Inspiring Vision: Initiation Well

"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience." – Frank Herbert

If you have ever traveled to Lisbon, Portugal, you have most likely taken an excursion to the town of Sintra. It is a magical place full of really cool places to check out, but one thing that I found truly interesting is the Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira. The Initiation Well looks like an inverted tower descending 88 feet underground. There are no written records of how the well was used and what precisely went on there, but it is evident that great energy was put into its construction and planning.

The owner of Quinta da Regaleira, the wealthy Portuguese businessman Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, was a well-known Freemason. With the assistance of the Italian architect Luigi Manini, he designed and constructed the property with enigmatic buildings, mysterious parks, and underground tunnels. The Initiation Well is an entrance to an underground labyrinth of tunnels. The striking spiral staircase is supported by carved columns leading down to the bottom of the well through nine landings. It is believed that the spacing of these landings and the number of steps in between are linked to Masonic principles. To add to the Masonic connection, a Knights Templar cross is portrayed at the bottom of the well.

There is something truly mysterious about this well, and as you navigate the path down, you become even more intrigued by it. When was the last time you were pulled into a mystery that you just had to deepen your knowledge about it or, even better, your experience?