The Rose in the Hunt of The Ultimate Quest

The Ultimate Quest, an armchair treasure hunt published in 2001, initiated a search for the Holy Grail.  Even though the official hunt was suspended in June 2011, the puzzle remains unsolved today.  The complete solution was not released to the public at the time of closing; and so, the challenge to discover the answers to all required questions, and the purpose, history, and origin of the Grail, in which book contained, continues.

I recently picked up this book again, and have to say the prominent images of the rose in the book still capture my curiosity.  For me, they hold an importance to the hunt in some way. The five petal flower appears at the end of each of the five chapters on pages 16, 23, 32, 39, and 49, and is seen on the top right corner of page 63.  Why it appears in these places is not known for certain.

The roses at the end of the chapters could be dismissed as merely decorative at first.  However, the one on page 63 seems too suspicious to dismiss as meaningless; making them all, perhaps, significant.  It has been noticed that the size of the cornered off rose on page 63 fits exactly in the triangle above the door of the cottage shown on page 61.  Does placing the rose above the door have a symbolic implication?

I am wondering if this placement of the rose above the door could be what the author remembered he omitted after recounting the story (referring to page 6).  Could this link to the key to open a special door?

On page 5 of the book is a discussion between Simon and the author.  Simon has told him his story, and the author is amazed at the change realized by Simon through the events that occurred to him.  The author thought it was a shame more people didn’t have the opportunity; or as he says, ‘a chance to test themselves, and at the same time benefit from the experience. Like being given the key to a special door.’

Soon after this conversation, the author receives a hand written note and a key from Simon giving him just that chance! In the note is the statement, “Think about it.  Key is for the front door.”

Although many have assumed this key to be a normal key, I have to wonder if it suggests a connection to the rose.

In reading and looking for clues in the story, I found a direct connection to the discovery of a ‘key’ and the placement of the rose on page 63.  It would seem to me this could imply the rose is like a key, and could be connected to the key for the front door (as mentioned in the note).  This is supported by the fact that the triangled rose corner fits perfectly in the canopy above the  front door.

During the story, the author is led to the discovery of a key by ‘running his fingers across the top of a picture frame’ to where it was hidden.  Starting, without thinking, (just like the book says), one would most always run their fingers, beginning left and going right.  This implies the key was found in the upright corner, just like the rose is positioned on page 63.

The ‘key’ found above the frame was used to open the safe deposit box.  Inside this box were the elements that tested Simon’s uncle, and later himself.  It was the key which opened a ‘door’ to Simon’s journey; the one that eventually led him to be able to be in the presence of the true Grail.

For the author, the same elements for he to be tested were said to be left on the table.  However, in order to enter, he was given the key to the front door.  The connection of both the key and rose to be found in upright corners (and leading to the ‘elements’), is the reason I wonder if the key (initiating the author’s journey) links to the rose.

Proverbs 4:18 has; “The path of the ‘righteous’ is like the first gleam of dawn…..”.  On page 6 the author says, ‘Then, in the early hours of the morning, I awoke suddenly and remembered what I had omitted.’ Did the author awake at the ‘first gleam of dawn’ and remember the rose to be placed above the door?  The ‘rose’ (found in the upright corner) could be a symbol for those who are upright/righteous.  Only those who understand the need for righteousness may follow the path, or enter, and later be in the presence of the Grail.