Author: Theresa Crater

Many people have speculated that the National Mall in Washington, D.C. is laid out as a Tree of Life. Some dispute this idea, pointing to the fact that L’Enfant’s original plan stopped just past the White House and the far side was still marsh. Masons have continued to influence the architecture in D.C., however, embodying spiritual principles in stone, wood and landscapes.

Many place the Capitol at the foot of the Tree, representing Malkuth, Earth. This is where the ideals of liberty and freedom are supposed to be made manifest in law. If the Capitol is the foot of the Tree, then the Lincoln Memorial is the top, representing Kether, pure consciousness. The Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s second inaugural speech are inscribed there. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his moving “I Have a Dream” speech from its steps.

I’m not sure how Chokmah and Binah are represented on the National Mall, but the next levels do seem clear. The White House stands at Chesed, the station of Mercy, the place of ideal rulership. The Jefferson Memorial represents Geburah, ideal justice. Inside, Jefferson’s idea of a world ruled by justice inspires the visitor.

The Jefferson Memorial is backed up by the Pentagon, a five-pointed star, a prominent symbol for this fifth station on the Tree.

The Washington Monument is the heart of the Tree, Tiphareth, represented by an obelisk. In ancient Egypt, the name for obelisk was “Ib-Ra,” with “Ib” meaning heart: the heart of the sun. The Washington Memorial stretches high into the sky to capture the sun, the planet of this sphere, and channel that energy back down  to illuminate the Tree and spread that light all through the governing bodies of the U.S.

The National Museum of Art, the Sculpture Garden, the National Archives and American and National History hold Netzach’s place on the Tree. Netzach is Victory, expressing the bounteous energy behind the arts and literature. Across the mall, we find Hod represented by the Air and Space Museum and the Department of Agriculture (which should be Netzach, but nothing’s perfect). Hod takes the exuberant energy of Netzach and brings form to it. The intellect and science reign more on this side of the mall, balancing the arts.

Yesod is probably the fountain in front of the Capitol. Yesod is the Moon, the Imagination. Perhaps it needs to be better represented on the mall.  The Capitol Building receives all this energy and is topped by a statue of Liberty. Malkuth is represented by a Queen on her Throne.

Some people on the web have suggested that all this mysticism is satanic. Why? Because it uses pagan imagery. Because the National Mall is supposed to be aligned to Sirius. This is ridiculous to me. The Masons are one of the recipients of a stream of wisdom that has been passed down through the ages, through different religious and spiritual expressions of those ideas. Seeing the common teachings in different religions is not evil. It is the opposite.

Has the United States harnessed all this idealism and expressed it perfectly yet? No. And now, in the midst of our nation’s Pluto return, we’re experiencing perhaps our most intense challenge. We are still striving for a more perfect union, just like it says in the preamble of the constitution. Have the opposite energies sometimes flowed through the Tree that is the National Mall? Perhaps. But next time you walk there, imagine the balanced expression of each of those Ideals manifesting themselves to flow through that grid and bring us more in harmony with our ideals.

On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I took some time to study the sacred geometry of the city. This was research for The Star Family, a book set partially in D.C.

Sacred geometry means building in harmony with nature’s designs, such as using the golden mean or Fibonacci spiral, and reflecting cosmic principles in your work. Washington, D.C., built by Masons, is filled with sacred geometry, and I didn’t have time to see it all. The Freemasons and the Rosicrucians saved spiritual teachings from the forces of Western culture that were out to suppress them, which is quite contrary to what is said of them in some conspiracy theories.

Lately, I’ve been working a lot with the Tree of Life. One of the aspects of the Tree of Life I saw reflected repeatedly in the U.S. Capitol City is the placement of images representing Geburah and Gedulah. Geburah represents the principle of Severity, while Gedulah represents Mercy. Geburah is Mars while Gedulah is Jupiter. We know these in the Lord’s Prayer as “the power and the glory.” In D.C., Mercy is often called “Justice”, Severity “Law”. These two Sephirah stand opposite each other on the Tree, bringing a balance of these two opposing principles to life, to the community and to the individual. We need them both, for without Mercy, Justice grows too severe. Without Justice, Mercy goes soft and allows abuse.

The entrance to the Supreme Court.

Here at the entrance to the Supreme Court, you can see how the two statues representing these principles are always placed on opposite sides, showing how they are supposed to balance each other in perfect harmony. The first is Justice or Law. The second is Contemplation of Justice or Mercy.

The entrance to one of the Senate Office buildings.

The entrance to the National Archives.

Our nation’s capitol is set up to bring balance to these two great forces of life and to ensure that they guide the U.S. government. Next time you visit Washington, D.C., enliven both these priniciples by visiting the places where Law and Justice are represented. Take a moment to meditate there or envision these principles operating without impediment. Yes we can make a difference.

Here are some books that will teach you more about the sacred geometry of Washington, D.C.

Solomon’s Builders, by Christopher Hodapp
The Secrets of Masonic Washington, by James Wasserman
The Secret Architecture of Our Nation’s Capital, by David Ovason

Happy Imbolc!! Bridgit’s fire half way between winter solstice and the spring equinox, when the life force stirs in the outer world. A time to take out your seeds and decide what to plant for this year.