I know, it sounds sort of contradictory. But if you look at most magic systems in fiction, they do have a logic to them. I hold a very firm opinion that magic systems MUST have some sort of logic to them in order to actually draw the reader in and make them believe the system works in your world.
Humans are very good at looking for patterns in just about everything and this includes the imaginary worlds of fictional stories. This has the effect of causing readers to be confused, sometimes annoyed and often pulled out of the suspension of disbelief they need to truly enjoy a work of fiction if their understanding of the base logic of the fictional world is violated. I’m sure we can all come up with examples of books that were good or great until the author didn’t catch a break in logic or consistency in their worldbuilding.
This means it’s really important to make any system of magic you create a logical one with patterns your readers can recognize and follow. The rules of your system need to have some sort of logic that is consistent and relatively obvious.
One example of this is Harry Potter – the magic system in that universe requires spells be learned and said aloud. Spells must be cast with the aid of a magic wand. The spells are in latin. The magic users must have an inborn ability to use magic. Items can be imbued with magic. Magic is not good or evil. Magical creatures and humanoids exist, etc.
If a character in the Harry Potter universe attempts to cast a spell silently in the midst of the series (when the magic rules were well established), the logic of the universe’s magic system rules would be broken. I’d bet the readers would notice and not be happy about it, either. It would also destroy the sense of trust the readers have for the author’s world and they would begin to question things more closely, analyze more than enjoy.
Many authors base their fictional magic systems on historical belief systems and this can work really well for a basis. Most belief systems have their own internal logic and that does part of the work for you. Just be careful that you don’t mix incompatible systems together so the logic of one breaks the logic of another. For example the Egytian belief in the body requiring preservation for eternal life may be incompatible with a tradition where the body must be burned so the soul can be released to be reborn. You can certainly take samples from various traditions and create your own unique world. Fellow Witchy Chick, Yasmine, has done that marvellously in her Otherworld series.
Make sure your magical world is logical within itself. Make it internally consistent. Don’t make the color red evil and then have your character wearing a red dress without taking that into account. Don’t make the spell’s require a candle and then have a character casting a spell naked in a thunderstorm.
I could go on and on about the intricacies of magical systems, but I’ll spare you. I just want to plead for logic in magic!
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