The World's Most Mysterious House May Not Be So Mysterious After All: The Winchester Mystery House and Esoteric Geometry
Article★ Emily Galeas ★ @emilygaleaswrites★ 6 Minutes
The Winchester House, located in San Jose, California, is one of the most unique structures in U.S. history. Designed by Sarah Winchester, the construction on the home began in 1884, and spanned 38 years until her death in 1922. Today, the home is an esteemed paranormal attraction offering tours and investigations. The home stands at 4 floors tall, with 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, and 10,000 windows. History has deemed Sarah Winchester as one of the most mysterious women in U.S. history, with one of the most mysterious homes to go along with her. However, the most mysterious house in America may not be so mysterious after all…
Born Sarah Lockwood Pardee (birth date unknown), Sarah was one of seven children. Throughout her childhood, she was quickly recognized as a child prodigy for her ability to pick up language and music skills. Her adeptness even earned her the title of “The Belle of New Haven”. By the age of twelve, Sarah was fluent in Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian, and she had immersed herself into the worlds of Shakespeare and Homer. However, amongst Sarah's many passions, her love for numbers will continue to follow her until her death. Not only was she obsessed with numbers in their raw form, but being a musical prodigy, numbers were impossible to ignore as they are woven into the fabric of musical systems.
Sarah WinchesterSarah was fascinated with numerical sequences, and believed that there were messages hidden everywhere. She incorporated this obsession within every aspect of her life, specifically symmetrical numbers, which you will see prominently and subtly displayed throughout the Winchester House. Sarah immersed herself in the cryptographic techniques of one Francis Bacon, which is perhaps the most important aspect of her numeric obsession when it comes to the breakdown of her home.
When Sarah finished her schooling, she was married to William Winchester, who would later go on to inherit his family’s successful company ‘Winchester Repeating Arms Company’ (makers of the Winchester Rifle). Following the loss of their only child, William would later pass of Tuberculosis, leaving Sarah to be a childless widow with a twenty-million dollar inheritance and almost fifty-percent of the company’s stock. Sarah spent some time in Europe following the passing of her husband, and later settled in San Diego, CA, where she would begin construction on her famous home.
the Winchester house (exterior)There are many circulating theories surrounding the home, none of which can truly be confirmed. The most well-known (and possibly misconstrued) theory, is that Sarah was forced to maintain constant construction on her home to appease and confuse spirits that were haunting her after her husband's death. It was said that Sarah visited a renowned Boston medium named Adam Coons, who told her that she was being haunted by the spirits killed by her husband's Winchester Rifle. Sarah began 24-hour construction on her home to appease the spirits.
The most recently discussed theory in circulation is that following the death of her only child and husband, Sarah wanted to create a portal and a safe-haven for spirits to enter her home. This is where the theories surrounding Numerology and Sacred Geometry become so prevalent. Regardless of which theory you choose, however, it is known that Sarah would hold nightly seances in her “Seance Room” (in the center of the home), where she would gather instructions of what to build next from the spirits. She had 13 different colored robes, on 13 different hooks for these seances.
the Winchester home (interior)To fully understand the theories surrounding the Winchester House, one must first learn the basics of Numerology, Esoteric Geometry, and Sacred Geometry. To understand the basic meaning of Sacred Geometry, essentially, it is the idea that the universe has a ‘Divine Blueprint’. This implies that the universe uses specific sequences of numbers and shapes that are woven into the fabric of life.
Numerology is more of a spiritual practice that can vary person-to-person. This theory implies that each number holds a specific vibrational frequency, and every being can be assigned a single-digit number that details certain aspects of their personality. The single digit numbers (1-9) hold specific vibrational frequencies, while the master numbers (11,22,33), carry a higher and more intense spiritual charge.
When it comes to incorporating these theories into the home itself, the details are almost never-ending. One of the most important details of the home's architecture is the significance of the number 13. Sarah built the number 13 into the roots of her home. For example, the house features 13 bathrooms, and there are 13 windows in the 13th bathroom. Many of the staircases have 13 stairs, many ceilings feature 13 panels. As was previously mentioned, the Seance Room is home to 13 hooks for 13 robes, as well as 13 panels along the wall. In the home's ‘Hall of Fires’ there are 13 drain holes, and the carriage entrance to the home is split into 13 cement parts.
the Winchester home (interior) cont.For Sarah, the number 13 was anything but “unlucky”. Sarah also worked the number into her personal documents and effects, as well as the lasting traditions of the home. Sarah's will was split into 13 parts, and signed 13 times. Along with this, every Friday the 13th, the Grand Bell in the home is rung 13 times in Sarah's honor.
The number 13 was not the only number of significance in the home, however. One of the most well-known architectural features of the house is the 7-11 staircase. This staircase is a Y-shape, and you are able to go down one side (containing 11 stairs), and up the other side (containing 7 stairs) and still remain on the same floor. While the staircase itself is fascinating, when you dive into Esoteric Geometry, the numbers 7 and 11 become even more important. In Esoteric Geometry, 7 means “perfection”, while 11 means “to bridge between mortal and spiritual realms”.
This staircase quite literally functions as a perfect bridge between the mortal and spiritual realm, and not without intention. There are also several Tiffany windows within the home featuring a charming spider-web motif. In some sacred traditions, spider-webs signify the “geometric grid of creation”, or the “web of destiny”. What is most interesting about these beautifully expensive and custom made windows, is that they were clearly not made for public display, hidden inside an interior of the room of the home.
the Winchester home (interior) cont.Some other odds and ends within the home that could have had to do with Sarah's spirituality include things like skylights in the home leading into other rooms. There are also several sets of stairs that lead into a ceiling with no true destination, as well as doors that lead to nowhere. It is also important to mention that an earthquake shook the frame of the house during its construction, knocking it down from a 7-story home with 600 rooms, to the 4-floor, 160 room home that we know today.
It is also believed that Sarah built the entire home to resemble a Fibonacci Spiral, spanning out from her Seance Room in the center of the home. In theory, this would create harmony and an interconnection with the universe.
Sarah also had a deep connection with Baconian Cryptography, which she also wove into the fabric of her home. Within this theory, it is believed that Sarah built a multi-layered “theater of memories” of sorts for spirits, creating a functioning, physical map of the astral plane to trap or soothe spirits.
Sarah Winchester would pass away in her bedroom on September 5th, 1922. After 38 years of construction, her home became one of the most prominent paranormal attractions in U.S history, and a phenomenon that would stump historians for decades.
Sarah Winchester did a historical injustice. History has painted her as a fearsome recluse that spent her later years of life running from vengeful spirits. When in reality, it is coming to light that Sarah was very likely just a heartbroken widow trying to make a safe-haven for others that have passed on. Sarah is believed to have been a beautiful, spiritually gifted woman that did not quite know how to harness her abilities in her time.
Regardless of your belief in the reasoning for America's most mysterious home, it is important to note that Sarah did not spend her later years giving in to fear and her own mental spiral, but rather harnessing a spiritual gift and giving spirits that cannot pass on a safe place to stay.
