Statements of Intent Part 2
A few weeks back I made a post about statements of intent. In the comments Rose Weaver, from the excellent blog Weaving Among the Stars, mentioned that “I modify statements even more so they reflect “is”. In the “now”. This practice of framing statements of intent, or visualizing outcomes to seem as if what you want to happen already has is a very common practice. I did it for decades and started back in the 80s when I read the Necronomicon Spellbook, in which Simon advised holding your goal as having already occured. As far as I can tell the practice made it’s way into magical practice from New Thought movement.
I stopped doing it many years ago, and as the concepts behind the strategic sorcery approach came into focus I actively teach against forming statements of intent in this way, or spending too much time visualizing things happening like this.
The reason is simple: strategic sorcery relies upon figuring out the most cunning steps to achieve your goal, then enchanting each of those steps along the way. There is a Macro-Enchantment that ties you to your goal – say your “spell to find a job”, but the micro-enchantments that impact every phase are what make the system particularly effective.
Look at 
the chart to the left for an example of what I mean. The Macro Enchantment directly effects the goal, but so does each individual step. People that focus on the goal as being already achieved tend to skimp or skip on the steps needed to get there.
Focusing or stating that a goal is already achieved makes you feel good, but it does little to get you towards your goal, in fact often people mistake this feeling of success with success itself. See my earlier post “Setting Goals is not an Accomplishment” for more on how this feeling of success can blind us to what actually will bring us to the real thing.
Recent research into the effects of positive thinking have affirmed my observations. One study showed that participants who were made to feel parched and who visualized themselves drinking a cool glass of water were less motivated to actually get up and quench their thirst with real water. In study after study research shows that visualizing yourself as having actually achieved something makes you less motivated to go out and achieve it.
In the article above, they teach a mental contrasting technique that does involve visualizing a desired outcome, but following it up with visualizations or affirmations of the path that will lead to it, obstacles that you may encounter, and what you will do when you hit those obstacles.
I myself have often been far more successful fueling my passion and my magic by contemplating the negative implications of NOT doing something. It was only after I had children and needed to increase my income that I started my business – which in turn has led to my most creative and important pieces of magic. It is only after I get paid on a book that I can actually force myself to write it.
If you are looking to make big changes in the real world with magic, I recommend engaging in as little fantasy as possible, and instead focusing on the details of what needs to be done, and how magic can hep you achieve it.
