I met my Soulmate two summers ago.

The more I read of Brida, the more I felt I was reading a personal letter from Paulo Coelho, written just for me.

Brida is so like my Soulmate.

Although I recognise my Soulmate, she does not, or is too frightened to accept the Truth.

Last summer she stayed with me, then left without saying a word, just left a note.

It was as though my heart had been torn out.

The house seemed so cold and empty without her presence.

A few weeks ago, I had an interesting discussion on angels. I mentioned my Soulmate, though not referred to as such. Have faith, I was told.
http://www.heureka.clara.net/religion/synchronicity-and-angels.htm

Last week I picked up a copy of Brida to read.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5987613

Before I started to read Brida, I had a chance conversation with a lovely girl. She was contemplating whether or not to buy a copy of The Witch of Portobello. I said she should, and she did.

We had a long and interesting conversation about Paulo Coelho, his books and literature in general.

The Witch of Portobello, explores similar themes to Brida of the feminine side of religion.

http://www.heureka.clara.net/books/the-witch-of-portobello.htm

The day I picked up Brida, my Soulmate called. She wanted to thank me for her birthday presents.

Her birthday was one day after the Spring Equinox.

A couple of days later after our long conversation, I received two e-mails from Paulo.

One was on Synchronicity and Angels
http://www.heureka.clara.net/religion/synchronicity-and-angels.htm

The other on Veronika Decides to Die.

http://www.heureka.clara.net/books/veronika-decides-to-die.htm

One of the presents my Soulmate wished to thank me for, was Veronika Decides to Die!

Keith

http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/gu-ford.htm

a lovely market town in the south of England, when to my pleasant surprise I saw a copy of Brida in a bookshop.

Later that day, I looked at Paulo’s blog which I had not looked at for some time, and saw mention that Brida had been published in English.

Brida was originally published in 1990, but not published in English until March 2008.

I do not know why, but I did not pick up a copy, a decision I regretted on my way home.

I returned to Guildford a couple of weeks later, and made sure that I picked up a copy of Brida.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5987613

My initial thoughts on reading Brida, were that it was a magical book.

The power of the writings of Paulo Coelho lie in their simplicity. This is especially true of The Alchemist and Brida.

There are paintings, which when you look at them the subject in the painting appears to be looking directly at you, no matter where you stand. If he is looking at me, how can he also be looking at the person standing over there?

The power of the writings of Paulo Coelho, is that when you read one of his books, he often appears to be writing you a personal letter. If he is writing you a personal letter, how can it be that other readers experience the same feeling, that he is writing to them a personal letter?

This was certainly so for me, when I read both The Zahir and Brida.

No sooner had I started Brida, than it seemed like I was reading a personal letter for me.

I then had a very powerful sense of deja vu.

When Brida is taken to the woods by Wicca, I knew the church, the door leading into the church.

When she ‘reads’ the book, and enters her past life, I knew we were talking about the Cathars, before there is mention of the Cathars. I knew we were in Montsegur, before it was mentioned.

http://www.heureka.clara.net/music/eric-levi.htm

I always wondered how the Cathars of Montsegur were betrayed, now I know, the French discovered their secret passage.

I also experienced a sense of synchronicity.

http://www.heureka.clara.net/books/synchronicity.htm

A couple of days before I picked up my copy of Brida a friend from Rwanda called round. I was telling her about the Crusades the Catholics mounted against the Cathars!

Keith

I have a friend happily married ,has a son.There is a schoolmate of hers who has been in love with her for almost 18 yrs now.he hasnt seen anybody ,he is an army officer and just believes that my friend is her real soulmate and wl come to her.My friend feels sad for him and Ifeel more surprised.How can someone wait for so long

Loving someone is not easy. As it is not easy loving yourself. You’re the one who knows better the defects and you’ve got the chance to talk about it… pretty difficult.

Loving is much more than a feeling, and it has to be worked every day. It is like moon phases: if it is not growing is because is decreasing. It is hard because the person you love changes at the same time that you are changing too! It is hard to realize that what used to be good in the past, now it does not work any more…

If you meet another half… yes, you’ve got a problem.

Having more than one ‘half’? Could be, but it would be really difficult, because we are too selfish to face it. Too traditional to break the rules. Too human to manage it.

Joan