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About the Modern Order of Essenes
The Modern Order of Essenes was founded in 1948 by the Rev. Matthew William Shaw, a Universalist minister who at that time lived and taught in Pennsylvania. His studies of mysticism, spiritual healing, and Christian origins led him to the conviction that his church needed something like the ancient Essene order for those members who wanted to learn and practice spiritual healing. When he and two other ministers left the Universalist Church in 1952 to found a new church, the Universal Gnostic Church (UGC), the Modern Order of Essenes went with him and became the spiritual healing activity of the UGC. One of Rev. Shaw’s students was John Gilbert, who introduced me to the Essene teachings and conferred the attunements upon me in 2004-2008.
The Essene teachings include practices of relaxation, breathing, meditation, and blessing, as well as two methods of spiritual healing. The first and most important method of healing taught by the Order is referred to in the teachings simply as “Essene healing.” It is similar in some ways to Reiki, though it has its own very distinctive way of working; it directs a particular mode of spiritual healing energy through centers in the palms to bless, cleanse, and heal oneself or another person. I have not been able to find any version of this system dating from before the founding of the Modern Order of Essenes, and it seems likely that it was created by or revealed to Rev. Shaw. The three Essene attunements, which are described below, focus on this aspect of the Essene healing work.
The second method of spiritual healing is reflexology, also known as zone therapy. This is a system of gentle hand and foot massage that has healing benefits. It has been practiced since ancient times in Egypt, China, Japan, and India, but was introduced in a Western form in 1913 by two physicians, Dr. William Fitzgerald and Dr. Edwin Bowers. The reflexology teachings included in the Essene system are not intended to make you a professional reflexologist—that requires extensive training under a competent teacher, and includes a great deal of information not covered in this series of papers. The Essene reflexology methods are much simpler to learn and use than the techniques that are practiced by professional reflexologists. They are designed for the Essene healer to use on himself or herself, and to teach to others to use on themselves. Beyond their beneficial effects on health, they help to clear and balance the channels of spiritual energy through which Essene healing works.
These two methods, as well as the other practices discussed above, are taught through written lessons and personal practice. We also have audio files of John Gilbert offering instruction in the basic levels of training, and these will be made available to students for listening or download. The Essene healing practices can be performed by anyone, whether or not they receive the attunements, but receiving the attunements greatly accelerates the process of developing the ability to practice spiritual healing.
There are three attunements that are conferred on the student—the Essene Apprentice, Essene Healer, and Essene Master attunements. These attunements can be conferred in person or at a distance, just as the Essene healing method can be used both in the presence of the person to be healed or at a distance. All three attunements require specific preparatory work on the part of the person being attuned, and further work is necessary once the attunement has been received to stabilize and develop the effects of the attunement.
A student of the Essene work who has received all three attunements and has practiced the spiritual healing methods regularly is eligible to become an Essene Master Teacher and receive full instructions on how to confer the attunements on students of his or her own. To become an Essene Master Teacher it is also necessary to complete the Gnostic Lessons, which confer the minor orders of the Universal Gnostic Church. It may be worth mentioning here that the UGC does not dictate which deity or deities a member, or indeed a clergyperson, must revere; central to UGC theology is the teaching that the Divine reveals itself to different people in different ways. John Gilbert was himself an esoteric Christian, but he welcomed into the UGC and the Modern Order of Essenes Druids, Heathens, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and followers of several Native American religious traditions, among others.
From its founding by Matthew Shaw until John Gilbert took it into dormancy in 2012, the Modern Order of Essenes was an organization with a chief official, whose title was Abbot. I have decided, however, to revive the Order as a tradition rather than an organization. In the future, each Essene Master Teacher will be free to teach and perform attunements as he or she wishes, in much the same way that Reiki teachers currently do.
-John Michael Greer