's masterful post on the subject of DC's subterranean tunnel systems.https://steemit.com/pizzagate/@fortified/pizzagate-or-new-tunnel-discoveries-repost-personal-favorite-of-2017
Posts like these got me interested in the design and architecture of some of the world's major cities. In addition, conversations with another great steemian,
, really started to pique my interest in the subject, particularly of the occult and esoteric variety.Although my interest in the topic originates in the architecture of DC, I will not go into too much depth here. Instead, I only wish to use it to introduce some of the fundamentals related to masonic symbolism.
Washington DC
The National Mall of the US capital embodies US history, iconography and is at the same time the center of US political power.
A French architect named Pierre Charles L'Enfant_ drafted and designed the now iconic landscape at the request of George Washington who was a devout Freemason.
Today's Washington, D.C. owes much of its unique design to Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who came to America from France to fight in the Revolutionary War and rose from obscurity to become a trusted city planner for George Washington. L'Enfant designed the city from scratch, envisioning a grand capital of wide avenues, public squares and inspiring buildings in what was then a district of hills, forests, marshes and plantations.
The centerpiece of L'Enfant's plan was a great "public walk." Today's National Mall is a wide, straight strip of grass and trees that stretches for two miles, from Capitol Hill to the Potomac River. Smithsonian museums flank both sides and war memorials are embedded among the famous monuments to Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson.
L'Enfants's plans were more ambitious then what Washington had originally asked of him. The architect and engineer conceived a plan that incorporated diagonal avenues intersecting with rectangles, triangles, circles and squares where monuments could be erected. The presidential home was not the focus, though it was a main feature of the plan. The nations capital building was at the center of l'Enfant's designs and would become the basis for the McMillan plan for construction in 1901.
Masonic Symbolism in DC
I'm a skeptic by nature. When I finally got around to making my first foray into the Masonic and occult symbolism in the streets of DC I have to admit I was more than a little intrigued.
The very first examples I came across were symbols in the National Mall and Lafayette Square.
hiddeninthecrag.com
complex.com
The street grid of DC forms a pentagram with the White House at the end of the 5 pointed star. It should be noted that the pentagram is imperfect with a small section of the west side which does not connect through a diagonal avenue to complete the pentagram.
watcher forum
Masonic Symbols
kissclipart.com
etsy.com
At this point I feel it's important to understand some of the common symbols found in Free Masonry.
The Square and The Compass
The single most identifiable masonic symbol is the square and compass, tools of free masonry. These architect tools are employed in masonic rituals and are emblems to teach symbolic lessons.
The Arch of the Covenant
It reveals God's promise to David which through we receive God's continued mercy for our transgressions.
The Masonic Eye - All Seeing Eye
The symbolic Eye of God. It is the symbol of God's divine presence and ominpotent care of the universe. Because God is without beginning and without end - God always is and always has been.
The Masonic Altar
The Masonic altar is the place where the Holy Books are found and is a symbol of our place of communion with God.
In times past, the altar was a place of sacrifice, atonement and communion with God.
The Letter G
G literally represents God. In the Hebrew bible the letter G is Gheemel and has a numeric value of 3.
The Keystone
As a symbol of completion. The Keystone is the final stone that is placed to complete the construction of an arch. This distinctively shaped stone is crucial for upholding the arch and maintaining its stability.
The Owl
The owl is an important symbol in Freemasonry. It represents the Goddess, wisdom, vigilance and ancient knowledge. It represents the nocturnal - the ruler of the night - guardian of the underworlds inhabited by demons.
traditioninaction.org
Related Link
https://steemit.com/conspiracy/@oendertuerk/the-owl-of-minerva-from-the-illuminati-to-the-freemasons-and-its-symbolic-meaning
l
The Owl is an interesting symbol that seems to also appear in the landscape of Capitol Hill.
Pinterest
Another Masonic symbol is prominently on display in the National Mall architecture. The tools of Free Masonry are not difficult to spot from a bird's eye view. In fact, the Owl is perched atop the square and compass.
ranker.com
npr.com
pinterest
DC Temple
If we return to the first image depicting both the pentagram and the square and compass we also can trace an almost perfect 90 degree angle northward leading to the Supreme Council 33 Scottish Rite Temple of Freemasonry.
The Supreme Council Masonic Temple
phoenixmasonry.org
https://scottishrite.org/
Modeled after the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, the temple has 33 outer columns each measuring 33 feet in height.
The double-headed eagle, the chief symbol of Scottish Rite, is located on all the outside corners of the House of the Temple. The crown represents the 33 degrees.
The double-headed eagle is the chosen symbol for the Scottish Rite Freemasons. According to the Scottish Rite, the symbol represents perfection.
The double-headed eagle not only symbolizes the dual nature of man and the Masons as a whole, but it also stands for the spiritual regeneration of oneself through the unification of opposites.
Summary
I'm sure many of you are already familiar with the Masonic symbolism of Washington DC. This symbolism can also be found in a number of major cities across the globe: London, Paris, Berlin, Vatican City, etc. I'm FAR from being any type of expert on Free Masonry, Sacred Geometry, or Esoteric/Occult symbolism, let's be clear about that.
I've simply developed an interest in this topic. It also happens to coincide with some other research I've been working on which I'm looking forward to sharing with you sometime down the line.
One of the purposes of this post was to introduce the topic to those unfamiliar with this type of symbolic architecture. But, the main reason I made this post was to wet your pallet for an exploration of another city which one might consider to be the Mecca of Masonic symbolism.
To Be Continued...
Sources
https://www.ancient-symbols.com/masonic_symbols.html
https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/f032_Owl.htm