> I was wondering if a Wizard who methodically studied the texts of his school
> in a monastic or hermetic seculsion would be considered a mystic?
No.
> Kabbalistic practices that involve study of texts are sometimes considered
> mystical practices in our world;
And here the blurring of definitions comes into place. I've been using mysticism to refer to only one thing - closer contact with the ineffable. That RW sources describe exotic (but non-mystical) religious practices as mystical indicates they are using a different definition (or being sloppy with their definitions).
For the specific example of Kabbala, only study of the topmost teir (ein sof) would be considered mysticism. For all other sephirot, I consider them to be runes to be studied with grimoires.
--Peter Metcalfe
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