Summary of THE ALCHEMIST

PART 1
This part lays emphasis on how we all have our desires as youth

Just like the boy desired to travel far and wide

But it’s that desire when narrowed down that builds us to be who God made us to be

Like God said in Malachi 3 that He is the refiner of silver

The boy desired to travel the world but to fulfill this desire required him to choose a career or
path that will best help him achieve this goal

But this was only a stepping stone to achieving the greater purpose God had planned out for him.

Now, to narrow down his life goal he was able to see a strong meaning to his dream that he went
on to figure out his next steps. Many a time, we see things in and on our life journey but we fail
to heed to it or rather we have no courage or we are satisfied with being at the minimum and not
ready to stir up changes but this life is about evolving to be better than you were yesterday.

So this young boy went on to read meaning into his dream but he was not satisfied because you
could say he got no answer. But that’s the thing sometimes in our lives what next we need to do
is just written in plain words and don’t need any further explanation.

But before he went ahead to embark on this main journey of his life he was afraid of losing the
peaceful comfort of being a shepherd because he was already used to it, he was afraid of missing
his sheep that he learnt so much from and yet again he was afraid of the unknown. But that’s the
thing whatever we are now was ‘an unknown’ so why are we scared of encountering more.

Anyway, the point remains that he was brave and he listened. Before he embarked on his journey
he could not listen to his conscience or as the book refers to it his heart but he was wise enough
to listen to the old king Melchizedek without any bias and even though, some of the kings words
confused him, you could say he was not quick to respond but took his time to let it sink in and he
understood with time what he had meant. Lastly the old king had told him that the secret of
happiness is to see all the marvels of the world but never forget the drops of oil on the spoon.
The boy understood this with his own interpretation but I understand that we should take in all
life has to offer us but not get carried away to the extent of forgetting what is of utmost
importance to us, what has been put in our care.
But least I forget being a human being at first he got fed up by the words of the strange old king
but that just tells us that he is human.

When the boy embarked on this journey he learnt a lot. He embarked on it at first with hope of
achieving his personal legend immediately, but that was not God’s wish. Yes! He was going to
realize this personal legend finally if he perseveres but not without evolving into a better and
wise person first.

The first lesson he learnt was when all his money was stolen from him all at once by one who
portrayed himself as a friend. He felt like all was lost and he cried and prayed to God especially
as that was his first day in a foreign land with everyone speaking a foreign language. Even the
bartender who seemed to be threatening him was trying to help him. So he learnt that not
everything is what it seems like. But he picked up himself when he realized all was not lost
because he saw that left in his bag was the Urim and Thummim the old King had given him to
read omens and he made use of it.

Now in any rough time of our life there are always things to look to and regain hope and purpose
especially when we still have life in us. And so the boy went ahead with a mindset of positivity.
Knowing subconsciously that what he has doesn’t make him who he is but what he can do and is
going to achieve.

Then we go on to see that he worked for his meal, he didn’t go begging he saw a shop that
needed the windows to be cleaned and he offered a service in place of a meal and the business
owner offered him a job probably seeing his zeal to survive. And as the book
says the whole universe conspires to help those who are willing to achieve their personal goal.

PART 2
When he had stayed at the crystal sellers shop for over a month he was able to bring him more
customers by bringing in new ideas and therefore increase his income. We see the attitude of the
crystal shop owner as one of joy but yet fear. He was afraid of the great change that will occur
since his business will become more well know than it was before.

The boy on the other hand was very happy with this because having known the distance it will
take to reach the pyramids where his treasure lies he decides to go back to being a shepherd and
double his flock then feel quite fulfilled in knowing he had travelled farther than many other
shepherds.

But then again when he was ready to leave his job and go back to being a shepherd he was once
more reminded of the old king and realized it was fear of the unknown holding him back then he
told himself that he could go back to being a shepherd any other time but never again have the
chance to set out on a journey to fulfill his personal legend and so he decided to move on.
Now he saw that all things that happened so far were to help him on his journey. How many of
us rethink our decisions and realize that God having brought us thus far will see us through?

Anyway now the boy joined a caravan crossing the desert and met an Englishman there. Over
time he got to understand that the man was seeking an alchemist to teach the art of alchemy. The
boy learnt a lot from this Englishman on their journey, especially that we all perceive or learn in
various ways. As the boy learnt the ways of the desert or language of the desert (as used in the
book) by observing their route, the Englishman learnt his by reading his books. After the both
tried to learn from each other’s perspective of learning and gained little they both understood that
everyone has what works for them but what’s important is that both were on their journey to
fulfill their personal legend.

Soon a tribal war was made known to the travelers to warn them to be careful as they journey,
the quiet desert became quieter as they travelers traveled precautions were set to avoid any
mishap. And so arriving at the Oasis was a thing of great joy for them all and they boy was at
peace with being silent and soaking in the moment, knowing that there was a grater journey
ahead of him in order to get to the pyramid but that he was present in this Oasis which signified
to him shade, water and refuge from the war.

There are waiting times in all our lives, what do we do with it, just like the boy the first half of
his journey in the desert, he learned more the language of the desert, the stars the followed, the
significant sounds of the camels, he learned to speak listen to his heart or conscience, he learned
from the experiences told by others on the journey and many other things also he had in mind
that there was more to come. Just like the first half of the term in school before the test and mid-
term break, do we learn during our waiting period or we sit down and fold our hands?

Also reaching the Oasis is like a mid-term break from the first half of the term. There the boy
rested and took a break from their journey across the desert.

Then again the English man was searching for the Alchemist who will teach him of Alchemy. He
was probably searching for him when he was not meant to, because when he found the alchemist,
he was given an assignment by him.

Now in the oasis the boy found his other half, to show us that no one should veer us away from
pursing our personal legend even our other half. The girl, Fatima, advised him to go on to fulfill
his personal legend and she would be waiting but he shouldn’t hold himself back because of her.

Toward the end of his stay at the Oasis, he had a trance when he was trying to read the
movements of two birds flying in the dark evening sky, about the Oasis being attacked by
soldiers fighting the war, which is not meant to be.

Being able to try to read the movements of the birds was probably a skill he learnt during the
first half of the desert journey but he was able to apply it when he needed to save a community.
And that action led him to the alchemist who was to help him with the rest of his journey. Just
like the boy we must learn to apply what we learn as we move in life because then it can lead us
to the next phase of our journey. But then just like the Alchemist test the boys’ braveness and
courage, so will we be tested by situation, people and the sort who are there to take us on to the
next stage.

At last, the boy met the alchemist when he had saved the Oasis, and he advised him to complete
his quest. The boy was reluctant but the alchemist didn’t force him but told him why the
concerns holding him back, won’t offer him much without his treasure and it was necessary that
he find his treasure and let nothing distract him.

We can see here that God gives us all a choice, is left for us to make the right choice.

The boy went ahead to go on his journey, after Fatima had reassured him she will wait for him.

Though a precarious journey he braced himself for it. From then on the Alchemist and the boy
embarked on the journey and the boy learnt a lot from the Alchemist. Now the alchemist made
him understand that to understand the desert you must immerse yourself in it by listening to your
heart. So also before we understand the various times of our life we must listen to our heart “our
conscience”

As they went on their journey they encountered a lot such as; the men they came across who
asked what they had, and did not believe the Alchemist when he said he had the philosopher’s
stone and the elixir of life.

Therefore, there are times in life you need not hide what you have because you’re aware that
people won’t believe it.

Also as they were passing an encampment of one of the group soldiers in war, they were
discouraged from moving on but when the soldiers saw the confidence in their eyes they let them
go. Our confidence level can be seen in our eyes and felt.

Also during this period the boy was learning to understand his heart. You could say he still had a
fearful heart or as he said his heart was ‘treasonous’. But the Alchemist told him to tell his heart
that; “the fear of suffering is worse than suffering itself, every second of search is an encounter
with God” The boy now understood and went on to say “That as he had been searching for his
treasure every day has been luminous because I’ve known that every hour was a part of a dream
that I would find it. When I’ve been truly searching for my treasure, I’ve discovered things along
the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed
impossible for a shepherd to achieve.”

No one fails to suffer the consequences of everything under the sun –page 140, 4th paragraphs.
Then again when they met the opposing group of fighters, who wanted to kill them because they
felt they were spies, the alchemist gave them all the boys’ money and also told them that the boy
was an Alchemist and can turn into the wind.

I believe here the Alchemist wanted to challenge the boy to use the Authority God has given us
all human beings to be able to communicate with his heart and the elements of the world as God
said we can.

And the boy was able to succeed and also understand that just as alchemy is about changing
normal metal to Gold, so is our life time about evolving to be better.

Now the boy was remembered at two places for what he had done by God’s grace and power; at
the Oasis for being like a second Joseph and at this military camp for being a great ‘sorcerer’ as
the soldiers termed it.

They also were given escorts to help them across the desert. Finally, they arrived at the
monastery where the Alchemist talked with a monk to let them use their kitchen, there he made
Gold and shared it in four parts. He gave the monk one and he was thankful but also said it was
more than his kindness but the Alchemist told him that if he said such next time the universe
would give him something smaller. Then he gave on to the boy, he took one for himself and gave
one to the monk for the boy saying that there is a saying that goes; “ If you lose your money once
you might lose it again but if you lose it twice, you’ll lose it a third time.

So he left the boy to continue alone and went on his way. As the boy came nearer he asked his
heart how to know where to search for his treasure and his heart told him later on that the place
where his tear drops that there shall he find his treasure.

So he went on and from the dunes he saw the pyramids and came down his horse crying and
thanking God. And when he realized he was crying he started to dig there for his treasure but
then he found nothing. He went on and then suddenly saw shadows of people approaching him.
So when they reached him the beat him and took his gold, and beat him more because he
wouldn’t talk and when he finally talked and said he was looking for his treasure the men
laughed and one told him he had a similar dream of his treasure under a tree growing out of an
abandoned and dilapidated sacristy in a faraway land.

So as they left telling him he won’t die he was laughing, so he went back took his other gold
from the monk and traveled back to his home land to the dilapidated sacristy where he had the
dream of his treasure as a shepherd only now he was an experienced man. And digging under the
tree he saw his treasure, a box full of riches and he was happy, he also thought out loud that the
alchemist had known all along where his treasure was and so left him another portion of gold.
And then he went ahead to give one tenth of it to the seer woman who told him to go in search of
it and pay her one tenth of the treasure.
In life our treasure may be staring at us but there are thing we must learn before we attain it.