Mysticism is something that some people do not want to see as part of Hellenismos even though the tradition of mystics is also found in the literature. Even Socrates (as portrayed by Plato) was a bit of a mystic as he describes a ‘personal’ spirit that advises him and is invariably telling him the right path to walk. The mystic will often have a deep relationship with one or more of the Gods and will feel the presence of those Gods in his or her life.
As for other “woo” stuff like these examples, I take each case on its own merits. There have been sad cases when people have thought they WERE the “bride” or “husband” to one of the Gods. These I tend not to believe unless the person can demonstrate to my satisfaction that they are talking in the metaphorical sense and not in a more physical sense. There are cases where synchronous events took place after a prayer and/or offering to one of the Gods. These I tend to believe were caused by the Gods, even if it was only the “personal” god that Socrates speaks of.
Do I tend towards mysticism? I would say that I do. However, that does not mean that I will not apply the logic I have learned to various experiences as time goes on. After all, the power of prayer is sometimes a very important part of daily life. And that will be what I explore in tomorrow’s blog entry.