Page 209 - Foundations

Ovason goes on to explain, “The building of the federal city began formally April 15, 1791, when a
number of Masons gathered together in Alexandria. Their purpose was the enacting of a Masonic
ceremonial laying of the first marker stone for the new city, which would soon be called
Washington.”

The architect chosen to design the White House was James Hoban. David Ovason writes, “The date
when Hoban became a Mason is not on record, but in the year following the laying of the cornerstone
for the President’s House he would become Worshipful Master of Georgetown Lodge No. 9.”

On October 13, 1792, the Freemasons held a cornerstone laying ceremony for the President’s House,
later to be called the White House. The following quotation from the Charleston City Gazette,
November 15, 1792 provides an eyewitness account of the ceremony.

th
“On Saturday the 13 inst. The first stone was laid in the south-west corner of the president’s house,
in the city of Washington, by the Free Masons of Georgetown and its vicinity, who assembled on the
occasion. The procession was formed at the Fountain Inn, Georgetown... The ceremony was
performed by brother Casaneva, master of the lodge, who delivered an oration well adapted to the
occasion.”

Ovason describes the horoscope drawn up for the day the Masonic cornerstone ceremony for the
President’s House was laid.

“In the arch of the skies on the day the foundation stone for the White House was laid, there was a
most interesting conjunction. Shortly before noon, the moon had entered the same degree as the
Dragon’s Head (a node of the moon). Both planet and node were in 23 degrees of Virgo...”

Although Virgo has great relevance for the Federal city, I want to focus on the Dragon’s Head, which
is referred to by the Latin name Caput draconis. Ovason points out that the Latin Caput, meaning
“head,” is the root of the English words capital, and capitol.

It is noteworthy that the Masonic cornerstone laying ceremony for the President’s House took place
at a moment when the influence of the Dragon’s Head is observed in the heavens. The Dragon’s
Head’s influence is seen again the following year. On September 6, 1793, the first Federal Masonic
Lodge in the nation is formed. This is Federal Lodge No. 15, and James Hoban, the architect of the
White House, is appointed as Worshipful Master. Ovason writes, “One presumes that the Lodge had
been formed precisely to ensure that a Federal group would attend the cornerstone ceremony (for
the Capitol building), which had been widely advertised in Maryland and Columbia.”

th
(Note that the year 1793 is also the 18 year of American independence, 18 being 6+6+6.)