Last fall, when I did a live online chat with the best-selling Brazilian author of The Alchemist and about 14 other novels, I was astounded by his sheer internationality. Talking to me in New York from his hotel in Milan, questions from his fans poured in from Egypt, Sweden, Spain, Iran. They wanted to know where he gets his ideas, what are his rituals, how they can search for their own inner treasure.
Please visit beliefnet to continue to read the interview written by Valerie Reiss.
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An excelleant interview, came to know Paulo better thru it. Thanks !
About this new Pope - WhenI first saw him on TV, one thing struck me, since then many times I have seen his photograph, may be I am prejudiced, but that is the way it is : look at his photograph sometimes ( without remembering that hs is the pope ), look in those eyes, what kind of feeling u get.
Will teh satan be hidden in some disguise.
aditya
Yes, I agree, very personal insight into the Paulo we almost, kind of know, and love so much - can we give more confidence to all to be more outspoken, I wonder?
Strength in numbers, as it were, xx
Paulo, I was away, amongst other things, also preparing your Birthday Present, (don’t say, you didn’t miss me.)
- It’s in the post.
Love to all,
LJ x
Haha wow aditya, I had a similar feeling, not to be disrespectful or anything.
Anyway this post is really interesting! About the condoms part - what has “not being in the medieval times” got to do with condoms? I just learnt about this Catholic fact actually. Kinda liked it. It’s different you know? From what the current world seems like. That’s always a good thing.
Paulo that’s so pretty about the white feather!!! I’ve always found them as a positive sing myself, ever since I read the book Illusions from Bach.
Love,
Clover
What you wrote about the path of love is so true, mysterious and painful at times, yet I find it sooo exciting and even unescapable.
This is part of an article I read on the feminine side of God, Mary Magdalene, the Da Vinci Code, I found it very iteresting:
The “sacred feminine” is a metaphysical concept that has been around for millennia, and is interpreted in a wide variety of ways. As one might assume, it generally appeals to women.
In a sense, the sacred feminine is said to “bring balance and wholeness to our vision of the Creator” and to “bring feminine wisdom back into the equation” of the “divine.” The various goddesses of times past are thought to be symbolic of various archetypes, or “universal patterns of behavior,” of the sacred feminine. Generally speaking, it is said that working with the sacred feminine allows a woman to realize that all of her behaviors are different parts of the “divine,” thus freeing her from feeling bad when she exhibits behaviors she does not like. After all, in some mystical sort of way, the sacred feminine exhibits such behaviors as well.
The following is one person’s interpretation of the concept, a bit more metaphysical and esoteric than others: “Throughout humanity’s societies, the Sacred Feminine has been identified with the qualities of wisdom, justice, beauty, and compassion. She is also the irresistible power that destroys old forms and brings new ones into being. The Divine Feminine is this unseen dimension of soul to which we are connected through our instincts, our feelings, and the longing imagination of the heart. She is an invisible flow of energy that brings life into being, sustains and transforms it, and withdraws it into a hidden dimension for rebirth or regeneration. This process is rhythmic, and rhythm is a primary characteristic of the Feminine. In a very Masonic definition of Being, She has been described as being the principle of justice that inspires all human laws, She is the invisible spirit guiding human consciousness” (The Lysistrata Project).
The need to rediscover this sacred feminine is the underlying theme in The Da Vinci Code. During an interview with CNN, the author hinted at this agenda: “In the early days…we lived in a world of gods and goddesses…Every Mars had an Athena. The god of war had the goddess of beauty; in the Egyptian tradition, Osiris and Isis…And now we live in a world solely of gods. The female counterpart has been erased.”
Further, in an interview posted on his website, the author emphasized, “Two thousand years ago, we lived in a world of Gods and Goddesses. Today, we live in a world solely of Gods. Women in most cultures have been stripped of their spiritual power. The novel touches on questions of how and why this shift occurred…and on what lessons we might learn from it regarding our future.”
The conclusion is then drawn that the search for the Holy Grail is really the search for Mary Magdalene—who, in turn, is symbolic of the sacred feminine. The Grail is interpreted to mean or symbolize many different things, from the cup or dish that Jesus used at His last supper, to a certain item considered so special that a person must be proved worthy to be in its presence.
Now notice the link that two of the book’s characters make concerning Mary Magdalene, the Holy Grail and the sacred feminine: “The Grail is literally the ancient symbol for womanhood, and the Holy Grail represents the sacred feminine and the goddess, which of course has now been lost, virtually eliminated by the Church. The power of the female and her ability to produce life was once very sacred, but it posed a threat to the rise of the predominantly male Church, and so the sacred feminine was demonized and called unclean…Woman, once the sacred giver of life, was now the enemy…The quest for the Holy Grail is literally the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene. A journey to pray at the feet of the outcast one [Mary Magdalene], the lost sacred feminine” (The Da Vinci Code, pp. 238, 257).
I think this femenine side of God is reawakening again. You have written about it, so has Dan Brown, and see the reaction of humanity, millions of people reading this with fascination. Perhaps because it is something we all unconsciously feel? The heart, the intuition, the feeling, to be lead by those, it is beautiful actually.
So nice reading you as always.
LOVEEEE,
Clover
Feminine nature is to go with the flow, masculine nature is to fight it. I know this man that is very much like me and at the same time is my contrary, and i like that since i have someone who is strong enough to fight me. Sadly there are not many like him around, to fight me, so i can have many victories. Thank you for being.
I really loved everything you said in this interview. Thank you for choosing to stay as a Cathoric and yet sharing your own views coming from the truth, adressing some issues in religions at the same time. Any change can not be made through complete denial, but can be made most naturally through love, understanding and acceptance. You are doing that not only in your books,but through your words and actions, everywhere in your life. Thank you for making things so much easier for us who are trying to live with the truth in this physical world.
Personally, I think I am still learning the balance between acceptance and taking a stand for myself. It has been very difficult. However, I am dancing with angels too.
All the best,
Yoshika
ha ha Serene ! ya ! all establishements become systems in time ( including the Church ), although the system serves some useful purpouse for society, it ultimately becomes self serving, even the Church ( it’s widely felt that Christ may not get admittence to Vatican or most churches, even if he tries, and he for one is not going to bother with trying to get admittance to any church ), well creations of humans will eventaully suffer from the limitations of humans too.
a lot is being said about the feminine aspect of God ! and how we have lost it or rather programmed by the system to loose it. well freinds despiar not, the feminine aspect of god cannot be erased for it is. many cultures have retained it and it is reawkening in west to. good good. in my life I have found women to be more trustworthy, more understanding & more compassionate than men, well these very are godly qualities.
as for God himself, he is quite genderless, whereever there is action it’s due to ’sakti’ enegery & energy is the feminine aspect of God and thankfully so.
You know what I love about you? I love the fact that you are onest. You are onest first with yourself and then with the others, with all the people who want to know you. It’s easy to know Paulo Coelho, because he shows his soul “naked”, in front of everybody, but it’s hard to understand what Paulo Coelho’s soul holds inside.
So, like this, everybody can see you, but not all have the capacity to understand you.
I like to think that I am capable to understand and to feel what you feel sometimes, not only as a reader, but as a woman who belives in life, who has a dream, or fears, or trust in the world. Finally as a woman who was born by mistake, but who wants to live a great life, by dreaming that the others can be as happy like I am and full of desire to accept each other, despite religion, political preferences, colour of the skin.
And I love that you love dancing…music is the only one which survived all the wars in the world and all the negative things that happened until this moment.
Clover, I like very much all what you sai.
Thank you for sharing. And I like very much all what think Paulo.
Lot of kises for all.
Sou Isabela tenho 12 anos e me fascino pelos seus livros. Estou lendo O Alquimista e estou adorando.
Eu quero saber mais sobre Alquimia e Ocultismo, queria saber também quem é o príncipe Alquimista. Meus amigos falaram sobre ele e queria saber quem é. Estou me sentindo estranha perguntar para o senhor, uma pessoa respeitada em vários paises, sobre um assunto… Vamos dizer, meio desinteressante. Mas o problema é que eu sou muito interessada nessas coisas e queria saber sobre isso melhor.
Se quiser (não quero encomoda-lo muito hehe)
Vai no meu blog ou me mande um email
Obrigado!
Isabela