The magic of INTENTION

You don't have to be a wizard to change your world, says Tanya Meeson

- Tanya Meeson

When I was a teenager, one of my favourite W reads was a high fantasy series written by David Eddings called The Belgariad. Although I remember very little of it, one of the main story devices lodged in my brain and stayed there: the concept of 'the Will and the Word'.

Sorcerers in this world would harness the power of 'the Will and the Word' to affect the world around them, mustering their intent towards a specific purpose and then saying a word to make it so, transporting themselves here or there, burning or flooding this and that. While I knew that I was unlikely to ever conjure a helpful sprite or spontaneously combust my enemies, there was something about the idea of this power that felt somehow within reach. But real life carried on and there were dramas to attend to and so I didn't give it much further thought.