iirc - the Latin words above the pyramid translate to something like, "God has favored our undertaking". Here's to hoping that favor continues....
It's 'supposed' to be a symbol of endurance, and the ability to weather the....um, 'ages.' There IS no 'official' reason that it's there, but my personal belief is that GOD likes irony.
I thought the words above and below—ANNUIT CŒPTIS NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM—translated to "year of inception of a new secular (as in worldly or time-bound) order". On the base of the pyramid, the letters are MDCCLXXVI—1776. The open question is the year that gets put down as the year of demolition. edit: checking again, I might have the upper part wrong. Yeah, my bad. Annuit is not related to annum or year; it is something like to nod or smile upon. So Providence (the eye looking down on our unfinished pyramid) is smiling on the inception of our project.
I can't see the pyramid well enough. Does that look like mortar in those joints? Also, I don't know if you're still technically a mason if you just stack blocks up without buttering them first.
" ... technically a mason if you just stack blocks up without buttering ..." Arguably a better one if foundation, design and execution are done well. Mortar makes things easier. Rebar, easier still.