Some time ago there was a rather lively discussion in one of the soap making groups on Yahoo about what soaping is science or magic. I've thought a lot about that since that time.I finally came to the conclusion that it is a little of both.
I see science versus magic as the same concept as obeying rules versus getting the job done. When I was in the Red Cross, I worked for a time as a caseworker. We had very strict rules about what we could give and how much. But there were times when we had to break the letter of the rule to really accomplish our goal to serve our clients.
I had a wise Supervisor once who told me (after I broke a few rules big time and expected him to blow up) that the rules are there to keep us from going to far a field. He then signed off on everything I had done.
Science and magic are the same thing in soap making. We need the science IE the INS and lye/oil calculations to keep us in a range whereby we will end up with soap rather than soup or lye rocks. The magic is what gives us the opportunity to be creative and watch something wonderful happen in the soap pot. Or make every mistake in the book and still get a nice batch of soap. Or do something other soapers say won't work and getting a magical bar of soap.
Yes soaping is part science mostly magic.
So, no matter what you do, some batches are going to fail and others are going to succeed beyond your wildest expectations.