The fundamental difference between the two is this: magic wants to get, mysticism wants
to give—immortal and antagonistic attitudes, which turn up under one disguise or another in every age of thought. Both magic and mysticism in their full development bring the whole mental
machinery, conscious and unconscious, to bear on their undertaking: both claim that they give their
initiates powers unknown to ordinary men. But the centre round which that machinery is grouped,
the reasons of that undertaking, and the ends to which those powers are applied differ enormously.
In mysticism the will is united with the emotions in an impassioned desire to transcend the
sense-world, in order that the self may be joined by love to the one eternal and ultimate Object of
love; whose existence is intuitively perceived by that which we used to call the soul, but now find
it easier to refer to as the “cosmic” or “transcendental” sense. This is the poetic and religious
temperament acting upon the plane of reality. In magic, the will unites with the intellect in an
impassioned desire for supersensible knowledge. This is the intellectual, aggressive, and scientific
temperament trying to extend its field of consciousness, until it includes the supersensual world:
obviously the antithesis of mysticism, though often adopting its title and style.

It will be our business later to consider in more detail the characteristics and significance
of magic. Now it is enough to say that we may class broadly as magical all forms of self-seeking
transcendentalism. It matters little whether the apparatus which they use be the incantations of the
old magicians, the congregational prayer for rain of orthodox Churchmen, or the consciously
self-hypnotizing devices of “New Thought”: whether the end proposed be the evocation of an angel,
the power of transcending circumstance, or the healing of disease. The object is always the same:
the deliberate exaltation of the will, till it transcends its usual limitations and obtains for the self
or group of selves something which it or they did not previously possess. It is an individualistic
and acquisitive science: in all its forms an activity of the intellect, seeking Reality for its own
purposes, or for those of humanity at large.

Mysticism, whose great name is too often given to these supersensual activities, has nothing
in common with this. It is non-individualistic… It is essentially
a movement of the heart, seeking to transcend the limitations of the individual standpoint and to
surrender itself to ultimate Reality; for no personal gain, to satisfy no transcendental curiosity, to
obtain no other-worldly joys, but purely from an instinct of love. By the word heart, of course we
here mean not merely “the seat of the affections,” “the organ of tender emotion,” and the like: but
rather the inmost sanctuary of personal being, the deep root of its love and will, the very source
of its energy and life. The mystic is “in love with the Absolute” not in any idle or sentimental
manner, but in that vital sense which presses at all costs and through all dangers towards union
with the object beloved. Hence, whilst the practice of magic—like the practice of science—does
not necessarily entail passionate emotion, though of course it does and must entail interest of some
kind, mysticism, like art, cannot exist without it. We must feel, and feel acutely, before we want
to act on this hard and heroic scale.

We see, then, that these two activities correspond to the two eternal passions of the self, the
desire of love and the desire of knowledge: severally representing the hunger of heart and intellect for ultimate truth. The third attitude towards the supersensual world, that of transcendental
philosophy, hardly comes within the scope of the present inquiry; since it is purely academic, whilst
both magic and mysticism are practical and empirical. Such philosophy is often wrongly called
mysticism, because it tries to make maps of the countries which the mystic explores. Its performances
are useful, as diagrams are useful, so long as they do not ape finality; remembering that the only
final thing is personal experience—the personal and costly exploration of the exalted and truth-loving
soul.

-MYSTICISM, Evelyn Underhill

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Contrary to recent belief, gluttony does not refer
only to excessive want of material things but also to the extreme want
of even the most spiritual things when such things are sought for as
ends in themselves for the mere delight of it, as a drug that is used again and
again in order to give pleasure to the one seeking it.

“WITH respect to … spiritual gluttony, there is
much to be said,…For many of these, lured by the sweetness and pleasure
which they find in such exercises, strive more after spiritual sweetness
than after spiritual purity and discretion, which is that which God regards and
accepts throughout the spiritual journey.”

“Therefore, besides the imperfections into which the
seeking for sweetness of this kind makes them fall, the gluttony which they
now have makes them continually go to extremes, so that they pass beyond
the limits of moderation within which the virtues are acquired and wherein they
have their being. For some of these persons, attracted by the pleasure which
they find therein, kill themselves with penances, and others weaken
themselves with fasts, by performing more than their frailty can bear,
without the order or advice of any, but rather endeavouring to avoid those whom
they should obey in these matters; some, indeed, dare to do these things even
though the contrary has been commanded them.”

It is such that even the “religious” may fall into the
trap of spiritual gluttony, a state where the pleasure of spiritual experience
replaces the purity and simplicity of one’s love for God.

It is such also that many people in today’s generation,
people practicing and seeking “spirituality” outside of religion may fall into,
unaware that the escape from material things does not automatically render that
one accepts the many evils that spiritual things may lead to if not placed in
their proper order.

If one cannot be trusted of earthly things, how then also
to be trusted of the things of heaven? 
If one is already tempted by the luster of gold, how could one possibly
escape the temptations of the spirit world which are far more glorious and
overwhelming to the human soul?

“Such persons expend all their effort in seeking
spiritual pleasure and consolation; they never tire therefore, of reading
books; and they begin, now one meditation, now another, in their pursuit of
this pleasure which they desire to experience in the things of God. But
God, very justly, wisely and lovingly, denies it to them, for otherwise this
spiritual gluttony and inordinate appetite would breed innumerable evils. It
is, therefore, very fitting that they should enter into the dark night,
whereof we shall speak, that they may be purged from this childishness.”

(Quotations taken from the DARK NIGHT, St. John of the
Cross)

This article was written by Jocelyn Soriano at http://itakeoffthemask.com
You are free to republish this article as long as the original author is cited and a link back to the site www.itakeoffthemask.com is provided.

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