Further research, however, revealed that the Washington Memorial site does have some remarkable alignments related to the Winter Solstice! As Herschel suggested, we placed a spectator at the foot of the water causeway (known as the ‘Reflecting Pool’) looking East over the obelisk with the Capitol Building in the background. Calculations reveal that, standing at the foot of the Reflecting Pool, the angle from the ground to the tip of the obelisk is exactly 8º36’.

On the Fourth of July when the Sun has reached the altitude of the tip of the obelisk at exactly 8º 36’, the Sun, the Capitol Building and Jefferson Memorial will align within a precision of less than 1 degree. (for details, see calculations). This is the moment that Orion has just climbed over the horizon in its entirety.

Sun at the tip of the obelisk at 4th of July, Orion is just over the horizon.

4th of July. When the Sun reaches over the tip of the obelisk, the Sun, Capitol and Jefferson Memorial will align. The red cross marks the place of the observer.

Although we have already disproved Herschel’s claim that the 4th of July sky reappears only on the Winter Solstice, there is a unique alignment that does only occur on this date. When the Sun has reached the altitude of 8º 36’ shortly after sunrise on the winter solstice, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorial will align with it. The Sun will be visible over Jefferson Memorial from Lincoln Memorial. For the exact calculation, see the ‘Washington Calculations’ document´.

Winter Solstice alignment. When the Sun reaches the altitude of the obelisk, the Sun Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial align.

Notice that the Sun now resides over the Potomac River!

Herein, lay the true secret of the Washington Memorial obelisk. The obelisk is a Sun token and represented the Sun god Ra in ancient Egypt. Since the Egyptians worshipped the sacred River Nile representing the Milky Way, the water causeway in front of the obelisk is highly symbolic! The water causeway at Washington Memorial is called the Reflecting Pool. It is called this because the Reflecting Pool reflects the obelisk!

Reflecting Pool reflecting the obelisk

What is being reflected in the water is the token of the Sun. The water causeway itself is the esoteric symbol of the Milky Way (the great river in the sky).

On the Winter Solstice, when standing at the Lincoln Memorial at the base of the Reflecting pool, the Sun will reside over the Potomac River!

Most of the ancient sites that Herschel identified are situated near a river. While Herschel’s initial research cleverly revealed that all of the ancient pyramids along the Nile represented the stars along the Milky Way; in his ensuing research, the fact that the majority of the sites that he researched are situated near a river completely evaded him. This crucial point is necessary to completely unlock the esoteric symbolism and to truly understand what the builders were trying to tell us.

It is this fundamental oversight that has led Herschel to search for a star near the Pleiades, nearly 400 light years away. Perhaps if he had taken the latter facts into account, he would have realized that his ‘mystery star’ was in fact. . . . our very own sun.