Romancing the Sacred Stones

"Stones are stones. That's all they are, just stones!"

These emphatic words were spoken by my dear, elderly friend Mary (not her real name) as we strolled through her garden one spring afternoon. I had taken her there to show her something that greatly concerned me. Surrounding the base of some newly-planted saplings, her private gardener had arranged stones in the form of swastikasⁱ

The Garden-Stroll Back Story

Several weeks prior to our garden stroll, Mary's new gardener told me that he had come there to "build a garden to his father." Everything seemed fine until I pressed him a little, and discovered that the 'father' he was referring to was not his earthly father, nor any likeness of the Heavenly Father of the bible that you and I read. He was adamant that his father was not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

This begs the question: Who then, was his father, and whose garden was he tending?

Over the next several days, it became apparent that he was dabbling in New Age metaphysics, reincarnation, and Eastern Mysticism with a blend of Native American Spiritism. We were unquestionably not serving the same father!

While it was no shock to me that pagan icons showed up in the garden, the blatant display of one so easily recognizable did surprise me a little. The stone swastikas at the base of the saplings were merely reflections of what was in the gardener's heart, as he built a garden to his father. When I counseled Mary to remove the stones, I was disappointed by her declaration, "Stones are just stones!"

Yes, stones are stones. But, can they become more than just stones?

Are Stones Just  Stones?

Stones are part of God's creation, they are everywhere. They come in many colors and opacity, and every size and shape. So, what is the big deal with stones?

Nothing – until we touch them and impute a value to them. A quartz crystal is valued more than a common river stone, and a diamond is worth far more than a chunk of coal. We mine for stones, cut them, polish them, grade them, assign a value to them, and they become more than just stones.

Stones can also become weapons. Stone axes have been unearthed on battlefields throughout the earth. As a child growing up in eastern Colorado, my friends and I would hunt for stone arrowheads. David, the future king of Israel felled the giant Goliath with one, smooth stone.

Stones can communicate messages. When Mary's gardener organized his stones into swastikas, they became more than just stones; in a sense. Once arranged, they formed a very ancient religious icon that seemed to communicate a message of entitlement; the garden and the fruit it produced belonged to. . . well. . . some otherworldly entity.

Stones become more than just stones when they are used to establish borders. Recently I was in the border town of Los Algadones, Mexico, and observed obelisk #207, one of the hundreds of stones of demarcation along the US/Mexican border from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

Throughout history, various cultures have ascribed spiritual worth to stones as they carved them into statuesⁱⁱ and idols. They became more than just stones; they became objects of worship – they became sacred stones.

Stones were laid into the temple-towers of ancient Mesopotamia, and in those temples, you would find stone altars, and on those altars, stone images. Again, these stones became more than just stones.

Enchanted Circles and Sacred Squares

For millennia, stones have been arranged in enchanted circles and sacred squares that seem to establish spiritual perimeters, and to open power corridors to those who intentionally embrace the deceptive entities in that sacred space. Take for example the labyrinthsⁱⁱ in the medieval cathedrals thrust against the skylines of Europe. As a person walked and meditated toward the center of these enchanted circles, they connected with the "divine." Several years ago, I visited a recent prodigy of these ancient stone-circles in Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, CA. This sacred labyrinth was invited there by Canon Laura Artress after she attended one of Jean Houston's Mystery Schools.

Artress claimed that "over a million people have walked the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral alone…"ⁱⁱⁱ Even the infamous Starhawk, the self-declared practicing witch and colleague of Matthew Fox, is walking the labyrinth nowadays.^v One of the stated purposes of the Labyrinth is to connect us to the mother goddess, of which the labyrinth is a symbol. In her book 'Walking A Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool', Canon Artress states that "The labyrinth is a large, complex spiral circle which is an ancient symbol for the divine mother, the God within, the goddess, the holy in all creation."^vi Artress says that "You walk to the center of the labyrinth and there at the center, you meet the Divine."^vii Jean Houston claims that "As we encounter the archetypal world within us, a partnership is formed whereby we grow as do the gods and goddesses within us."^viii To Jean Houston, it seems that all of life is made up of polytheistic labyrinths. (Bold type – mine for emphasis)

In her book The Hero & the Goddess, she recommended: 'Now, taking a favorite god or goddess by the hand, a Greek one this time, explore the labyrinthian winding of your left hemisphere…Take the deity by the hand and begin to explore the labyrinth winding of your right hemisphere, the place of intuition.'^{ix x} (Bold type – mine for emphasis)

Recently, I stumbled onto an old abandoned property in the desert southwest that had upwards of ten labyrinths on it. One of these labyrinths, for some odd reason unknown to me, had beds in the center, and poles and wires that were wrapped with foil. Individuals from across America used to come there by the hundreds to connect with the 'spirit' realm; the stones guided these votaries ^xi as they meditated toward the centers of these sacred circles. (On an interesting side-note, I later learned that this property had also been a hotspot for UFO sightings). The stones of these labyrinths had become more than just stones.

We could talk further of the enchanted circles of Stonehenge in England, at Oyo in Japan or circumambulating the Black Stone in the Ka'ba in Islamic Mecca, but I want now to touch lightly on the stones of a famous, yet enigmatic square wherein reside the offices of some of the more influential individuals in America.

The 10-mile square perimeter of our Federal District, The District of Columbia, is rimmed with 40 boundary stones placed a mile apart that were set in place during its establishment in the late 18th century. These boundary stones are the oldest federal monuments in the country. They are mentioned in articles written by Freemasons, and likened to the ancient Egyptian city, El Armana, where the Pharaoh Akhenaton bordered his temple city with marker stones, and dedicated it to the sun-god Aten.

When I use the term enigmatic square to define our Federal District, I mean that its founding and layout is somewhat cryptic and unknown by most. The information is available, but you must dig for it. And when found, if you don't understand the esoteric meaning of the symbols and rituals of Freemasonry, it will remain muddled and mysterious. For example, the original cornerstone was placed by Freemasons at Jones Point, who then dedicated it with corn, wine and oil to the "Great Architect of the Universe." This sounds harmless, until you dig into the esoteric^xii definitions of the Corn, wine and oil, the GAOTU and the dedication ritual performed. I will discuss this in detail later in the book, but for now, look at Hosea 2:8. Spoiler alert: the GAOTU is not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

I will get back to our Federal District in a moment, but before I do, I want to direct your attention to a couple of stone images that are hidden in plain sight. The message of one is obvious, while the other, more obscured and controversial.

The Precious Prize

On February 22, 1881, a "truly monumental occasion" took place in the grand hall of the Metropolitan Museum in NYC. It was the formal presentation of a gift that had been making its way across Manhattan for the past four months.

"The crowds surged: early arrivals packed the steps and lines stretched in all directions, blocking stairways and sidewalks. The crush was reported by the New York World to be like a favorite opera night ten times intensified." However, it was an "amiable throng" that soon settled down, content to look through the windows at the "towering shaft… clear cut against cloudless sky."^xiii

This 'towering shaft' is the first stone image that is hidden in plain sight. Referred to as Cleopatra's Needle, it is one of the oldest icons in America, yet many Americans are unaware of its existence in Central Park, NYC., and even fewer know what it represents. We might easily say that the 'monumental occasion' in 1881 was one of biblical proportions, because the 'towering shaft' that enthralled the crowd that cold February was one of the exact sacred pillars spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah. It had earlier adorned the sun-temple in Heliopolis, the city of the sun. Ten years after its re-erection, Dr. Charles Moldenke writes the following:

The oldest nation on the globe sends her greeting to her youngest sister. The "Setting Sun" has shed its last rays on the Old World from Egypt's sunny land and now appears on this western shore as a brilliant "Rising Sun." In the metropolis of the Western Hemisphere one of Egypt's grandest treasures meets our eyes and, though silent, reminds us of her former greatness. Here stands a monument of two of her greatest Pharaohs…

On such a picture, our obelisk looks down from its lofty pedestal. Had it a tongue, it could tell us many a tale from the past, when Thothmes III erected it with pomp and festivities, when Ramses II engraved his name upon it, and the law-giver Moses, the Israelite, played and studied in its view, how it escaped the fury of the demoniac ravager Cambyses, was transported by the Romans to Alexandria, escaped Mohammedan fanaticism, and was last conveyed as a precious prize from its sunny home to our fitful climate."^xiv – 1891, Charles Moldenke, A.M., Ph.D.

After its long and arduous journey from Egypt, this 'precious prize' was unwrapped, so-to-speak, in February, 1891, and like 3000 years earlier was raised again with great pomp and festivities. (Yes, we are talking about one of the exact stones that God promised to destroy in the Temple of the Sun in Heliopolis).^xv Only this time it was not the Pharaoh Thothmes III who celebrated its re-erection, but rather the 12,000 Freemasons that gathered in Central Park that day to dedicate it with the corn, wine and oil. Again, I will explain more about this odd dedication ritual in a later chapter.

The Apex of D.C.

The second stone image that is hidden in plain sight is the one at the center^xvi of our Federal District, Washington D.C. Its apex is the highest point in the District; it is the monument most visible in our nation's capital. Why then, would I say it is hidden in plain sight?

When viewing this 555-foot Monument, or a picture of it, most do not see an obelisk, but rather a monument to our first President, George Washington. In a sense, we have imputed a patriotic value to this obelisk, which seems to not only justify its presence in our Federal District, but elevate it to a place of honor and respect. No one questions why this shaft stands erect where it does, because few understand its association with the sun-god worship of ancient Egypt, and many could care less. Supposedly, there is even a placard on its cap stating "Praise be to God."

This is the reason that I mentioned it to be the more obscure and controversial of the two stone shafts. To question its import and central location is to be non-patriotic, un-American and to some, bordering on treason.

Yet, there it is, hidden like a ghost in the darkness. It was dedicated with the corn, wine and oil by the Freemasons on February 21, 1885. If you ascend the shaft via the inner stairwell, you will notice 22 stones of Masonic origin cemented into the walls of this obelisk, gifted to the Washington Monument Society by Lodges throughout America. Again, Masons seem to have an infatuation with ancient Egypt, and a mystical romance with these sacred stones. Why? Maybe what some of their key historians say is true; that Egypt is the place of their birth.

I have stood before these ancient obelisks in New York, London, Paris and Rome, and visited many of the temple sites and sacred circles mentioned above, and I have had this nagging question regarding man's infatuation of, or romance with these sacred stones; Is it possible that our imputation of spiritual worth to them animates^xvii the darkness behind them? In other words, could there actually be 'demons' behind the idols, as the apostle Paul teaches us?^xviii

If stones are just stones, then why did God tell the Israelites, through the prophet Jeremiah, that he was going to demolish the sacred stones in the temple of Heliopolis?

There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars (stones) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt. Jer. 43:13 (NIV)

This verse explains how God feels about these sacred stones; He hates them! To erect them, and romance them is spiritual adultery. Unfortunately, when you scan the spiritual and physical landscapes of the gateway cities of the "Far Country,"^xix you soon realize that we have been in bed, so-to-speak, with the enemy for so long, that we fail to even notice his idolatrous presence among us.

This blog is an excerpt of the soon-to-be published book by Ron G. Campbell; Out Of Egypt – Again. If you are interested in receiving a notice of its progress and publication date, please click on the link below, and we will keep you informed.

OutOfEgyptAgain@farcountryexodus.com

ⁱ The swastika symbol, ? (right-facing or clockwise) or ? (left-facing, counterclockwise, or sauwastika), is an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s^[4] when the right-facing tilted form became a feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of the "Aryan race." - Wikipedia

ⁱⁱ Stones can become monuments to an individual’s greatness. For centuries, we have carved images of our heroes and placed them in our city squares, and they become hallowed and sacred. I am not saying that we should cease honoring our heroes and loved ones, but maybe we should rethink carving their images into stone.

ⁱⁱⁱ a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. 

^iv http://www.gracecathedral.org/enrichment (Accessed April 1st 2,000). 

^v http://www.sfgate.com Starhawk, as a Wiccan/Witch leader of two covens, celebrated New Year 2,000 by walking the Labyrinth on her San Francisco area Ranch. (Accessed April 1st 2,000). 

^viLauren Artress, Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Sacred Tool, (Riverhead Books/G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1995); sentence quoted by Pamela Sullivan, "Book Review," Pacific Church News, June/July 1995, 8 

^vii Lauren Artress, "Q and A with Lauren," Veriditas, Vol. 1, no. 2, Summer 1996, 18. 

^viii http://skepdic.com/houston.html (Accessed Nov. 27th 2013) 

^ix Jean Houston, The Hero & the Goddess, Aquarian/Thorsons (Harper Collins Publisher), 1992, 134. 

^x From an online article by Dr. Ed Hird: Dr Jean Houston and the Labyrinth Movement. 8.26.2010 

^xi A devoted follower, adherent, or advocate of someone or something. 

^xii Esoteric - Hidden, or secret, or revealed only to the initiated. 

^xiii THE NEW YORK OBELISK, or How Cleopatra's Needle Came to New York and What Happened When It Got Here. Martina D’Alton. 

^xv There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars (stones) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt. Jer. 43:13 (NIV) 

^xvi While it was the original intent of the designers of our Federal District to have a monument dead center in the 10-mile square, the ground would not support the Washington Monument; therefore, it is just off-center. However, there is a stone that marks the exact center of The District. ^xvii Breathes life into. ^xviii I Corinthians 10

 ^xix By "Far-Country," I mean any location outside of the biblical boundaries of Israel.