Deidre O’Neill, 37, doctor, known as Edda
If a man we don’t know phones us up one day and talks a little, makes no suggestions, says nothing special, but nevertheless pays us the kind of attention we rarely receive, we’re quite capable of going to bed with him that same night, feeling relatively in love. That’s what we women are like, and there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s the nature of the female to open herself to love easily.
It was this same love that opened me up to my first encounter with the Mother when I was nineteen. Athena was the same age the first time she went into a trance while dancing. But that’s the only thing we had in common – the age of our initiation.
In every other aspect, we were totally and profoundly different, especially in the way we dealt with other people. As her teacher, I always did my best to help her in her inner search. As her friend – although I’m not sure my feelings of friendship were reciprocated – I tried to alert her to the fact that the world wasn’t ready for the kind of transformations she wanted to provoke. I remember spending a few sleepless nights before deciding to allow her to act with total freedom and follow the demands of her heart.
Her greatest problem was that she was a woman of the twenty-second century living in the twenty-first, and making no secret of the fact either. Did she pay a price? She certainly did. But she would have paid a still higher price if she had repressed her true exuberant self. She would have been bitter and frustrated, always concerned about ‘what other people might think’, always saying ‘I’ll just sort these things out, then I’ll devote myself to my dream’, always complaining ‘that the conditions are never quite right’.
Everyone’s looking for the perfect teacher, but although their teachings might be divine, teachers are all too human, and that’s something people find hard to accept. Don’t confuse the teacher with the lesson, the ritual with the ecstasy, the transmitter of the symbol with the symbol itself. The Tradition is linked to our encounter with the forces of life and not with the people who bring this about. But we are weak: we ask the Mother to send us guides, and all she sends are signs to the road we need to follow.
Pity those who seek for shepherds, instead of longing for freedom! An encounter with the superior energy is open to anyone, but remains far from those who shift responsibility onto others. Our time on this Earth is sacred, and we should celebrate every moment.
The importance of this has been completely forgotten: even religious holidays have been transformed into opportunities to go to the beach or the park or skiing. There are no more rituals. Ordinary actions can no longer be transformed into manifestations of the sacred. We cook and complain that it’s a waste of time, when we should be pouring our love into making that food. We work and believe it’s a divine curse, when we should be using our skills to bring pleasure and to spread the energy of the Mother.
Athena brought to the surface the immensely rich world we all carry in our souls, without realising that people aren’t yet ready to accept their own powers.
We women, when we’re searching for a meaning to our lives or for the path of knowledge, always identify with one of four classic archetypes.
The Virgin (and I’m not speaking here of a sexual virgin) is the one whose search springs from her complete independence, and everything she learns is the fruit of her ability to face challenges alone.
The Martyr finds her way to self-knowledge through pain, surrender and suffering.
The Saint finds her true reason for living in unconditional love and in her ability to give without asking anything in return.
Finally, the Witch justifies her existence by going in search of complete and limitless pleasure.
Normally, a woman has to choose from one of these traditional feminine archetypes, but Athena was all four at once.
Obviously we can justify her behaviour, alleging that all those who enter a state of trance or ecstasy lose contact with reality. That’s not true: the physical world and the spiritual world are the same thing. We can see the Divine in each speck of dust, but that doesn’t stop us wiping it away with a wet sponge. The Divine doesn’t disappear; it’s transformed into the clean surface.
Athena should have been more careful. When I reflect upon the life and death of my pupil, it seems to me that I had better change the way I behave too.
Next chapter will be on-line on: 15.03.07
{ 27 comments }
[/quote]
I don´t understand this poem …It´s weird because my english is not so bad but even with the help of a dictionary I am unable to read what your poem says.
And I would like you not to translate (or maybe yes if you want) but to write me what it means.
Why did you write “Irish girl”? I understand nothing. What do you mean with “long gone …”?
“Walks”, “taking a stroll”, “travel light” … is every single word that I would like to know what it means. Could you help me please?[/quote]
******Dear INNIS EALGA or Girl of the Noble Island,
Perhaps you don’t know , but “Noble Island” o “Inis Ealga” was a way of referring to IRELAND and it gave origin to the (irish) girl’s name “Ealga” that means “noble”.
***Please check the photoblog:
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/photo/sign-83/
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/photo/stjoseph32
Regards,
Arádia.
[quote comment="74"]**PORTOBELLO BELLE**(Dire Straits):
Bella donna’s on the highstreet
Her breasts upon the off beat
And the stalls are just the side shows
Victoriano’s old clothes
And yes her jeans are tight now
She got to travel light now
She got to turn up all her roots now
She got to turn up for the boots now
She thinks she’s tough
She ain’t no English rose
But the blind singer
He’s seen enough and he knows
Do a song about a long gone Irish girl
But I got one for you PORTOBELLO BELLE
She sees a man upon his back there
Escaping from a sack there
And Bella donna lingers
Her gloves aint got no fingers
The blind man says he Irish
He gets his money in a tin dish
Just a corner serinader
Upon a time he could of made her
She thinks she’s tough
She ain’t no English rose
But the blind singer
He’s seen enough and he knows
Do a song about a long gone Irish girl
But I got one for you PORTOBELLO BELLE
This time a pair a boys are hawking
And the paraket is squawking
Upon a truck there is a wino
She get the crying off the wino
And then she here the raggy rumble
Bella donna is in the jungle
But she is no garden flower
There is no distress in the tower
Bella donna walks
Bella donna taking a stroll
She don’t care about your window box or your button hole
Sing a song about a long gone Irish girl
But I got one for you PORTOBELLO BELLE[/quote]
I don´t understand this poem …It´s weird because my english is not so bad but even with the help of a dictionary I am unable to read what your poem says.
And I would like you not to translate (or maybe yes if you want) but to write me what it means.
Why did you write “Irish girl”? I understand nothing. What do you mean with “long gone …”?
“Walks”, “taking a stroll”, “travel light” … is every single word that I would like to know what it means. Could you help me please?
Hi Angel !
Perhaps u r indicating towards what the spiritual masters have caled as ‘bliss’. Bliss has no opposits, unlike pleasure where the opposit is pain.
U say “Learning the laws of nature and the relationship between us and the universe is what a real witch does”. I am yet to meet any real witch, some whom i knew in my childhood and were spoken of as being ‘witch’ i can not be sure of. So i won’t know, what a real witch is after. If what u say is true then there seems to be little diffrence between witches and say ‘saints’.
I was wondering about why why oh why ? were ( are !) all the witches subjected to so much pain, and somehow Paulo’s ( or one of his charecters ) ‘definition’ of a witch kind of explained it, so shared it with u all.
regards
aditya
you just tell the story … no implications … no lessons … and yet we all seek what we most need to seek from the story … Thank you for the naked facts you serve.
That’s a fool’s paradise Aditya. Real pleasure comes with no pain, only fake pleasure hurts and kills. And that’s a very stupid definition of a witch too. Learning the laws of nature and the relationship between us and the universe is what a real witch does, where’s the heroin in that? Isn’t that the ultimate pleasure-pain drug? The ultimate pleasure giver is love, maybe that’s why they say that about witches? Real pleasure is bliss not pain.
Angel
If search for ‘limitless’ pleasure puts one in the archetype of the ‘witch’ then wonder how many of us ( both ladies & gentlemen ) will tend towards that archetypes.
Perhaps the secret of the untold (limtless !) suffering to witches and apparently of Athena too, down the ages, lies in this
“Finally, the Witch justifies her existence by going in search of complete and limitless pleasure”. A witch goes in search of limitless, unbridled pleasure ! hmmm….
If what THEY say is true then pleasure & pain r two sides of the same coin, one cannot be without the other. Search for limitless pleasure is bound to introduce one to limitless pain too !!!
aditya
mr. paulo coelho, you are really a great writer, author and inspiration. i was very blessed to have read some of your writings and looking forward to read all and be inspired by you. you always give me strength to live my life beautifully. i was on my deepest loneliness but when i was given a chance to read “the alchemist”, miracle do come true in my life. i found happiness and strength by just reading you writings, next to bible. please, continue inspiring the whole world by your great writings.
thanks,
Grace ( Philippines )
I absolutely love your books. They are very thoughtful and they help me deal with life.
I find myself in Athena. I am all four archetypes.
I can’t wait to read the whole book.
Thank you
Mr Coelho I’ve read all your books and I cherish them all.
I really can’t wait to get your new book. I hope that one day you will visit Lebanon. You have too many fans here. Your books are bestsellers here. Most of your works are listed on the Virgin Megastore (Beirut) best sellers list. It’s an amazing success! And you definitely deserve it. Many people are interested in your writings and approaches. Many have started to search for themselves amidst their lives chaos.
Wish you all the best always.
Joumana from Lebanon
dear paulo
everytime i read ur books, i found my heart at peace. this too seems very promising.
thanks 4 keeping our hopes and dreams alive
Dear Paulo,
First of all I must say that I am really looking forward to the day when I can buy this new book! Yeah!
It is so true about people worshipping the vessel rather than the symbol or the energy. That’s why it can make such a difference if the priest is a good orator or not. A sermon can be so enlightening or so….boring……and depressing.
A priest who speaks for too long might upset a few parishioners. It’s disconcerting to see the oldest faithful ones wiltering during a homily! And the sighs and groans when they thought the homily was over and the priest starts speaking on again with renewed vigour!
Words can convey the divine and some people have a gift for it and you have it.
Sometimes I feel the closest to God when I am reading your words.
And sometimes just looking at the nuances of the light on the playing fields on a sunny day when clouds are crossing the sky.
Wishing you the best, always.
Anne
its amazing. thankyou : )
i like paulo’s work..its awesome…love reading it all…looking forward to get this book
“paulocoelho” is a syndrome n those affected are enriched with such a supernatural power that enables them to see the beauty of the whole universe in a single grain of dust, to be able communicate with those tagged as inanimate objects by our modern science or even to be able to listen to our most closest advisor… no, no its not ur brain, its the heart! heart is meant to make decision and brain to work to fulfill that decision. only a warrior of light has the power to let heart decide and ask the brain to pave the way to let what heart has decided .. right mr. paulo! even i’m affected by this syndrome n whats more… i can see miracle happening everywhere i see! thanks mr. paulo for deciphering the language of ur heart into text format once more.
its goin a bit lengthy isn’t it? but the last thing i want to say is that what if we can read part 2 of ur pathbreakin novel “the alchemist”? it’d very nice if we could … won’t it be my reader frens?
“The Virgin (and I’m not speaking here of a sexual virgin) is the one whose search springs from her complete independence, and everything she learns is the fruit of her ability to face challenges alone
The Martyr finds her way to self-knowledge through pain, surrender and suffering.
The Saint finds her true reason for living in unconditional love and in her ability to give without asking anything in return
Finally, the witch justifies her existence by going in search of complete and limitless pleasure.”
I think I have touched base on all four of the archetypes.
During the Virgin, which I believe I still am living in this virgin archetypes. sometimes it can be lonely.
The essence of loneliness seems to spring to surface from time to time.
During the Martyr time frame, if figured I had no choice but to surrender and suffer and ask the Mother for understanding while I was going through the pain. For I only knew that the pain was only to teach me a lesson why does the mother teach because she loves?
In the Saint stage it feels good to give love unconditional, but what I have learned is that you must not let the “I” get in the way of giving.
Finally the witch “when going in search of complete and limitless pleasure seems like it is only capable of doing if you don’t let guilt slip into your thought.
Dear Paulho,
One More beautiful book from my most adorable and respected author. U have a lovely child’s viewpoint who is always curious,simple, pure. I feel the children are more connected to God.
Keep up your lovely books and blogs which inspire people around the world. U have already made a universal nation called Paulo, where we are all the Citizens craving for Love, trying to explore our innerselves,our goals and individual destinies.
Best Regards,
Raj Sekhar
When comes your book out in Belgium?? I know it’s a little land, that some people forget it exist, but i am looking forward to it! And i am not the only one..
Ever been in Belgium yet? The beautiful city of Antwerp?
Maybe you can come to visit on a time, so you know that Belgium also exist, if you were forgotten..
With love and respect!
Hope to hear from you!
B.
you make it so enthralling to relearn what i already know
im looking forward to the 15th
thankyou thankyou thankyou Paulo
Dear, Paulo Coelho
You know, I went to London a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with the city! During my stay there I’ve found out about the release of your new book. Actually, I’ve read almost all of your books and, quite obviously, immediately decided to read this one as well. However, after I had returned to Russia, my motherland, the depression started. For two weeks I have been suffering from it. Lots of frustrating thoughts have come to my head, such as: what am I doing in the city where I don’t want to stay? Why am I still studying in my university? How is it possible to live in our country at all?
Nevertheless, yesterday I eventually bought your book The Witch of
Portobello’! I’ve read only a few pages but it appeared to be enough to convince me that life is still wonderful, that one can live happily
anywhere if he wants to live happily. For me all your books are like
little miracles. I admire your work as a whole and, particularly, your ability to write and see the world in the way you write about it! You are a great personality for me! Sometimes I even can’t believe that such
simple but wise things may be written by a human being.
Therefore, I would like to ask you, the man that I consider as being my teacher of life, if it is appropriate to say this, if the human being can do anything, absolutely anything in this world? I mean, can we achieve anything we want, if we really want it?
Also, can you please tell me where do you derive your strength from for your new works? And finally, when did you go to London last and when are you planning to be there again?
I know that my letter is pretty long and contains lots of questions. I know that you are a busy man and don’t have enough time to answer letters like this, but thank you even for reading it! Thank you very much! You know, I’ve always suspected that miracles do happen on our Earth, the main thing is to learn how to see them, to discover this ability in your soul!
Thus, the first miracle for me was my decision to sit and write you this letter! The second miracle would be your answer, if you can do it for me of course! And the third would be, if someday in my life I’ll be able to meet you and talk to you, at least for one minute!
Yours sincerely,
Anna
Only a Master can encapsulate so much truth with so few words, while telling what will surely be another enchanting story. This chapter has painful truths (such as the first paragraph), amusing truths (the four archetypes) and sad truths (such as the loss of rituals).
Thank you for doing what you do!
**PORTOBELLO BELLE**(Dire Straits):
Bella donna’s on the highstreet
Her breasts upon the off beat
And the stalls are just the side shows
Victoriano’s old clothes
And yes her jeans are tight now
She got to travel light now
She got to turn up all her roots now
She got to turn up for the boots now
She thinks she’s tough
She ain’t no English rose
But the blind singer
He’s seen enough and he knows
Do a song about a long gone Irish girl
But I got one for you PORTOBELLO BELLE
She sees a man upon his back there
Escaping from a sack there
And Bella donna lingers
Her gloves aint got no fingers
The blind man says he Irish
He gets his money in a tin dish
Just a corner serinader
Upon a time he could of made her
She thinks she’s tough
She ain’t no English rose
But the blind singer
He’s seen enough and he knows
Do a song about a long gone Irish girl
But I got one for you PORTOBELLO BELLE
This time a pair a boys are hawking
And the paraket is squawking
Upon a truck there is a wino
She get the crying off the wino
And then she here the raggy rumble
Bella donna is in the jungle
But she is no garden flower
There is no distress in the tower
Bella donna walks
Bella donna taking a stroll
She don’t care about your window box or your button hole
Sing a song about a long gone Irish girl
But I got one for you PORTOBELLO BELLE
Damn Interesting Dear Paulo !
Like all u’r ‘plots’.
Last para above says “Athena should have been more careful…”
Sometiems I wonder, is their no end to ‘be more careful’. apparently not !
regards
Aditya
so far the way the people in her life saw Athena holds a similar thread and yet they are all different in the way they related to that thread, who she was…
like doctor Deidre says, people often worship (and sometimes simultaneously envy or hate) the vessel rather than the symbol or energy; i suppose it puts a face to it, something that we as humans can relate to on a physical level.
i look forward to getting to know her better when the book comes out, and through these excerpts. thank you for this.
Can’t wait for the book launch and meet Athena who has all four archetypes.
i cant wait, Mr Paulo ur amazing..
Yes, indeed; I find that as you write so well, “teachers are all too human, and that’s something people find hard to accept.” I find myself quite curious as to how Athena will complete these four archetypes: will she even transcend them, and become something altogether new? I am very eager to read this new novel. Could we also classify a Witch as being someone who learns to master her own world rather than rely on the spells of others? :-)
Thanks for the sneak preview Senor, and may I have the chance of one day perhaps receiving your comments on my own novel.
Sincerely,
Eleanora~
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