Male knowledge joins with female transformation, . Review on Brida - Paulo Coelho

*OK. Seldom do I need to finish reading a book, write areview, and return it to the library before midnight. This is going tobe an interesting experience. Usually after I arrive at the last pageof a book, I would revisit all the pages I noted that are pivoting tothe development of the story for completeness’s sake. Speed bloggingat its best without compromise!

It is interesting that only in year 2008 the English translation of“Brida” is published. The original version(written in Portuguese Ipresume) was published in 1990 sandwiched between Paulo Coelho’s twoclassics “The Alchemist”(1988) and “The Valkyries”(1991). “Brida”lacks the inspirational impact these two classics have and it alsolacks an engaging storyline as compares to some of his recent works, inmy opinion.

His recent work “The Witch Of Portobello”(2006)paints the journey of the witch Athena loosely based upon Jung’s fourstages of individual progression: Persona, Shadow, Soul, and Wise OldMan or Great Mother. As for “Brida”, the author takes a deeper lookinto witchcraft - the four ways a woman can communicate with theUniverse through reincarnation: the virgin, the saint, the martyr, andthe witch.

To bridge the visible and the invisible is magic. And how do somemanage to get there? According to the book, there are two traditions:the Sun(for wizards) and the Moon(for witches). Strange concept, isn’t it? There are more to it. Paulo Coelho links the nine giftsthat these two traditions took care with St. Paul’s first epistle tothe Corinthians. For those who are familiar with the Bible, these ninegifts should not be foreign to you: the word of wisdom, the word ofknowledge, faith, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, thediscerning of the spirits, speaking in tongues, and the interpretationof tongues.

The book has some strange linkages to the Virgin Mary, Jesus, andthe Catholics. You may know that at one point in time, witches wereburned by the Christians. In fact, the rituals - described by the author in a separate warning note as the practices of the Tradition ofthe Moon for centuries - are somewhat related to the hardship that thewitchcraft has lived through. From within the story, Catharism(a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements) ismentioned and because there is a linkage to historical events, it makesme wonder how much is factual. Perhaps, some people do able to alter their state of consciousnessand observe auras. Looking at today’s world, there are people whoclaim to be able to do that. There are even machines that can takepictures of our auras.

Bizarre surreal tradition of witchcraft and to some extend wizardryaside, “Brida” is loaded with fragmented inspirational messages. Checkthis out. How many of are you(like me) constantly trying to find aright path in life - be it as love, career, or anything in general? Sometimes we set off down a path because we don’t believe in it. Andit is so easy to prove that it isn’t the right one. But when thingsstart to happen and the path does reveal itself to us, what do we do? We become afraid of carrying on. So true. And why do we experiencedisappointment, defeat, and despair at times? Well, according to theauthor, they are the tools God uses to show us the way and to encourageus to have the courage to make mistakes, to risk failure anddisillusion, and basically prompting us to keep searching, keep looking.

Some of the concepts - though are not new to me - do make me stopand think. If I want to find out about something, what shall I do? Plunge straight in! I know it is so obvious but more often than not, Iavoid taking the plunge and instead, procrastinate just for anotherday, and another. How about doubts that I have, doubts that getconstantly generated off my head? Maybe I doubt if I am good enough todo this or that. Maybe I doubt if this or that will happen. Accordingto the author, the moment we stop doubting is the moment we stop movingforward. And I often think that - in contrary to the book - changingon the outside is easier than changing on the inside. Come to think ofit, I don’t think the way I am perceived externally have changed muchover the years(still the shirt and tie at work and blue jeans afterall). But I have changed the way I perceive the world and the peoplearound me from within much over the same period. My favorite message? Finding one important thing in life doesn’t mean that I have to give upall the other important things.

So true.

Go back to “Brida”, the book has devoted much of its content in the sexual union between a man and a woman. In its own words, “when male knowledge joins with female transformation, then the real magical unionis created, and its name is Wisdom”. For the conservative minds, the idea of experiencing communion with God by opening all the five sensesduring sexual union could be hard to accept. To that end, instead ofhearing my interpretation, here is an excerpt.

“Because anyone who comes into contact with sex knowsthat they’re dealing with something which only happens in all itsintensity when they lose control. When we’re in bed with someone, we’re giving permission to that person not only to commune with ourbody, but with our whole being. The pure forces of life are incommunication with each other, independently of us, and then we cannothide who we are.” - Paulo Coelho, Brida, 128.

So, is “Brida” a must-read? I think if you are new to Paulo Coelho, you may wish to start with some of his other classics. For the fans, Iguess we just have to read it right? I am not sure why Cynthia loves“Brida” better than “The Witch Of Portobello” …

Wait, “Brida” is also a book about a love so strong but yet cannot be possessed. Could it be …

To end this entry, let me share with you two memorable quotes from the book.

Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong … even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

And by an English poet William Blake.

What is now proved was once only imagin’d.*