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    The Secrets of Masonic Washington: A Guidebook to Signs, Symbols, and Ceremonies at the Origin of America's Capital
    The Secrets of Masonic Washington: A Guidebook to Signs, Symbols, and Ceremonies at the Origin of America's Capital
    The Secrets of Masonic Washington: A Guidebook to Signs, Symbols, and Ceremonies at the Origin of America's Capital
    Ebook288 pages2 hours

    The Secrets of Masonic Washington: A Guidebook to Signs, Symbols, and Ceremonies at the Origin of America's Capital

    By James Wasserman

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    About this ebook

    A fully illustrated guide to the Masonic origins and present-day Masonic sites of Washington, D.C.

    • Provides a walking tour of the Masonic sites and symbols of the city

    • Explores the critical role of Freemasonry in the founding of the United States

    • By the author of The Templars and Assassins

    In this guide to the Masonic underpinnings of America’s capital, James Wasserman reveals the esoteric symbols and the spiritual and visionary ideas that lie hidden in the buildings, monuments, and physical layout of Washington, D.C. His walking tour of these Masonic sites includes both the expected and unexpected--from the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol Building to the Federal Reserve complex, National Academy of Sciences, and the Library of Congress. Each location includes descriptions, interpretations, and explanations of the Masonic symbols and ritualistic meanings hidden within its structure, all illustrated with contemporary color and historic black-and-white photographs.

    Wasserman explains the purpose behind putting these symbols and Masonic designs into the capital and how all these monuments fit into the spiritual vision held by the founding fathers. He reveals the prominent role that Freemasonry played in the 18th-century Enlightenment movement and shows how in the New World of America, free of monarchy and aristocracy, the ideas of the Enlightenment were able to flourish. This illustrated guidebook to the Masonic secrets of Washington, D.C., provides valuable insights on the founding of America. It will be welcomed by students of esoteric art and symbolism, admirers of American history, and devotees of Dan Brown novels and National Treasure movies.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInner Traditions/Bear & Company
    Release dateNov 26, 2008
    ISBN9781620553411
    The Secrets of Masonic Washington: A Guidebook to Signs, Symbols, and Ceremonies at the Origin of America's Capital
    Author

    James Wasserman

    James Wasserman (1948-2020) was the author of several books, including The Templars and the Assassins, The Secrets of Masonic Washington, The Mystery Traditions, An Illustrated History of the Knights Templar, and The Temple of Solomon. A longtime student of the occult, the United States Constitution, and the writings of the Founding Fathers as well as a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis since 1976, he lived in New York City.

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      Book preview

      The Secrets of Masonic Washington - James Wasserman

      THE SECRETS OF MASONIC WASHINGTON

      This is the best book to date on the Masonic influences on the formation and growth of the early American republic. Destined to be a classic, it seamlessly weaves the exotic and esoteric aspects of history together into a guided walking tour of America’s occult greatness, showing that ‘holy land’ is not something that is found somewhere else but is right here beneath our feet. More than just a look at the past, it is a veritable tour of the future and of what America can be again.

      MARK STAVISH, DIRECTOR OF STUDIES AT THE INSTITUTE FOR HERMETIC STUDIES AND AUTHOR OF FREEMASONRY: RITUALS, SYMBOLS & HISTORY OF THE SECRET SOCIETY

      James Wasserman has an unparalleled track record prospecting in the Solomonic mines of occult worlds and emerging with 24-karat nuggets of secret history. He then subjects these to the assays of rational logic and analysis. From the Hashishim and Knights Templar of medieval times, to America’s Founding Fathers of three centuries ago, Wasserman knows how to decode the symbols, unravel the secrets, and find historical gold.

      DAN BURSTEIN, EDITOR OF SECRETS OF THE CODE AND SECRETS OF ANGELS & DEMONS

      James Wasserman provides us with an informative guidebook to the wondrous neoclassical monuments of Washington, D.C. Use it when you visit the nation’s capital and become enlightened and one with its Founding Fathers.

      ROBERT R. HIERONIMUS, AUTHOR OF FOUNDING FATHERS, SECRET SOCIETIES AND UNITED SYMBOLISM OF AMERICA

      Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom, instructing famous inventors (including Freemasons Benjamin Franklin and Robert Fulton) in science, art, and geometry. Note the Mason holding a pair of compasses at left. Detail from The Apotheosis of Washington by Constantino Brumidi in the Capitol Rotunda. (Architect of the Capitol.)

      AMERICA

      May God continue

      to shed His Grace on Thee

      George Washington as Master of his lodge by Hattie Burdette. (Copyright the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. All Rights Reserved. Photography by Arthur W. Pierson, Falls Church, Virginia.)

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      ABRIEF WORD on my perspective may be helpful. I am not a Freema-son. However, I have spent my entire adult life actively engaged in a derivative organization, Ordo Templi Orientis, founded by high-grade Freemasons in 1895 and in existence ever since. While a number of our early leaders identified the order as Masonic, we no longer make that claim. The distinguishing characteristics that prevent us from being Freemasons are that we accept women as full members and are specifically dedicated to the promulgation of a religious text received by one of our founders in 1904. We are, however, taught the highest regard for Freemasonry. On a personal level, I am proud to mention my father was a Freemason and member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

      Throughout this project, I have been humbled by the warmth and coop-eration extended to me by traditional Freemasons, without whose generosity this book would have not been possible. However, any errors in my interpretation of Masonic symbols, allegories, and rituals are solely my own.

      So many people helped out with travel, research, permissions, photography, retouching, editorial, and artistic efforts that I can never thank all of you properly. I apologize if I have left anyone’s name out of this list.

      The credit for this book belongs to Ehud C. Sperling, founder of Inner Traditions, who originally suggested it and guided its progress during the conceptual stages. Thank you for helping me share my love for our country.

      MASONS: Mark Tabbert, director of collections of the George Washington Masonic Memorial, provided valuable insights into Freemasonry for which I am grateful. Larissa Watkins, librarian of the House of the Temple of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, was especially gracious. Arthur W. Pier-son of Pierson Photography, a devoted Mason and a brilliant photographer, was generous with both his time and his photographs, and I deeply appreciate his help. Thanks to George Seghers, director of the George Washington Masonic Memorial, and Akram Elias, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia. My friend Martin P. Starr facilitated critical introductions, and, as he has with all my books, provided especially valuable editorial assistance.

      DESTINY BOOKS: I don’t know if Jeanie Levitan works by sprinkling magic dust or by sonorous incantations in candlelit circles, but she brings a clarity to editorial work and book production that is nothing short of miraculous. We shared a wonderful day in Washington, D.C., with Don, Michael, Paige, and Rachel that will forever remain a treasured memory. Thanks to Jon Graham for our friendship and for communicating the essence of this book. Peri Ann Swan has once again created a superb cover. Thanks to Jon Desautels for his design collaboratoin, a creative first for me.

      RESEARCH: Richard Kaczynski, Ph.D., was a key research ally, introduced me to Larissa Watkins, and provided the hospitality of his home for an extended visit. Thanks to Dan Burstein, Arne de Keijzer, Dr. Bob Hieroni-mus, and Peter Levenda for additional research help and contacts, and to Yvonne Paglia and Priscilla Costello.

      TRAVEL: Kerry Kurowski, Jessica Melusine, and Ken Megill of William Blake Lodge of O.T.O. opened their homes and provided much needed logistical support, as did my friends Andrew Clarke and Tim Linn of Asia Pacific Offset. Thanks to Jim and Lisa Gannon for service above and beyond the call of duty!

      EDITORIAL: My wife, Nancy, reviewed endless drafts and layout ideas and provided tremendous help in scheduling travel and keeping our home life on track during production. My friends Lindy Wisdom, Stella Grey, Anthony Carlson, Daniel Pineda, and Michael Antinori all provided editorial review and encouragement, as did Lon DuQuette. Nicole Laliberte has been a talented production assistant throughout.

      PHOTOGRAPHY: Thanks to Carol M. Highsmith, who gave a generous gift to the American people by donating her extraordinary photography of the Library of Congress to the public domain. My daughter Rachel Wasser-man’s photo of the Jefferson Memorial is one of the best in the book, and I am grateful she helped immortalize one of my greatest heroes.

      TECHNICAL: I thank Emma Gonzalez for teaching me to see by initiating me into the mysteries of photography. Steven Brooke, Allan Everett, and James Mason provided extremely useful guidance in the higher realms of Photoshop and Illustrator.

      PERMISSIONS: I thank Dr. Barbara Wolanin, Jennifer Pullara, and Ann Kenny of the Architect of the Capitol’s office, who were especially helpful in providing images and most hospitable to a weary traveler. Ben Hardaway of the Federal Reserve Board went out of his way to accommodate my needs during an enormously busy period for the board. Thanks to Marilyn Ibach, who introduced me to the Carol M. Highsmith archive, and to Mary Mundy, both of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Reading Room, and to Mariano Aquino of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Susan Raposa of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, Hillary Crehan of the White House Historical Association, Robin Webb of American Map Corporation, Andy Tuttle of CSI2, and my colleague Jennifer Belt of Art Resource were all especially competent and helpful.

      IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: Bridget Zarate of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Nikki Greco of the Library of Congress brightened my visit with their warmth.

      Finally, my daughter and I shared an unforgettable conversation with an Ethiopian-born cab driver who enthusiastically proclaimed his gratitude for the opportunities afforded him and his family by America. A naturalized citizen of some fifteen years, he had recently taken his three children, all born here, to the land of his birth. He wanted to give them an appreciation for their ancestral roots—but more importantly—for the country he had chosen to afford them the best opportunity in life. Thank you, sir, for sharing your love of America.

      CONTENTS

      Acknowledgments

      Introduction—Hidden in Plain Sight

      Freemasonry and the Cause of Human Liberty

      The Masonic Design of Washington, D.C.

      A WALKING TOUR OF THE CAPITAL

      The Capitol Area

      Union Station

      Judiciary Square

      Federal Triangle

      The White House, Ellipse, and Lafayette Park

      The Federal Reserve and the National Academy of Sciences

      West Potomac Park and the Tidal Basin

      The National Mall

      Epilogue—A Vision of the Future of America

      Directory of Sites

      Notes

      Selected Bibliography

      About the Author

      About Inner Traditions

      Books of Related Interest

      Copyright

      Sculpture of Art by Francois M. L. Tonetti-Dozzi in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress. The other figures in the series include Science, Religion, Law, Poetry, Commerce, Philosophy, and History. Also see pages 21–23. (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith.)

      INTRODUCTION

      HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

      HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: thus would I describe the esoteric and occult symbolism of the sacred space of Washington, D.C. Sit down with a map of the city, pencil, ruler, protractor, and pair of compasses. You can draw pentagrams and hexagrams, triangles, crosses, circles, and other multiangled geometrical constructs that will fill the pages of books and websites with potentially erudite speculation and amazing detail. Many people have and many more undoubtedly will.

      On the other hand, as we walk through the streets of Washington, D.C., in the course of this book, we will enter an eternal world populated by archetypes in stone—carvings, monuments, statues, buildings, and inscriptions. Like hierophants of the Mystery schools of antiquity, they silently communicate a curriculum designed to inspire, elevate, and teach eternal Truth. Washington, D.C., like Jerusalem or Mecca, offers a pilgrimage for those who seek a greater understanding of the miracle of their homeland and for visitors from other shores

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