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

Excerpts & Samples

By James Wasserman

Publisher : Inner Traditions/Bear & Company

ABOUT James Wasserman

James Wasserman
James Wasserman is the author of the bestselling Templars and Assassins: The Militia of Heaven and The Slaves Shall Serve: Meditations on Liberty. He is a longtime student of the occult sciences and lives in New York City. Visit the author's web site at http://www.studio31.com/.

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Description

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.
“More than a breathtaking pictorial tour of Washington, D.C., this book is an archaeological expedition to a ‘lost city’ whose mystical treasures and traditions are hidden in plain sight--a city designed and built to be a powerful talisman and the beating heart of a spiritual entity that transcends all religions--a city whose very streets invoke the invisible energies that drive the evolution of human consciousness--a city inspired by a civic priesthood we know today as Freemasonry.”
Lon Milo DuQuette, 32°, author of The Key to Solomon’s Key: Secrets of Magic and Masonry

“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 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

“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

"The Secrets of Masonic Washington shines a spotlight on an unusual area of Washington, D.C. that few of us have ever realized. It is a historical study of masonry and how it is embroidered into the development of the USA. At the same time, the book is counter-balanced with photos of historic sites and statuary found in today’s Washington, D.C., revealing masonry’s remarkable influence up to the very present day.

This is one of the most interesting visual and literary walking tours of Washington, D.C. that I’ve ever taken, and I recommend it to any student of government, history, or art."
The Amazing Kreskin

"If you are planning to visit the Capitol, you really could benefit from having this book in your shoulder bag. It is well worth the cost and, even if you never go to Washington, you can still enjoy the wonderful images contained in it."
Michael Gleason, Witchgrove.com, Dec 2008

"This history of a secret society explores the purposes behind Masonic symbols and ritualistic meanings, surveying how Masonic designs became part of the symbols of America's capital and examining the role Freemasonry played in the 18th century Enlightenment movement. The result is a fine link between new age and American history, recommended for any library considering titles on freemasonry."
The Midwest Book Review, March 2009