[Jeff Head]

Not ignoring anything...just indicating what my impression of the traditional meaning is as I was brought up.

I believe that over time, the definition is shifting to have less of an occult overtone...though that part of the definition still remains officially there.

[jacero10]

I believe that over time, the definition is shifting to have less of an occult overtone...though that part of the definition still remains officially there. No. No. No. During the Spiritualist movements of the 19th Century (palm readers and mediums, etc.) the fakes claimed to be mystics. But they were never mystics. And, the ancient meaning of the word mysterion in Greek is translated as sacrament. Thus, the word has a long, deep and rich history in Christianity. The occult sense is not and never has been its essential meaning.