The Witch of Portobello

by Paulo Coelho

If there is any possible consolation in the tragedy of losing someone we love very much, it’s the necessary hope that perhaps it was for the best.

But, then, how many of us will be saved the pain of seeing the most important things in our lives disappearing from one moment to the next? I don’t just mean people, but our ideas and dreams too: we might survive a day, a week, a few years, but we’re all condemned to lose.

Our time on this earth is sacred, and we should celebrate every moment.

when fate is very generous with us, there is always a well into which all our dreams can tumble.

Jesus might have replied: “My child, I’ve been excluded too. It’s a very long time since they’ve allowed me in there.”

when mouths close, it’s because there’s something important to be said.

I’ve noticed that loneliness gets stronger when we try to face it down but gets weaker when we simply ignore it.”

but the fact is that we carry the past with us as if it has all just happened.

“We don’t possess the earth, the earth possesses us.

My temple is the park, the sky, the water in the lake, and the stream that feeds it.

I’m content to collate all the data and analyze this confrontation between the freedom to worship and the duty to obey, between the God who controls the world and the Goddess who is part of the world, between people who join together in groups where celebration is a spontaneous affair and those who close ranks and learn only what they should and should not do.

Try to feel good about yourself even when you feel like the least worthy of creatures. Reject all those negative thoughts and let the Mother take possession of your body and soul; surrender yourself to dance or to silence or to ordinary, everyday activities—like taking your son to school, preparing supper, making sure the house is tidy. Everything is worship if your mind is focused on the present moment.

Reprogram yourself every minute of each day with thoughts that make you grow. When you’re feeling irritated or confused, try to laugh at yourself. Laugh out loud at this woman tormented by doubts and anxieties, convinced that her problems are the most important thing in the world. Laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation, at the fact that despite being a manifestation of the Mother, you still believe God is a man who lays down the rules. Most of our problems stem from just that—from following rules.

If you can find nothing on which to focus your mind, concentrate on your breathing. The Mother’s river of light is flowing in through your nose. Listen to your heart beating, follow the thoughts you can’t control, control your desire to get up at once and to do something “useful.” Sit for a few minutes each day doing nothing, getting as much as you can out of that time.

Convince yourself that they’re right, because we all know everything, it’s merely a question of believing.

Changes only happen when we go totally against everything we’re used to doing.”

At such moments, we can see not only the physical body but people’s emotions too. They say cats have this same power, and I believe them.

‘Please, God, my Mother, don’t give up until I’ve taken on the shape that you wish for me. Do this by whatever means you think best, for as long as you like, but never ever throw me on the scrap heap of souls.’”

“Love is not a habit, a commitment, or a debt. It isn’t what romantic songs tell us it is—love simply is.

A witch was a person who never complied with the established rules, and always tried to dare and to go beyond and to celebrate life, and to love and to have joy and pleasure while doing this.