im going to solve the puzzle

Has anyone noticed the sequence of "flower patterns" (or mandala if you will) on the opposing pages yet?

Starting from the lyrics page...

lyrics page : one flower
eyes page : two flowers
skull close up : three flowers
danny : four flowers
interbeing : five flowers (one in the center, four off to the sides)
hawk close up : six flowers

- - -

from there it's not so organized, but there are still some patterns

justin : one flower (off center like the first, and dark coloured)

skull/fetus : one flower (centered, light coloured, less "round")
maynard : one flower (centered, light coloured, less "round")

spiral energy : one flower (off center, but light coloured this time)

- - - -

At this point the association seems to break down

lab close up : three flowers (maybe related to the three darkened single flowers in the booklet up to this point, spiral energy, justin, lyrics)

adam : one flower (off center to the right this time)

spiral/pins : cog (instead of flower)

- - -

I'm not suggesting the flowers have anything to do with the opposing pages, but simply refferring to them by their corresponding pages for the sake of reference.

The number of petals on each flower may have signifigance as well, but I have yet to count them.

- - -

If there _is_ any puzzle, I highly suspect that there would be _some_ kind of semi-obvious clue to atleast know where to begin, and what more simple (yet complex) way to start than with numbers.

devi-

The number of petals is as such :

lyrics page : one flower, 12
eyes page : two flowers, 32
skull close up : three flowers, 16
danny : four flowers, 16
interbeing : five flowers, 8
hawk close up : six flowers, 16

justin : one flower, 16

skull/fetus : one flower, 8
maynard : one flower, 8

spiral energy : one flower, 16

lab close up : three flowers, 12 (same flower as thelyric page, 1st page)
adam : one flower 16 (same flower as justin's page)

spiral/pins : cog

dev-

And for shits and giggles, multiply the number of flowers x petals and we get :

12 - lyrics page : one flower, 12
64 - eyes page : two flowers, 32
48 - skull close up : three flowers, 16
64 - danny : four flowers, 16
40 - interbeing : five flowers, 8
96 - hawk close up : six flowers, 16

(add up the totals at this point then multiply by 6, and you get 1944... a significant date perhaps (i.e. WW2 d-day was in 1944)?

16 - justin : one flower, 16

8 - skull/fetus : one flower, 8
8 - maynard : one flower, 8

16 - spiral energy : one flower, 16

36 - lab close up : three flowers, 12 (same flower as thelyric page, 1st page)
16 - adam : one flower 16 (same flower as justin's page)

devi-

Does the date August 16, 1944 hold a connection with anyone in relation to this album/TOOL? I know it's a stretch, but I'm just following possabilities here. All I can pull up are various things happening during WW2. Doesn't seem to be significant.

devi-

Whoa, that sounds a bit too complicated, too constrained to me. Why add them up? why multiply by 6? this way you can get any number you wish... for e.g. just add them up, divide them by 12 (that is two times 6:-)) and you get 27. And whoa, 27 years are about 10000days... :-)
but okay, you're at least making some guesses to the puzzle, not like some.

Has anyone tried looking at the pics upside down..?

Well, Tool have always been big on numbers and various multi-pointed stars, so it only makes sense to me that they would be incorporated into the puzzle (if there really is one), especially since there is obviously a pattern to the first 6 pages.

It would be cool to finally see a band with a large following create a really worthy puzzle worth cracking with a satisfactory conclusion.

Stupid Billy Corgan and Machina.

Stupid Pink Floyd and the Publius Enigma.

Stupid Radiohead and the byzantine ziggurat.

devi-

I was actually about to bring up the Publius Enigma. That never went anywhere, and people went fucking nuts trying to solve the supposed puzzle. Maybe we're all reading too much into this thing. The pictures are obviously open to intense analyzation and interpretation, but what if the message is that there is no message? Blair's been know to be misleading in the past, maybe he wanted to see how far people would actually go if he alluded to a deeper overall meaning. Either way, it's way too much fun to stop now, right?

This is from another thread (self referencing yay).

http://toolnavy.com/showthread.php?p=1027082&posted=1#post1027082

... but try looking at each photo with a light BEHIND the picture as opposed to in front of it (weren't old stereoscopic pictures presented that way in the first place?)

devi-

Not completely sure if this has to do with the puzzle but just to throw it out there, behind Danny are two pictures in frames. The one on our left is of the whole Tree of Life thing which I find confusing but maybe you guys can make some sense of it.

OK, I'm going to build on that a little...

The lights in Adam's pics are in the same exact spot as the pics in Danny's. Have no idea of the significance...

Other stuff I've noticed that no one's mentioned yet:
-weird shadow in bottom right corner of Adam's pic... a bird in flight?
-count the candles on the table in Justin's pic: 11 on the right, 13 on the left... 11:13 is the length of 10,000 Days (Wings Part 2). I think the same thing is true for Adam's table
-Maynard's table has 5 items on one side, 2 on the other... 5:02 is the length of Viginti Tres

There might be more, but I'm at work and don't have the scope with me.

I'm sure this has been said....but wasn't there a post (or "update" if you will) from Blair in October (maybe) where he was saying he heard some early cuts of some songs, but he had to listen to it in different rooms? Like one track in one room and another track in a different room? Was he implying 2 CD's or a 2nd lever of depth to the music?

The skeleton on Adam's picture has his hands crossed over his chest/heart. Also, what is sitting in front of Adam? Are those old Stereoscopic glasses? And can someone please identify what type of plants those are in Danny's picture?

again i will try to redirect people to my theory...

http://toolnavy.com/showthread.php?t=46514

the fact that the skeleton/spirit in adam's picture has its hands crossed over its chest is ESSENTIAL. I don't believe the glasses or the plants in danny's picture are as important, but to answer the questions (not using my own interpretations/mind, but rather just using what i've read already on here) it is believed that yes, those are stereoscopic lenses, and it's been said that those are orchids in danny's picture. I would be willing to bet that a lot of the smaller details, such as these, in the pictures tie into the overall idea, so i guess in that respect i haven't solved it ALL yet, but i am 90% positive that my basis is correct, so please take the time to read (and comment on) my theory.

I meant to mention as well, that if you look at each picture using the backlight method, there is a line going directly through the center of the "alien" creature's jar in the Adam Jones photo.

food for thought,
devi-

if u look at maynards photo hes actually holding a glass of wine and tv controls - they superimposed both pictures on top of each other some how - this mite of been said already i couldnt be bothered to read the whole thread, dunno if this helps much with the puzzle buts its got to link to the turn off ur tv t shirts and the lyrics of vicarious

They're orchids, which in some countries are a symbol of death.

Danny's light is coming from his head and being captured in something.

Adam has already captured his light and put it in a jar, behind his head.

Maynard's light is entrapt within a tower (his rigid beliefs stopping him from releasing his light?), maybe the woman is helping him release it.

Justin's light is either all around him or cannot be released as he's wearing a hat (notice the light source behind him which I think may be evidence that his light is trapped inside him), which may be symbolic of a closed mind.

Also, foetus in skull = seeing through the eyes of a child. Think about Maynard discovering his inner child in 'jimmy', his adult self (1) meeting his childlike self (1) after so long.

Interesting thread here....just like to add a few observations:

the woman behind Maynard is showing 2 fingers at the top of the Empire State/phallus building

the skeleton behind Adam is showing what looks like 2 fingers as well, in a 'V' type symbol...one finger from the left hand appears to be intersecting these 2 fingers

Danny looks like he may have a remote in his other hand, but it's really hard to tell for sure

the pic before Danny with the skull & cards has a book on the left....the book is turned around with the spine towards the skull on the pic with Danny in it

not sure what these mean....if anything at all....

Cheers

BMB replying to an email:
" If I remember correctly, the books include Danny's first edition of Crowley's "THE BOOK OF THOTH" (1944)..."

ahh, well, if you look in adam's picture, above his right shoulder, you can see the oxygen tank and the exact same set up as the next picture.

the beaker of "eyeballs" (i think)
the oxygen tank,
and the other beakers

its just a different angle of the stuff as it is in Adam's picture

the second picture behind danny is "The Golden Dawn Rosy Cross symbol"..

im 99.9% sure its the symbol on danny's deck of cards.


http://www.kheper.net/topics/Hermeticism/index.html

well the Wings songs go with the birds in the artwork for sure.

has anyone tried numerolagy (sp) with these numbers

also i don't know if anyone else sees this put in justins pic the light coming through the curtins is slitely more to the (his) left on the right pic insted of the right. haven't looked into wether this is a comin accurance in any of the other artworks or no.

Didn't anybody use a blacklight and look at the pics upside down at the same time? You should.

you should shine a bright light into your eyes for several minutes and then look at it. its a real trip.

I tried to look into a mirror with the lenses while looking at the images.

I did this to look at the "flower"' images under the "3D ones" and in some, the pattenrs are REALLY cool.

That's how Stereoscopy works. One of the pictures will be slightly different than the other.

And I looked at the pictures while using a blacklight. The only thing I noticed was things were brighter. I'd actually prefer to look at it under a black light since everything was so clear.

here's my take on the artwork.:

i believe it's maynards views on religion/god.

i'll explain:

starting from what i would consider the front
pg 1. the cd title 10,000 days
2. track listing.
3. the two eyes, representing god's all seeing eyes.
4. next is gods tools. the book (bible?), the tarot cards (maynards view on how god seemingly picks peoples/souls futures/paths. totally random even if you are a true believer. example: his mother). skull ?? not sure exactly. although i read in a post somewhere that it is a primitive skull/early human race?? the dagger - if you read the lyrics to Judith then you would agree that maynard doesn't think much of god. sees him as a murderer??
5. danny. i think danny is god (with all the tools on the previous page) catching a spirit (it is definitely being caught, not released, maybe maynards mother??). all the flowers around him and single candle in the background being heaven ? read someone thought that was a family tree on the wall in the background, representing the whole tree of mankind?? ......(plus only god can drum that good..hehe).
6. skulls with fetus's. not sure how this page fits
7. the eagle. i think the eagle represents the spirit/soul. the soul arriving to heaven.
8. justin. i think he represents the angel of death. bringing souls/spirits to god.
9. again skulls with a fetus in them......yeah.....not exactly sure how this fits into my theory. maybe representing the life cycle or something?? seeing through childrens eyes?? not sure.
10. maynard. i think maynard represents earth and all of mankind. you have women, wine, empire state building (land). it also feels like maynard would represent a typical businessman at his desk (phone, card holder, etc). in the mirror would represent his mother, with maynard at her breast. her comforting him?? possibly her ghost/spirit??
11. the spiral guy. looks like a human spiraling down to hell/death. looks like he is spiraling down with his soul coming out of his chest. soul with a snake head (evil soul??)
12. dead shit. descending.....on the way down to hell.
13. adam represents satan. surrounding himself with dead shit/skeletons. the hand statute with birds as souls trying to escape. the coyote head howling in pain??
14. dude with needles in him. soul being tortured?? stuck in a spiral forever??
15. a tunnel that goes on forever. being stuck in hell for eternity??

as you can see it progresses from up top (god/heaven) to the bottom (hell/satan). now this is just what i came up with after going through the pictures in that order several times. i really don't think this "puzzle" has anything to do with numbers/specific things in each picture, but rather the theme of each picture overall. a lot of this has to do with how i think maynard feels about religion as a whole. god with blade/cards. i don't think he believes in any religion, but since this album seems to be somewhat of a tribute to his mother, then he would show his view of what she believed in. a lot of it is tied in with the lyrics of wings pt 1/2 and judith. i would recommend reading them thoroughly (www.musicmademe.com has what i think to be the most accurate lyrics i've read yet). any who, this is what i got out of the pictures. there was a definite progression on how each picture made me feel, going from almost heaven like down to the depths of hell....
can't wait to detroit...see ya there boys.


thoughts??...anything to add???...would like to hear some of these ideas expanded on.

I'm not sure if it's been already said or mentioned, but I've read throughout various posts that they think the skull in Danny Carey's pictures is an "alien" skull.

It's not. It's called Cranial (or skull) Binding.

http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Cranial_Binding

http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/cgi/i/imag...2197;viewid=1;

http://www.boneclones.com/bc-201.htm

I personally think the most important things to consider are the numbers 2 and 11. There's all sorts of references to 2 coming together, and then not just that the time and track numbers are 11, but the last real song, right in two, is entirely in 11/8. So there you have 2 and 11 joined. I have no clue what that means, though.

All the dualism on the album and in the artwork also made me flash back to a few intro Phil course and Mind-Body Dualism Kind of interesting when referenced to all of MJK's lyrics about "two becoming one" as well as the idea that his mother's spirit left her body when she died.

my 2 cents: slide of body falling with the skeletal spirals = unenlightened person
slide of body with the flaming spirals, one out of head, one out of chest = enlightened person.

11 is also a representation of two... "1 and 1 is one 11" ...ignoring all specifics, it is, in my opinion, safe to suffice that the OVERALL concept of the album (artwork and lyrics) is the the idea of unifying spirits; two becoming one

notice the fact that maynard and the woman are pictured together in the mirror, and in the following image is a spirit with its hands folded in a loving manner (as though its holding its own hand); this, i believe, represents two spirits that have successfully merged to be one

these are all very good theories.

Hey man, I started this thread, but where is my original post?

A lot of good ideas in this thread. I like them.

Just wanted to comment that the pictures, when taken into an overall context, seem to portray a life to death sequence. I'm not sure what all the little details could mean but, it may be possible (with included ideas from other posts)

1. Tool - 10,000 Days
2. Tracklisting

3. Pre birth spirt eyes (same eyes as grey head tunnel, but seperated from the...i hate to say....collective unconcious)

4. Close up...human skull to put spirit into, cards to determine traits...etc

5. Danny. The god theories. Brining the spirit into human life.

6. Blue/Yellow pic. Pre birth growth period where the fetus is still connected to the unconcious but slowly coming into human concious within the mother (skull).

7. Close up of bird...carry the child into life / birth

8. Justin. The star theories. Universe beginning to shape the human life (reference "God" Danny's cards to determine pre birth characteristics)

9. Skull / Fetus. Perhaps this is Devo, or the previous spirit incarnation was Judith, and this image references Maynard's birth. Or, perhaps more abstract, this is the end of the of the connection to the unconcious (blue/ yellow picture), and the child is now being taught by the mother (rather than "God"'s cards and the universes stars)

10. Maynard. God states that all humans should wear ferrets on their head...i dunno. This one has me stumped on possible meanings. I think the "toasting to Judith" theory seems sound. Overall, it definatly has a portrayal of the mature child maynard;s embrace of Judith.

11. Either the reaper commanding a spirit (most likely Judith's) to the afterlife, or the spirit as the fire snake being released from the body...or to reference "H" maynard's past "snakes" being released by the love of Devo. "Whats singing songs is a snake...looking to turn my piss to wine"

12. The decaying body / death

13. Adam. The undertaker. Lots of dead things in jars. Dead alien, skeleton, Eon. The bird is intriguing...alive or dead?

14. The dead sprit searching or heading toward the collective unconcious again.

15. The spirit back to where he started in the unconcious. However, now the image is full color, contrasting the initial grey.



Dont take these ideas at face value, they are just possiblities and notes.