topic was discussed at our most recent study group meeting of the Advanced Magic Study and Practice Group. We had a variety of answers: Everything from 'It isn't real' (coming from our resident jokester Bael), to 'magic is enigmatic and has a moral component (coming from Julian), to 'what do you mean it doesn't work?'

I contend that there are situations that magic doesn't work or might not work as intended. John's Beckett's article discusses several reasons why magic might not work, including not being specific enough with your magical goals. I have had this happen to me, back when I was still a baby witch. One of my first big spells was to try to heal my mother of lung cancer. She had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in September 2001, with a six-inch tumor in her lung, and began chemotherapy and radiation shortly after her diagnosis, but the treatment had been unresponsive. I did a very powerful spell on Samhain after fasting for three days as a sacrifice. At her next meeting with her oncologist in November, a few weeks after the spell, we found that her tumor had shrunk by over 50%. However, by January the next year, she ended up with over 20 tumors in her brain. My shortsightedness had prevented me from healing her whole body, rather than just her lung. It was both one of my greatest successes and greatest failures.

One of the things that I have learned since then is that magical goals need to be refined. One of the best things that can be used to help with this is SMART goals. I was first introduced to the concept of SMART goals when I was a board member of a collegiate leadership society, Sigma Alpha Pi. The organization focused heavily on SMART goals. A SMART goal, at its most basic, is one that is:

1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Achievable
4. Relative
5. Timely

So, let's put this into a magical framework.

1. Specific: Does your spell/rite set out to achieve a specific, narrow goal?
2. Measurable: How do you know whether your spell/rite has achieved the goal?
3. Achievable: Is the spell/rite able to be accomplished, or is it unreasonable?
4. Relative: Is this important to you? This is related to your desire and will.
5. Timely: The timeframe that you want your magical goal to be achieved?

Let's say you need to perform a ritual for money to pay rent. If you aren't specific, and just ask for money - and you find a $20 bill on the ground - technically, your magic worked. You received money, but not the amount you need. Likewise, if you are specific about the amount you need, but not WHEN you need it by, if you receive your amount six months after when you need it - again, it technically worked.

So, for our hypothetical money spell - you need $600 (I wish my rent were that cheap!) by September 1 for rent. When you construct your spell, you would keep this phrase in mind - $600 for rent by September 1. You might call upon a deity associated with money and luck (like Hermes), use green and gold candles, burn an incense associated with luck and wealth drawing, and perhaps create a sigil for your goal. You would perform your spell - and you have a clear answer as to whether it worked (did you receive that $600 by September 1 or not?). I recommend recording your results. It is much easier to track your SMART magical goals and whether your spellwork has worked if you document what you did.

What have your experiences been with spellcasting? Have you been able to measure your success?