Magic has limits. One cannot change their physical structure. Magic can't be used in most ways shown in television, movies and in books, no throwing fire balls or lightning from your fingers. Teleportation is not possible. Neither is stopping or skipping time. Magic cannot call up a storm or end one, it can influence the weather in limited ways.
Magic is rooted in subtle reality. Therefore, physical events need physical energy to occur. The most that Thaumaturgy can do is influence the physical plane by way of sympathetic magic, or "As Above, So Below" where the belief is that change made spiritually can be contributed to physical change. Keep in mind that your spell or ritual is one of many currents all flowing together to make things as they are, so to speak.
Magic works in those times where science does not. Those questions that answer with "maybe" can be guided, if not controled by magic. It deals in subtle manipulations of the world around you in fine, and minute ways to achieve larger goals discretely, and without kicking off free will and this world's laws. Matter cannot be created, nor energy... however, types of energy are interchangable. Debatably, that may be where magic works. The limitations are every bit as real as magic.
This is from a personal understanding through exploring, studying, and experiencing this topic:
Magic and science are like two strands of DNA. The two intertwine with one another. They cannot exist without coexisting with one another. They can be very different but be so much alike at the same time. The way they exist and connect together could possibly be through these limitations and other correlating things that serve as the hydrogen bonds that keep the two strands of DNA together.
The hydrogen bonds that combines the two could most likely be the limitations and correlation with one another like I was saying. Magic cannot defy science as science cannot defy the laws that govern our world that we have came to know as things such as Newton's Laws or whatever.
When magic and science are two terms alone, they exist as something quite blunt and broad. They are practically the same with one another through different contexts such as one being historical. For example: The science that made the fireworks was the magic to others outside of China who did not know any better and what it was. When you get into different kinds of magic and sciences then we are getting somewhere different and you can differentiate the two from one another. Perhaps magic is science that is just not understood quite yet.
Of course magic is akin to science! The original meaning of the word Science was "Knowledge". Almost everything you now take for granted as Scientific was once upon a time "magic". Any happening, event, or change was "magic" until it was understood by Science. The two go together,Science and magic. And there are still things that Science cannot explain, as yet! Dowsing,for instance.
Many of our young members do not really understand magic; and they mix it up with Occult beliefs.
So let me try to make it absolutely clear.
A spell is not magic! A spell is a ritual attempt to obtain a magical result.
Magic is changing one or more things into something different. It can be a change in attitudes, or material things changing into something else.
Every known drug is now "known" to Science; but how many of the general public would understand the chemical formula for Paracetamol? To most people it is still "magic".
So, magic has no limit; because knowledge has no limit. And the action of magic can be very simple or very complicated.
Take a few tiny seeds. Tiny bits of material that look as though they are hardly anything at all! Put those seeds in the earth, add water and sunshine to make those tiny bits of "nothing" grow into flowers or vegetables. How much "magic" do you want?
