The Everyday Mystic: Beyond The Monastic Enclosure and Out Into The World

Many of the mystics of old were to be found behind the monastery or convent wall or living an eremitical life essentially disconnected from the clamor of the outer world. Silence. Obscurity. Separation. This is true regardless of the religious or spiritual persuasion of the mystic. Many mystics can still be found in these places. The modern mystic however, can also be found living more abundantly in the world, the everyday world that can be experienced as quite chaotic, even for those with no mystical leanings. Sounds. Visibility. Socially connected. These are the neo mystics. None of this is to say that there have not always been mystics who were living in the secular community. Surely there were. Our modern world is simply one that makes it far more likely that the call of the mystic will be answered largely by those who have not separated themselves away from the community. These are the everyday mystics living amongst us in every single representation of modern life we are able to imagine. All of this begs the questions: What is a mystic? and; What is the role of the mystic in today's world? I will address those questions in a follow-up piece. The Everyday Mystic By Raven Mahosadha

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