, ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁magic ▁is ▁de emed ▁to ▁be ▁personal ▁spiritual ▁development . ▁The ▁per ception ▁of ▁magic ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁self - development ▁is ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁way ▁that ▁mag ical ▁practices ▁have ▁been ▁adopted ▁into ▁forms ▁of ▁modern ▁P agan ism ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁Age ▁phenomen on . ▁One ▁significant ▁development ▁within ▁modern ▁Western ▁mag ical ▁practices ▁has ▁been ▁sex ▁magic . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁practice ▁promoted ▁in ▁the ▁writ ings ▁of ▁Pas ch al ▁B ever ly ▁Rand olph ▁and ▁subsequently ▁ex ert ed ▁a ▁strong ▁interest ▁on ▁occ ult ist ▁mag icians ▁like ▁Crow ley ▁and ▁The odor ▁Re uss . ▁ ▁The ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" mag ic " ▁by ▁modern ▁occ ult ists ▁can ▁in ▁some ▁instances ▁be ▁a ▁deliber ate ▁attempt ▁to ▁champion ▁those ▁areas ▁of ▁Western ▁society ▁which ▁have ▁tradition ally ▁been ▁marg inal ised ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁sub ver ting ▁dominant ▁systems ▁of ▁power . ▁The ▁influ ential ▁American ▁W ic can ▁and ▁author ▁Star h awk ▁for ▁instance ▁stated ▁that ▁" Mag ic ▁is ▁another ▁word ▁that ▁makes ▁people ▁une asy , ▁so ▁I ▁use ▁it ▁deliber ately , ▁because ▁the ▁words ▁we ▁are ▁comfortable ▁with , ▁the ▁words ▁that ▁sound ▁acceptable , ▁rational , ▁scientific , ▁and ▁intellect ually ▁correct , ▁are ▁comfortable ▁precisely ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁est r ang ement ." ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁definitions ▁ ▁Modern ▁scholar ship ▁has ▁produced ▁various ▁definitions ▁and ▁theories ▁of ▁magic . ▁According ▁to ▁Ba iley ,