Pillars of Alchemy

Paulo Coelho's 4 pillar of Alchemy

1) Understand the Soul of the World 2) Follow your Dreams 3) Listen to your Heart 4) Read the Signs and Omens of the World

Read the Signs and Omens of the World

One must "surrender oneself to the universe." Coelho suggests that we must allow ourselves to be open to recognizing and learning from omens and signs which come our way. (Need to define what the terms omen and sign mean for you)

Listen to your Heart

One must be faithful to one's dreams, for they both test and reward us. In other words, the path to achieving one's Personal Legend may not be an easy one, but we must endure the tests in order to gain the rewards. (think about the practical steps needed to attain our goals/dreams)

Understand the Soul of the World

One must believe in "The Soul of the World." The ancient Latin term for this concept is "anima mundi." In short, this idea suggests that everything in the world is interconnected; that is, what one does affects everything else, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest whale, and vice versa.

Follow your Dreams

One must listen to the voice of the heart. Coelho suggests that sometimes we must follow our feelings and intuitions, even if we do not fully understand them. Through feeling one gains wisdom.