The Maranatha Puzzle contained a total of 69 alchemical or planetary symbols dispersed across the seven images. The images themselves were based from the legendary lost book of Nicolas Flamel, but the addition of the symbols was more prominent to the Maranatha book.
The symbols are assumed to hold some bearing for the finding of the Key in the book.
There were ten different symbols noticed. Listed as follows (with associated elements):
- Sun-Gold-Au
- Moon-Silver-Ag
- Earth
- Mercury-Mercury-Hg
- Venus-Copper-Cu
- Mars-Iron-Fe
- Jupiter-Tin-Sn
- Saturn-Lead-Pb
- Uranus-Zinc-Zn
- Neptune-Cobalt-Co
Not all images included all symbols and the amounts varied per drawing. Image 1 through 4 consisted of 9 symbols on each. The 5th, 6th, and 7th held 11, 10 and 12 symbols, respectively.
The most commonly used symbols, used 9 times within the seven images, were Venus and Mars. Venus was used twice on image 1 and 6; While Mars was used twice on image 3 and then also 6. The following lists the other symbol amounts:
- Neptune=8 (used twice in image 7)
- Earth=8 (used twice in image 5)
- Uranus=7
- Sun=7 (missing in image 1, used twice in image 5)
- Moon=7
- Jupiter=7(missing in image 3, used twice in image 7)
- Mercury=5 (missing in image 1,4,and 6, used twice in image 7)
- Saturn=2 (missing in image 2,3,5,6, and 7)
The symbols can be divided and examined many ways. The observation, most commented on, was the fact that since the illustrations were in black and white, they offered the consideration of those symbols depicted upon a black background to those on a white background. This in turn led to those symbols of which were considered, ‘As above and So below’.
In the first four images the black background was seen ‘As above’. The white, ‘So below’. This gave the split of symbols to be an even amount of symbols found in the ‘above’ and an odd amount, ‘below’. The order for the first four images was:
- Above=8-4-6-2
- Below=1-5-3-7
(note: Mars in image 3 on the ‘tree’, is seen ‘as above’)
Upon the announcement of the puzzle’s end, PDF’s were distributed which included the unveiling of a concealed arrangement of symbols found within the images. The overlay of all symbols from all images, revealed the obscure depiction of the Cabala Tree of Life. 10 symbols, from the 69, formed this creation. The sun/gold was seen at the top. The PDF’s also gave a ‘new order’ for this tree.
This numbering of the Tree displayed the Moon as 0, Saturn=1, Earth=2, Mercury=3, Jupiter=4, Venus=5, Mars=6, Neptune=7, Uranus=8, and the Sun=9
Many questions still remain about the puzzle and the Tree of Life. However, no matter how obscure the finding of the Tree of Life is, it is definitely given. It was just difficult for the eye to receive.
I thought that the symbols did appear on the Flamel note book images? They are not as prominent, but they do appear on two or three of the images. This image (http://www.alchemylab.com/flamel14.htm) has at least 3 or 4 symbols visible.
Horatio….what good eyes you have. I will edit my post from saying they are unique to the Maranatha puzzle. Thank-you. I value your help.
The “above” and “below” numbers suggests that the second and third images initially were meant to be in the reverse order. Perhaps they were interchanged because the makers of the puzzle thought it would be somewhat easier to solve it that way.