Mist and mystics

A quick look at mist, spirituality and the meaning of the Mist card in the Go Deeper oracle.

A few years back I discovered Frank MacEowen's book "The Mist-Filled Path". I found a lot of good in this book at the time, and still enjoy returning to it occasionally. His use of Mist as a metaphor for the soul, for spirituality and liminality falls mostly in line with my own. So often in literature Mist and fog are used to create fear or mystery, but like Frank MacEowen I have always found it very touching and a thing of great beauty.

In my oracle system (which isn't really at all systematic!) the Mist card represents deep spirituality and mystical experience. From what I can gather of their etymology, the word mist does not share a common root with mystery, mystic, etc. I find that a little disappointing, because like most people, I find Mist a bit mysterious! The way it comes and goes, and obscures our vision, so that although it may be that there is no common shared origin for these words, they are merging somewhat in the way we think of them now.

Mystical, on the other hand, is a word which I hear misused a lot these days, and it's a shame, because it leaves those who use it more correctly in the position of being misunderstood -- and I don't see it being practical to go back and change all the old books to a newer, easier word for the benefit of the ignorant!

Webster offer us this:

MYSTICAL 1 a : having a spiritual meaning or reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence <the mystical food of the sacrament> b : involving or having the nature of an individual's direct subjective communion with God or ultimate reality <the mystical experience of the Inner Light>

and so, by extension, a mystic is someone who has such experiences. I would very much include this in the general feel of this card. My definition of the card says:

Mist - The touch of another world. In losing ourselves we find something greater.

The touch of another world, or another reality, implies that such experiences are indeed somewhat "apparent to the senses" and "obvious to the intelligence". I didn't say "a rumour of another world" or "a hint of another world" but touch, and that is an important distinction.  When something touches me, it has a solidity. The Mist may obscure the face of that which has reached out to me, but just as we say "Pinch me in case this is a dream," touch implies that spiritual experiences are more than just dreams or fantasies.

The Mist of the mystical experience tends to come when we're ready, not when we think we're ready. If this card occurs in a reading I see it as a positive thing. Someone is having, or will have, wonderful experiences of a spiritual nature. However, in order for such experience to happen, and be meaningful, we need to let go of ego and allow perceived reality to dissolve, in order to make room for that "something greater."

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