The Return to Paradise

Almost all would recognize the story about a woman who, upon seeing the fruit was good; took it, ate it, and offered it to her husband who also took it and ate it and then suffered the consequences.  The complete tale relates the fall of man and expulsion from paradise.  …

A Fly or Bee in the Painting of The Arcadian Shepherds by Guercino?

The image of two young shepherds, leaning out of darkness and contemplating the meaning of what lies in front of them, has captured many observers.  Still today, people intrigued by its significance, reflect upon the scene offered by the Italian painter, Guercino.  Between the years of 1618 and 1622, Giovanni …

The Alchemical or Planetary Symbols in the Maranatha Puzzle

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 …