What does The Alchemist do with the snake and circle in the desert?
The alchemist draws a circle in the sand and places the snake in it, who stays there. He says that Santiago's finding life in the desert was the omen he needed. He'll guide him to the pyramids. Now Santiago says he wants to stay at the oasis because of Fatima, but the alchemist insists that she'll wait for him.
The alchemist draws a circle in the sand with his scimitar and places the cobra inside it. The cobra relaxes, and the alchemist says the cobra will not leave the circle. The alchemist prepares to move on with Santiago to the pyramids, but Santiago complains that he doesn't want to leave Fatima.
On one level, the “Circle” of [Pulter's] title refers to the ouroboros, the self-birthing snake (sometimes dragon) that devours its own tail. This is the ancient symbol of eternity, the perfection of art and of the completion of the alchemical opus (the opus circulatorium).
Eventually, the desert, wind, and sun start to speak to him, asking him questions and testing his knowledge about love, alchemy, the Soul of the World, and more. The novel's climax occurs in this section, as, struggling to save his life and that of the alchemist, Santiago labors to transform himself into the wind.
In section ten, the alchemist begins teaching Santiago. He tells Santiago to go find life, because only those who see signs of life in the desert can find treasure. Santiago figures out to let his horse find life, as the alchemists said that ''Life attracts life.
And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles." Once he has connected to the Soul of God, Santiago is indeed able to transform himself into the wind, becoming the mightiest windstorm in anyone's memory.
As Santiago continues his journey with the alchemist, he learns several new lessons about himself and his abilities. First, the alchemist explains that each person's heart emerges from the Soul of the World. Because Santiago's heart connects him to the Soul of the World, Santiago must learn to listen to it properly.
Desert: The desert is symbolic of all the obstacles and hardships that stand between people and their dreams. In The Alchemist, characters learn to accept the desert, even listen to it.
Snakes have been used for worship, magic potions and, medicine, and they have been the symbol of love, health, disease, medicine, pharmacy, immortality, death and even wisdom.
The constant theme in The Alchemist is to pursue your dreams by following what your heart desires. During the young boy's journey, he learns to listen to the heart and to follow the language of omens. With each passing obstacle and hurdle that the young boy encounters, there is a lesson to learn.
What does Santiago learn about love from the desert?
Santiago says ''it's not love to be static like the desert, nor is it love to roam the world like the wind. And it's not love to see everything from a distance, like you do. '' He says that love makes all things strive for betterness, which also changes the Soul of the World.
The desert, with its harsh conditions and tribal wars, symbolizes the serious difficulties that await anyone in pursuit of their Personal Legend, but it also serves as an important teacher to Santiago during his journey to the pyramids.
"Maybe God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date palms," he thinks. He then decides to focus his attention on more practical matters. Omens have told the alchemist that an important man arrived with the caravan.
After taking information about his omen to the chieftains in the oasis, Santiago meets the Alchemist for the first time. An alchemist is someone that can change one thing into something more valuable. The Alchemist advises, ''You must love the desert, but never trust it completely.
The alchemist tells Santiago to show him signs of life in the desert, since "Only those who can see such signs of life are able to find treasure." Santiago lets his horse run free, allowing the animal to gallop for almost thirty minutes before it finally stops near a hole inside which is a cobra.
But Fatima is perhaps even more important than the others, because Santiago believes she is a part of his treasure and Personal Legend. She and Santiago fall in love at first sight, though Santiago has loved her since smelling her perfume on the levanter.
Santiago falls to his knees and weeps. He notices that where his tears fell, a scarab, or beetle, now scurries through the sand. Santiago knows that in Egypt, this beetle is considered a symbol of God. Another omen — this must be the place he was meant to dig!
Answer: The story was about two boys who decided to cross a big desert to go to the next town where according to the elders the life was better and the future more promising. The elders advised them to pick up stones from the desert and carry them to that town. Some buyers would pay money for those rare stones.
In section 9 of ''The Alchemist'' by Paulo Coelho, the people of the oasis face armed soldiers from the desert, and Santiago meets the alchemist in Al-Fayoum oasis.
It can represent death, destruction, evil, a penetrating legless essence, and/or poison. In the Christian tradition, Satan (in the guise of the serpent) instigated the fall by tricking Eve into breaking God's command. Thus the serpent can represent temptation, the devil, and deceit.
Why is the snake a feminine symbol?
Another symbol of the feminine divine are snakes or serpents. Because snakes periodically shed their skins, they are associated with transformation, rebirth/regeneration, and healing. In ancient times, the snake was not a symbol of evil or danger but symbolized female wisdom, power, and regeneration.
The alchemists, who in their own way knew more about the nature of the individuation process than we moderns do, expressed this paradox through the symbol of the Ouroboros, the snake that eats its own tail. The Ouroboros has been said to have a meaning of infinity or wholeness.
In Paulo Coelho's story The Alchemist, symbols are important. Through these symbols, Coelho shares some deeply important messages about perseverance, love, and destiny. The major symbols in the story are the desert, the oasis, and the treasure.
"What is the world's greatest lie?" the little boy asks. The old man replies, "It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.
Its engaging and captivating narrative sets The Alchemist apart from other self-help or spiritual books. It's a story, not a book of recommendations. Coelho's prose is simple yet profound, and the story is filled with interesting characters and unexpected plot twists.
