The thing about New Jersey is that you never know what you might find hiding in plain sight. The place is so littered with arcane symbolism it's easy to take for granted.
For instance, this cemetery in the rolling hills at the foot of the Skylands caught the attention of even a jaded symbol-junkie like myself.
That strange obelisk sans capstone is particularly interesting in and of itself, given that it's oriented to the cardinal points. Even more so when placed in context with some of the other items around it.
Like this interesting Masonic monument, displaying a Bible verse in such a way that it ends in "...of the Sun Forever." The marker is interesting as well- let's have a look at it...
"When you do ritual, why not do it right?" Hopefully, John's "corn, wine and oil ceremony" was done right.
Just up the road from that little landmark is this enigmatic fixture. A cobblestone path leading to a monument, made of black marble. Whatever could it be? (Incidentally, the path is oriented towards the north).
Hmm. It's a scale model of the Earth. Why is it in black? Why the path and the circular walk around it? Some ritual purpose, perhaps. If so, I hope it's done right. For John's sake.
If any of my worshipful and illustrious Masonic readers would like to shed some light on this, please do so. In the meantime, let's get a closer look at the mausoleum...
Facing the sunrise is - you guessed it- a mosaic of a sunrise, along with what looks like a fruiting tree of some kind. This is in the inner courtyard of the mausoleum. But what's that sculpture to the right there?
Why, it's an eagle, wings spread in glory. Well, kind of an eagle- its neck is rather long. You can't tell from this picture, but it has a bit of a tuft at the back of its head. Know what I mean?
Let's go to the other side of the building...
Facing the sunset is this lovely scene of the sea, with a lighthouse shining in the twilight as the sun sets over the waves. Now, the mausoleum is nondenominational, but I do know that the lighthouse is becoming a very popular symbol for Evangelicals.
Let's get a closer look...
This is one fascinating piece of artwork. I wonder why the lighthouse become such a popular symbol these days. Take a long, hard look at it and see if you can't figure it out. You might need a stiff drink.
Speaking of strange symbols, anyone know what this symbol stands for? It almost kind of goes with the lighthouse, don't you think?
New Jersey- it's not just a state, it's a state of mind.