The MacKenzie Pyramid

' Because the occultist systems of Masonry that survived underground in post-Stuart Britain and that flourished in eighteenth-century Europe developed out of the architectural, scientific, religious, and political policies of the Scottish descended Stuart kings of Britain, it is necessary to examine those elements of early Stuart culture which were preserved within the secret enclaves of Ecosaisses lodges.' 

Eric Wynants

Nestling between the Gothic spires of Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral, and the minimalism that is its Catholic counterpart, sits the Georgian serried rows of Rodney Street.

The one time enclave for affluent physicians,and solicitors and birthplace of Gladstone, has long dispensed with 'the Harley street of the North,'  and now provides trendy offices and apartments for yupsters(1) and students, as well as film crews seeking that authentic backdrop for their Dickens period drama.

Across the street,stands St Andrews Church, now clad in scaffolding as it undergoes transformation from temple to template for upscale living, it's Greek style columns and twin towers must have stood out like stockings beneath a Victorian skirt at one time.

Built for the Scottish Presbyterians of Liverpool in 1823, for those clued up on the Churches allusions to the Scottish rite(2), it's surprising then, that such an obvious symbolic overture as an ominous black pyramid, stands erected in its graveyard.

The MacKenzie pyramid, is monument and purported tomb of former civil engineering contractor, William James MacKenzie. 
Born in 1794-the son of Scottish contractor, he carved an indelible mark through the English landscape, with his work on the Caledonia canal, as well as the  Edge Hill cutting between Manchester and Liverpool, enabling fellow engineer Stephenson to coast his locomotive Rocket into trainspotter history.

Some say his greatest legacy however is the one made a decade after his death on October 29th, 1851, when his brother erected the austere monument. Folklore has it, possibly perpetuated by that most hyperbolic of sources-Tom Slemen(3), that MacKenzie was an avowed highroller, advancing his soul in a crapshoot game to none other than Old Nick himself. And having made his personal fortune-no doubt enabled by Satanic forces and secret handshakes, MacKenzie-ever the architect-left strict instructions that upon death, his body never be committed to the earth, but instead entombed in the upright position within the confines of the protective pyramid, thus duping the devil from claiming his rightful bounty.

Of course, it could all be bollocks, similar tales ensue pyramid tombs across the UK.
Yet their is no denying that with its sacred geometry, erected for a practitioner of stone Masonry within the grounds of a Masonic temple, on what are Julian Cope(4) claims to be a ley line running between the two Cathedrals, MacKenzies pyramid sits like a Planchette on a Monopoly board.

Was our fledgling Führer drawn to a site of occult mysticism in his quest for enlightened empowerment? Did he understand what William B Stoecker (5) described in his exemplary article that 'certain geometric shapes possess some kind of power' which is very 'old, sacred or magical' or did he understand as a student of architecture, the innate power upon the human psyche of what I will introduce as sinister geography?

1. Yupsters: a terminology I have coined to ascribe the blight of former Yuppie culture as being none interchangeable with the Modern hipster.
2.  In 2004, one of Kenya's largest churches in Nyrobi-the St Andrews PCEA fell into dispute over its symbols and artifacts associated with Freemasonry. Leaders vowed to destroy all "satanic and devil worship symbols" from all churches with the purpose of employing demolition squads to "all sanctuaries built by Scottish missionaries at the beginning of the last century."  : http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/africa_presb.html
   
   
3. (3)Tom Slemen is a former resident of Rodney street and the author of the ubiquitous series Haunted Liverpool. Now in its 19th volume and showing little sign of abating, his 'research' seems to ascribe the most dubious historical factoid to account for the paranormal events of every street on Merseyside. Make no bones, Liverpool is a veritable Hellmouth according to Slemen. Tom Slemen: http://slemen.com/
4.  Former Teardrop explodes frontman, and Liverpool shaman published a book entitled the Modern Antiquarian in 1998, which was adapted as a BBC2 documentary detailing remote, historical and mystical sites of interest: http://themodernantiquarian.com/home/
5.  William B Stoecker, author of 'The Atlantis Conspiracy', describes his theory on the pertinence of architectural geometry and their significance on leylines in the following article: The Sacred Geometry of Planet Earth: http://www.monstrous.com/Monstrous_Places/The_sacred_geometry_of_planet_Earth.html 

 picture credits:

• MacKenzies Pyramid 
• St Andrews Church,after the fire and before renovation
• William MacKenzie
• Crest over MacKenzies tomb, signifiers in heraldry...Man: the subject.  Stag/antlers: peace,harmony and fortitude. Escallop shell: Traveler to far places or protection.