What Grows In Your (British) Garden? Angels, Shakespeare, Spathiphyllum And Conceptualization.

A note about the code from Crowley's safe.

Crowley dials the numbers on his safe: 31 10 and 66, or maybe 67. I've been thinking for a long time that these numbers mean something, because we can see them well. If you have your own version, please share it with me. My theory is that the last digit is 67 - that is, 1967 - it was this year that Aziraphale brought holy water for Crowley in this thermos, which is now in the safe. Maybe that day was October 31st, or is it just that Crowley loves Halloween?

This theory seems pretty logical, but while I was thinking about it, I went through some funny and slightly crazy versions. Here is one of them: 311067 is a color in hex format. Here it is:

We know that Crowley and Aziraphale's joint miracle was violet. I don't think the authors have complicated the safe code so much, but there is definitely something to think about the meaning of colors in the film - namely red, blue, violet, gold. These colors definitely have a semantic load in the series.

- Aziraphale, you speak Chinese pretty well, why haven't you mastered French yet? After all, French is simpler than Chinese. - Well I don't know. The Chinese have never tried to chop off my head. And also, you know, that French executioner pawed my neck! - In fairness, I note the neck is very magnetic. It beckons to touch.. - Is this some kind of French joke? - Yes it is. And you would understand its meaning if you finally learned French.

On the signs above the heroes it says "Honey sweets" and "Sky suits" (yes, there's an extra letter e, but who cares). Angels call the human body they are in on Earth a suit.

sweetest honey candies

Another theory about Maggie and Nina, plus a theory about coffee and death and a lot of symbolism.

Theory One (Maggie and Nina)

Nina and Maggie can symbolize the two sides of Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship. Maggie (this name means pearl, it is a symbol of hidden treasure and purity) this is the best thing about their relationship. It's their love for each other, for music and for the bookshope. This is confirmed by the jewelry on Maggie's neck (heart, snake and ring). This relationship is timid and it's hidden, like Maggie herself. Nina is the side of the relationship that is visible "on the surface". Nina is a responsible person, but she looks annoyed, a little rude, closed, distrustful. She is disappointed in her past relationships, which were toxic and there was no love in them. I will also note that Nina is active, she wants to sell her goods to people. Maggie's main theme is music, retro and love. For Nina, it seems to me, this is freedom (there are several statues of liberty in her cafe, one of which stands right on the counter). Including freedom of choice.

Theory two (choice, coffee and death)

So. In symbolism, coffee means awakening, awareness and life force. The torch of the Statue of Liberty means enlightenment, knowledge and optimism about the future. First. Nina offers a choice of coffee or death. In other words, to be alive or to be dead, to wake up or to sleep. Secondly. The hand of death is depicted on the wall, holding out a cup of coffee, like the Statue of Liberty holds out its torch. I can make the assumption that if you choose death, you will still get something. Once again, you make a choice to take a drink from Freedom or from Death. Nina said that no one had ever made such a choice, to which Metatron replied - people are so predictable.

What can death offer? In symbolism, she separates (with her scythe) body and soul, and irrevocable changes occur after her actions.

The third theory (choice without choice or something else)

So. Metatron brings Aziraphale coffee. The coffee was obtained from Nina, who symbolizes the dark side of the relationship between Azi and the Cro, a pinch of almond syrup was added to this cafe - it is what was good in this relationship (Maggie brought the ingredients to the coffee). So this drink is a concentrated version of their relationship. Next, Metatron is lying, claiming that he added a huge amount of almonds to the drink. Almonds in the symbolism of Christianity mean divine favor and hidden truth. Aziraphale asks if he should drink it. Metatron says literally: "Of course, I ingested things in my time, you know". I suppose he also refused something or made a difficult compromise (perhaps for the sake of his high position). Next, a conversation takes place in which Metatron, with the help of manipulation and cunning, compels Aziraphale to accept his offer. Of course, the coffee wasn't literally poisoned. The poison was in his words and intentions. I clarify, Aziraphale still did not make his choice of "coffee or death" when he took a drink from Metatron. And also when he talked to Metatron. At the same time, an equally important conversation takes place between Crowley and the girls. Both Aziraphale and Crowley are confused, events have gained momentum too quickly. There is a climactic conversation at the end of which there is actually (almost) nothing new for them. They always abruptly end the conversation by being rude to each other as soon as the conversation gets a little heated. But this time, fate has put Aziraphale in front of a choice for which there will be no turning back. It is now that Aziraphale is making his choice. Between love and death, he chooses death. When Aziraphale goes up in the elevator, you can see that his face is painfully changing, like his face is cramping up. This effect is highlighted by flashes of light. I explain this by the fact his soul and love remained on Earth (death separated his soul), and he dies - that is, irrevocably changes. Most likely, Maggie also received "death", since we see that she fell asleep in her little back room (of the bookstore).

Dear Aziraphale. If Crowley goes even slower, he will have to move in the opposite direction. Six thousand damn years, who could be more delicate?

- I just need to find a receptive body. (Like all of us, Aziraphale, like all of us).

- Harder than you'd think. (I bet, Crowley thinks it's impossible).

- I'm not going to go there. (Aziraphale is so naive, and Crowley is such a gentleman ><).

A note on the Institutional problem.

- For one prince of Heaven to be cast into the darkness makes a good story. For it to happen twice, makes it look like there is some kind of institutional problem.

According to Metatron, such disobedience to God happened only for the second time. The first person who doubted God's plans and was thrown into Hell for it was Crowley. So Crowley was a prince of Heaven and held the position of archangel Gabriel. Aziraphale will now take over this position. I'm sure he won't stay there for long either. :) This position is cursed as well as the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor (in the "Harry Potter") (: By the way, the institutional problem is a deep contradiction in the existing rules of the (paradise) system. Because the rules are inadequate or outdated. Such a problem leads to a change in the system or to its destruction.

Would it seem like a good story to you, Metatron, if yourself were thrown into darkness? Such an unpleasant character -_-

The theory of the name Anthony J. Crowley

In the theater, Aziraphale silly declares that Crowley is not his friend, he does not even know him. After 15 seconds, Aziraphale is already smiling and staring at Crowley with shining eyes. After that, Crowley says:

"Age does not wither, nor custom stale his infinite variety". You'd think he was saying that about Hamlet. But a few minutes ago Crowley claimed that he did not like this performance and was not surprised, no one came to see it. I'm sure Crowley is saying these words about Aziraphale. Shakespeare used these famous lines in his other work "Antony and Cleopatra".

This is a work about a complex love story, in the twists and turns of political events. This story ended tragically. Antony kills himself with a sword, and Cleopatra kills herself with snake poison. This is just my hipothesis, but in this story there is: a sword, a snake, poison, love, heroes on different sides (strict Rome and sensual Egypt). One more thing:

Antony calls Cleopatra the snake of the Neil). (yes, the words are different in the English version. but in some languages, the name of the river and the name sound and written the same way).

Crowley said he prefers comedies. Maybe he lied, maybe he didn't. Tragedies end in death, comedies end in marriage. I just hope the letter J doesn't mean Juliet - two tragedies in one name is too much!

The theory of Coffee and the Apple of Eden.

So about the blue cup of coffee. I think it is symbolically the opposite of the Apple of Eden. Adam and Eve were innocent, having tasted the apple, they knew the earthly and had to go to Earth. Aziraphale, on the contrary, has lived on Earth for a long time and Metatron gives him (tempts) a "heavenly" drink. Some sources indicate that ambrosia (the drink of paradise or the drink of the gods) was nine times sweeter than honey. Therefore, Metatron deceives Aziraphale by claiming that there is a huge amount of almond syrup in the drink, he means that he gives Aziraphale ambrosia. At the same time, like an apple, this drink carries a particle of deception on the part of the one who gives it; it is given with bad intentions.

If we develop this idea further, then in this situation Aziraphale symbolically represents Eve, Metatron is the tempter snake, Crowley is Adam, and the bookshop is paradise. But this time Adam (Crowley) did not accept the temptation from his Eve. And Eve leaves their paradise alone.

In general, my theory is that a cup of coffee is an apple of Eden, but with the opposite meaning. The apple is sin, disobedience, knowledge of good and evil. And coffee in this case is obedience, giving up free will and following God's plan without thinking about whether it's good or bad.

It's always too late

An excerpt from Neil Gaiman's book "The Ocean at the End of the Lane":

"I said, "I'm sorry I let go of your hand, Lettie." "Oh, hush," she said. "It's always too late for sorries, but I appreciate the sentiment. And next time, you'll keep hold of my hand no matter what she throws at us." I nodded. The ice chip in my heart seemed to warm then, and melt, and I began to feel whole and safe once more."

I hope the next time, whenever and wherever it is, they will hold each other's hands.