Secrets and Practices of the Freemasons: Sacred Mysteries, Rituals and Symbols Revealed - Jean-Louis de Biasi 2011

The American Pyramid
District of Columbia: Masonic Light of Ancient Egypt

Just as Dan Brown writes in The Lost Symbol, Egypt is the birthplace of what constitutes the structure of Masonic initiation. It is in this country that we find the original meaning of most of its essential symbols. Others will be discovered in the initiatic Schools of Mysteries, which inherited different parts of its teachings and practices.

This reference to Egypt allows you to understand some of the information given in the novel, as well as its connection with the founding of United States and its capital, Washington DC.

The American Pyramid

Origin of a Symbol

It’s not a plot spoiler to reveal that one of the main elements of The Lost Symbol is the pyramid, completed or not. Dan Brown is correct when he writes that the pyramid is one of the most famous and significant symbols of Egypt. Moreover, the Great Pyramid of Giza was on the list of the Seven Wonders of the World[1] created by the Greek Herodotus in the fifth century. It is likely that these famous pyramids were the result of symbolic observations by the ancient priests and architects.

Before pyramids began to be raised in the North of Egypt, the dead were buried in the Valley of the Dead at Thebes. This valley was located west of Thebes, the sacred city that was for a long time the capital of Egypt. Beyond the city there are mountains that are vaguely pyramidal in shape, more clearly revealed as the Sun sets at night. As told in Egyptian stories, when the solar bark disappears on the western horizon, it begins its progression through the world of darkness and the dead, reemerging the next morning in the east. Thus we see that the pyramid is the perfect symbolic representation of the sacred mountain under which the bodies of the deceased were buried, to wait for the rising of day on the other side of the earth.

The first pyramids rose progressively above the burial tombs underground. In the beginning they were simple buildings of a single step called mastabas, used for the worship of the dead. These buildings covered the well that gave access to the tomb. Later, successive levels of decreasing size were stacked on the primitive mastaba, following the Sumerian model.

The first Egyptian pyramid was created for King Zoser by the architect Imhotep, who became the model for the Master of the Masonic Egyptian rituals. Pyramids remained close to the temples and were used as chapels for worshiping the pharaoh god buried under this sacred artificial mountain. It is difficult to know if the first pyramid had six levels or seven, but it is plausible that the initiates associated it with this significant number that was already the model for most of the ziggurats in Mesopotamia.

The Egyptian pyramids are also the expression of a very important symbolism, that of the Sun, the god Ra. Since time immemorial, light was linked to the awakening of consciousness and to the spiritual world. It was natural to consider that darkness and heaviness belonged to the material world as symbolized by the cave, which was used many times to show this opposition to the light. On the other hand, light is insubstantial, higher, and seems to emanate from the highest point of the sky, from the Sun that brings life to the world.

Usually the rays of the benefactor Sun are not clearly visible. When the sky is veiled by clouds, you can’t perceive the ethereal blue, symbol of the highest planes of mind.

When the clouds open partway and the Sun’s rays shine through these openings, you can see a wonderful representation of the pyramid made of light.

Several drawings from the famous alchemical book Mutus Liber illustrate very well this phenomenon and this form. Then the pyramid becomes the materialization of the rays of celestial energy. It is fascinating to imagine that this radiance, before quite invisible, becomes the representation of the union of God and the world.

Progressively, this primal form was simplified and linked to the representation of the Sun’s rays giving life as realized in the Egyptian pyramid with its smooth and bright sides. This building remained for all Western people an expression of perfection and harmony. The simplicity of its shape and the purity of its lines demonstrate the wisdom of the ancient masters. Geometric symbols derived from this form continue the power of this original divine representation.

The two essential symbols making up the pyramid are the square and the triangle. The square represents the surface of the base of the pyramid, which is very often orientated according to the north/south axis. Of course, the symbol of the square and of the number 4 were linked to the four elements codified by the ancient masters (earth, water, air, and fire). The four cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) were also linked to it. This is why these buildings were very often oriented according to these principles. These symbols and forms are universal.

From Egypt to the District of Columbia

The sentence “the pyramid is a map” is a recurring theme of The Lost Symbol. Although presented in a novelized manner, these words reveal very interesting information connected to the design of Washington DC and, more precisely, the District of Columbia. As shown in the original maps, the District of Columbia is a rare example of a perfect square exactly orientated on the four directions. The Masonic Tradition has many examples in which human-designed buildings incorporated inner and archetypal symbols. Sometimes these representations rise from the unconscious mind of the architect, suggesting the form of a new building or city. Usually the architect tends to link this unconscious impulse to his knowledge and culture, and to his goals. In the case of the U.S. federal capital, you should know that several Freemasons participated in the project, and it is clear that the symbolism of this tradition was manifested in the most important elements. This symbolism was also used to represent and manifest their purposes and ideals. Although I will speak of this later in this book, it is important to know that to accomplish and manifest ideals in the world requires a tangible, physical component. Architecture and the resultant building is a means of such material realization that continues to project those ideals in the minds of the people. As you saw in the myth of the Tower of Babel, it is for this reason that we can link Masonry to the demiurge—seeming to take a form from nowhere and nothing, through which the builder creates a divine work. This is an important aspect of Masonic initiation.

The square formed by the District of Columbia can be seen as the base of an invisible pyramid in contact with the ground. Its center is exactly the center of the city of Washington. Precisely, this center is on the Mall and is marked by the Jefferson Stone. This representation shown on a map is very significant, but when you consider the dimension chosen for the District of Columbia, you can see that the choice is also very symbolic.

The side of the square of the great Pyramid of Giza, the model of geometric accomplishment, has a 0.143132-mile dimension. If you multiply this dimension by 70, you get the exact size of one side of the District of Columbia, that is to say 10 miles. Considering the deep significance of this Egyptian building for the architects and master-builder Freemasons, this source of inspiration becomes obvious. The numbers chosen are meaningful. The number 70 corresponds in Hebrew to the letter Ayin (). You remember that words and letters of this language were often used by the Freemasons, trying to link their work to their founder myth. Any letter of the Hebrew alphabet also constitutes a word and has significance.[2] The letter Ayin means “divine providence, eye, fountain of wisdom, and the ability to find wisdom.” The Qabalistic tradition says that the right eye is turned to the transcendent light of God, while the left eye looks at the world from the celestial sphere. It is very interesting to see the relationship between this meaning of Ayin and the intentions of the Founding Fathers. They tried to work under protection of divine providence and used the power of wisdom to build the new nation.

If the number 70 is reduced to 7 by addition (70 7 + 0 7), the symbolism is also very rich. The most ancient reference that was used throughout the centuries is that of the seven traditional planets. They were, for the ancients, the visible manifestation of the seven most powerful divinities. The Neoplatonic and Ogdoadic Traditions chose the Chaldean ascending sequence, which puts the Sun at its center (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). This succession is used in most versions of the Qabalistic Tree of Life in which planets are attributed to the Sephiroth.

From the time of the Chaldeans, it was well known that the lunar month is divided into four parts, each composed of seven days. These seven days were allocated to seven divinities very early on. In the Greek system, the seven divinities are Helios, Selene, Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Kronos. Vowels were also linked to these divinities (I, A, O, E, U, H, final A). Hebrew Qabalists made similar attributions.

This assignment of planets and vowels points out a will to link the earth with the cosmos, introducing balance and harmony, and maintaining order above chaos. Finally, if the divinities that correspond are represented with their attributes in the space delimited and in the most important places of power, buildings, etc., then their influence will be even stronger. You will see that this is really the case in each of the major buildings of Washington.

As I have just said, the dimension of the base of this invisible pyramid formed by the District of Columbia is ten miles on each side. The number 10 is an extremely important number in the Western Tradition. You will see that in the symbol of the triangle seen on the face of the pyramid. This regular form of the Egyptian pyramid naturally became the symbol of the descent of the light emanating from a unique celestial point seen from its summit looking towards the base of it (the world). Considered in another sense, it is also the symbol of the return one must accomplish, going from the multiplicity to the ultimate unity (see the signification of the letter Ayin mentioned before).

The triangle (constituting the sides of the pyramids) is one of the essential geometric shapes of Freemasonry. It was used over many centuries by several cultures before being used as one of the founder symbols of this brotherhood. Outside of Egypt, the triangle is a central symbol of the Pythagorean Mysteries. Without considering now the important mathematical theories that came from Pythagoras, it is interesting to note that the number 10 (called the Divine Tetraktys) was represented with its triangular and pyramidal shape. For Pythagoras, this number was undoubtedly one of the most important mysteries and under its protection the oaths of the brotherhood were pronounced: “By the one who gave in our souls the Tetraktys, source of the eternal nature.”[3] Porphyrius wrote, “They introduced Pythagoras among their Gods and when they had to pronounce a solemn oath, they began to do that under the protection of the Tetraktys.”[4] The Tetraktys was for the Pythagoreans the Decade obtained by the addition of the first four numbers. The result is a pyramidal representation, as you can see below.

Pythagorean Tetraktys

Structure of the Tetragrammaton[5] according to the Christian Qabalists

So the size of the ten-mile square chosen for the District of Columbia is very significant.

As shown by several studies, the shape and the proportions of the Great Pyramid of Giza generate a powerful subtle and invisible energy. Several studies done with BioGeometry demonstrate the powerful energy of its shape. Everything in nature has shape, and every shape generates a specific energy. The impact of geometrical shapes on human energy has always been a reality known by the initiates of the Ancient Mysteries. They used this knowledge in religious and sacred buildings to generate special energies to activate precise states of consciousness. It was the same for some traditional religious tools. Thus, a pyramid shape can have a real and powerful effect. In the case of the District of Columbia, the proportion was kept to maintain the quality of energy the founders wanted to use in the establishment and organization of the new country. Divine providence, linked to the intuition of wisdom, guided those who were chosen to act in this special area in order to develop the country according to the founders’ principles.

But to activate this special and energetic building, it was necessary to give it a real existence. Since the most ancient times, such energies have been created in the same way, by raising stones (or buildings) and by “planting” them in the ground. It is the process used by the ancient people of Europe to create sacred areas that did not need an architectural superstructure. Stone markers put in special places were used to generate invisible power in this space, then surrounded. The character of the energy was the consequence of the shape, the position, and the number of the stones. You can find examples in several structures of traditional ancient people even as old as the megalithic period. Examples can be seen in Carnac (France), Stonehenge (England), and many other places.

These traditional rules were used in the District of Columbia, during the planning of this particular area. The square was delimited by forty stone markers, planted in the ground on a very regular sequence. [6]

Beyond the activation of the power I just spoke about, the significance of the number chosen (40) gives a special meaning and effect to this realization. In the Hebrew Qabalah, this number corresponds to the letter Mem ().

Mem, the letter of “water” (Mayim), symbolizes the fountain of divine wisdom. This flow goes from the top of the Qabalistic Tree[7] (Keter, the “crown”) to the second sphere (Chokmah, “wisdom”). This letter Mem is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet. The number 13 is well known in the Qabalah because the addition of the letters composing the words one (Echad) and love (Ahavah) are equal to thirteen.

The form of this letter is also interesting. Mem can be seen as a summary of creation. The base of the letter represents the primordial ocean, without form and substance. Above it you see the form of the vault of the sky and the Yod, which represents the spirit of God. This original flame was above the waters. It is from this union that the Book of Genesis shows the creation of the whole universe. You can find another original story connected to the same archetypal symbol. In the sacred myths of ancient Greece, there, too, was a primordial ocean. The sky above was named Ouranos. One day, Cronos, the god of time, cut off the penis of Ouranos and some drops of blood and sperm fell in the ocean. Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love, was born from the union of these two substances and the salt water. This reminds us how important beauty is in the Freemasonry ideal and philosophy.

This myth has an equivalent here. The powers of the forty stones stuck in the ground manifested in the creation of the young republic. It is interesting to note that the number 40 is feminine and liquid, and that the name Columbus was changed to the feminine form Columbia.

As you now understand how these powers were utilized to help the rise and development of the country, you should also realize that it will be possible to use them with special processes and practices. This will be discussed in the last part of this book. Let us note finally that the energy generated by this preparation of the area can be changed if some of the stone markers are destroyed or moved. Alas, that has been the case for some of them. Considering the invisible effect of these forty stones, it would be important for our era to raise and to restore all of them to their original positions (or at least a substitute of the stones stuck in the ground). Then the energies could be regenerated in order to give more power to the symbolic center of the United States and help its leaders manage the difficult times of this beginning of the twenty-first century.

The Sacred Triangle

The Masonic symbol of the triangle I mentioned before is also called a “delta,” according to the representation of the Greek letter (). In architecture, you can see this triangle on the pediment of the Greek and Roman classical temples. As research has demonstrated, proportions have a substantial importance. Without going further into these archaeological and geometric principles, you should remember how important the triangle and other symbols were in their pre-Christian origins.

The ancients (Platonists, Neoplatonists, Pythagoreans, writers like Plutarch, Vitruvius, etc.) wrote a lot about the geometric and symbolic value of the triangle. In several Eastern traditions, the Triad (3) is a mysterious number. It is the representation of the attributes of the supreme being, because the triangle unites the properties of the two first numbers, Unity and Dyad. The different trinities we can see in different places and times gave to this symbol an important theological meaning. This was also the case in the Western Tradition with trinities like Isis, Osiris, and Horus; Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades; the Three Fates (goddesses of life and destiny); the triple Hecate; and in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The main official Washington buildings were constructed according to the classical models, and their facades often reveal the presence of this symbolic triangle on the pediment. At the beginning of The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown invites the reader to be prudent with the numerous deductions made possible by the alignment of the streets of any city of the world. However, there are some fundamental geometric structures that are very significant when they can be associated without contradiction. The is the case with the triangle I am talking about. It does not require much imagination to see a precise triangle between the Capitol Building, the White House, and the Jefferson Memorial. This triangle is formed by Pennsylvania Avenue, Maryland Avenue, and the north/south line between the White House and the Jefferson Memorial. Some authors have tried to superimpose on Washington’s map the symbols of the square and the compass as universal symbols of Freemasonry. Of course, it would be possible to link the two avenues (Pennsylvania and Maryland) to the branch of the compass. However, it is completely arbitrary and extremely difficult to find any square in the map.

The triangle I am speaking about is oriented on the central axis east/west and is much more obvious. I will explain more about it later in the book. The geometric center of this triangle is one of the important energetic points of the Mall and I will give you an example in the last part of this book. Dan Brown’s novel mentions the Great Seal of the United States many times, with its incomplete pyramid and shining triangle upon it with the eye in the center, as it is found on the U.S. one-dollar bill. Dan Brown links this eye to a solar symbol called the circumpunct, the circled dot or circle with a point at its center, which is an ancient symbol of the Egyptian god Ra. Freemasonry, following Christianity and pre-Christian traditions, often used the delta with the central eye.

It is correct that the origin of the symbolic divine eye (or oudjat) can be found in Egypt. In the ancient myths, the eyes of Horus represented the Sun and the Moon. According to this story, Set, representing the nocturnal force, fought Horus and pulled out his lunar eye. Thoth recovered it later and gave it back to Horus, restoring the order of the cosmos. You should easily understand why the triangle is often put at the East of the Masonic temples, associated with the representations of the Moon and the Sun.

The temple is the sacred place in which initiations can be performed. Several important symbols representing the cosmos compose this space. They give power to the area and allow the initiate to understand the philosophical and spiritual message. It is also with their help that the nature and true origins of this initiatic tradition will be found.