Henosis (Ancient Greek: ἕνωσις) is the classical Greek word for mystical "oneness", "union" or "unity."

I have observed, of the Craft, that there are as many opinions on its purposes and goals as there are actual practitioners of the Craft itself. Moreover, the means by which we achieve certain goals is hotly debated among us as well. In my opinion, however, many of these debates have clear recourse to the Work, the Landmarks, and, of course, the Code of any particular jurisdiction.

To support my claim, I draw your attention to but a few monitorial examples of definitive directives which outline the purpose of the practice of Freemasonry (and it is a practice, rather than merely a theory, but more on this later.) and describe the practice itself. First, examine the Charge of an Entered Apprentice Mason, specifically the section which outlines the duties he owes to himself; to wit, that “by a prudent and well regulated course of discipline, that may best conduce to the preservation of [his] moral and corporal faculties in their fullest energy, thereby better enabling him to execute the talents wherewith God has blessed him…”. I contend, though the context encompasses the totality of a man’s behavior, in public and in private, and not merely his exemplification of our Principles, that Masonry endeavors to inform every aspect of a man’s character, and the reformation thereof, making it a course of well-regulated discipline in itself. “It [Masonry] tends to make all men honorable who strictly adhere to its principles.”

Throughout the whole of Masonic Ritual, public and private, this idea is demonstrated to the brethren. In public ceremonies such as the Installation of Officers, admonishments are given to the Wardens, for example; specifically, that they should amend character flaws in themselves before ever attempting to advise an individual concerning such faults. Indeed, a prescription for due examination of one’s own conduct is reiterated constantly, at almost every available opportunity. We strive, through the practice of the Royal and Ancient Art, to make our votaries wiser and happier men. This alone should be sufficient evidence for the claim that these purposes are clearly represented in the Work. Other, perhaps more abstract, but essential principles, are not so clearly represented by exposition.

In several prayers offered by this Grand Jurisdiction for the opening and closing ceremonies, it is stipulated that we seek “the perfection of every Virtue.” Or the practice of Charity, or Love, that is “the Bond of Peace,” that we might achieve an entrance into the Kingdom of God. These words will mean different things to different brethren, depending not only on their faiths and experiences, but on the interpretations of their respective cannons and dogmas. For example, in the 17th Chapter of Saint Luke, in the King James Version of the Christian Bible, it reads “…for the Kingdom of God is within you.” But, in the New Standard it reads “among you” in place of “within” and this makes a remarkable difference for some. Theologically, based on this slight deviation alone, the question can be raised: Does one who follows the teachings of Christ seek union with the Kingdom external to him (New Standard Version.) or something internal? (King James.) An interpretation that alludes to the internal would suggest a world view more consistent with the context of the King James Version, being translated from Greek and Latin sources, themselves developed in times when Christian Cannon was evolving alongside and being influenced by Greek philosophies such as Anamnesis, the rediscovery of the internal, forgotten, or obscured wisdom.

At any event, I believe that these and many other codified examples in Masonic Ritual, demonstrate quite clearly that, at least an aspect of Freemasonry is its nature as a course of discipline that, when adhered to, claims to enhance a man’s character and spirit in a number of ways which are consistent with a desire to achieve an enriched experience of mortal life.

Second, we must examine the nature of Freemasonry as a tool for achieving mystical experiences, or, the refinement of such faculties in the mind to such a degree that it can stabilize itself when in contact with deep mystery. We read often that “Freemasonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.” Which, in my view, is a truism. It is a true statement, but offers little accessible truth to the uninitiated. But it does illustrate for us the fact that, in our teachings, there are two principle classes of symbols: Hieroglyphs, and Allegories. Freemasonry, by its very nature as an institution which illustrates itself through the use of symbols, is an endorsement of the idea that there is a dimension of human experience that cannot be quantified or substantiated rationally, or grasped by the mind using tools unfit for the development of such sensitivities required to behold the naked enigma of the universe.

Albert Pike once wrote that “It is foolish to mistake the symbol for the thing symbolized.” This alludes to a world-view in which it is posited that symbols are, among other things, forms that conceal, and act as representatives of, forces, ideas, things and concepts which cannot be otherwise apprehended by the casual or even the astute mental or spiritual analysis. For real apprehension, and thereafter, Henosis, to take place, one must circumvent the impulses and involuntary actions of what the Buddhists have been known to call “the monkey mind”. It is the part of us that is always busy with tasks and is perpetually focused on focusing, creating a white noise in life that becomes what we perceive as our thoughts and feelings themselves. We synonymize the anxiety of the always thinking mind with our identities. Ritual attempts to temporarily free the deeper self from its talons, enabling it to rise above the tempest of its continual distractions by distracting the Distractor. The Ritual is the framework within which we affect this masquerade for the Profane One within us. The often repetitive monologues and deceptively simple prose are the mechanism, if practiced meditatively, whereby our minds are attuned to the resonance of the world that lies behind and beneath the symbols we protect.

If the Monkey itself can be busied about a task which is just complex enough to be engaging, but simple enough that it does not provoke higher analyses, then the trap is complete, and the High Self can be free to go about the work which calls to it. Abyssus Abyssum Invocat. The Theurgy of Freemasonry is the call to free one’s self from the adamantine chains of life’s many mental vices, which are disguised with lovely flowers. It is, as we are told, the systematic divestiture of the superfluities of this life. But what is more is that we often mistake this directive as a long term goal, and not a daily practice. It is both. One can shape the stone of the mind today, or in a single instance of meditation, and place it among the other perfectly worked pieces, and these will one day form the pyramid atop which rests the sublime achievement of your work. The profane, monkey self can be restrained by Will, once the Will is cultivated, and forced to do the work of raising the stones and dragging them before the Master for alignment. Or, as it happens with so many, if left to its petty devices, it will push you from the course every day, until you haven’t the time left to go back and begin the work anew.

“I will be liken to the raindrop which washes away the mountain.” –Og Mandino

I will leave it to every individual Brother to determine for himself what the great work in fact is, but, I contend that it is plainly spelled out for us. We must expend our mortal life forces here, in bettering humanity, and, being of humanity, better ourselves in our turn, to be worthy of unity with the Supreme Source of all that is.

wrote that the goal of Freemasonry is “no less than the absolute mastery of everything…” and to the uninitiated, or even to the under prepared Brother, this sounds totalitarian. But, if one reads the breadth of work which lies behind this statement, you will realize that the ethos of such a claim has nothing to do with temporal power, and everything to do with cultivating the sheer audacity one requires to build a Temple of the Soul and to view the engines of eternity in their fullest splendor and unparalleled majesty.

Third, remember the material lessons well, and practice Diligence, Prudence, Temperance, and Discretion. Interpolate the Work into your heart’s vocabulary, like a mantra, so that their strength is always available at a moment’s notice to provide a bulwark against misstep and misanthropy. Decipher the deeper meaning of the allegories and sift through the sands of the ages that have buried the Sphinx of the Order, that you may see your place within the vast reaches of human experience, and be better enabled not only to defend yourself from thieves in the night, but that you may also fulfill your role as a Knight and arch-enemy of spiritual tyranny. Freemasonry endeavors to equip you with the tools you need to adequately defend yourself against the base assassins of the soul’s purity; those who extort from you your power without ever you feeling the chill of a shackle, or the sting of a blade.

Freemasonry, by its mystical nature, is made greater than the sum of its parts. As Metallurgy is the science and practice of understanding the properties of metals, so Freemasonry as a Theurgy, is the science and practice of understanding the properties of the soul, and it teaches us ways to refine ourselves, that we might be fit as living stones for that cosmic architecture from which we have come, and to which we hope to return.