"A new self-consciousness had opened up inside me, or perhaps I should say the consciousness of a new self; this self had everything I wanted, and I began comparing myself to her constantly, often to my own detriment. It took many years for me to recognise that this self was more than a product of my imagination. Sometimes it felt like a future self, and sometimes like an ideal self that I had left behind, but in truth it was omnipresent. It permeated everything, including my present self, and it never left. And however far it felt at times, perhaps in some unreachable parallel universe… it was always only one decision away."
When I found out Eva was writing a book settled on a Mediterranean island during summer, I thought I couldn't be more excited. I was wrong. This book not only is a beautiful novel, but it's also an insight into the law of attraction. It shows us how to be mindful, connect with our most powerful self, and reach our dreams. Lately, I've been really intrigued by the concept of the law of attraction and everything that has to do with positive thinking and affirmations, so Alemmia was perhaps a manifestation of my desires. I took so many notes I spent hours choosing which quotes to share with you.
"I let out a shriek of pure rage, such as only angry
little girls and banshees can produce."
My love for Alemmia was a slow burn. For some reason, I had pictured the main character to be an adult or at least a teenager, so when I realised the whole book was from the point of view of a little girl I was a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I love children's books, it just wasn't what I was expecting. And in fact, this isn't a children's book at all, as I found out.
In the beginning, Lucy is obnoxious as only spoiled little girls can be, and while reading, I couldn't fail to compare Lucy with my daughter. She's much younger, but we've had our share of tantrums during the last year and a half and getting to read a character, who's behaviour reflected those undesirable moments every parent gets to share with their children, felt a bit like I was caged. The book wouldn't let me relax and forget myself for a moment. The most fascinating thing, however, was how Lucy's behaviour was, to the extreme, similar to mine too. As adults, we hide our emotions a lot more, but deep down, we feel the same way as children's do: powerless. That's when the book performs its magic.
‘How do you know you aren’t in a story?’ asked Poly. I didn’t have an answer to this stupendous question then, and I do not have one now.
The story follows Lucy on her quest to the accomplishment of her desires, and we learn along the way. I love when stories can transport you to magical places and at the same time prompt you to reflect on yourself and the inner workings of life. On her journey, Lucy meets many wonderful people, and I have grown fond of them all, but the heart of the book was the Island itself: Alemmia.
"The temple library had no librarian. People borrowed and returned books at will, yet the shelves were always full, and although you might not always find the book you were looking for, you always found the book you needed."
I've been reading Eva's blog for quite some time, and I admire her style, so lyrical and old fashioned. Alemmia was the perfect summer read, it felt like being on the Island myself, living among the scent of the roses and listening to the music of cicadas, gazing at the horizon at dusk, trying to discern where the sea meets the sky. Some passages were so evocative I couldn't help but feel a quiet contentment growing up inside me.
‘What’s that?’
‘I don’t know. It says, ME.’ I unscrewed the lid. Inside were little pieces of folded paper, nestled into a bed of tinsel scraps, which had caught my eye by their sparkle.
While delving into a lot of topics (that you can elaborate on the free Alemmia Companion Workbook), the concept that I found most fascinating and nostalgic was that of the wish jar. I think all of us as kids did something similar, for me it was a wish box. Reading about it raised an urge in me to create a new one, this time a little bit fancier. The concept is simple, you probably already have all you need at home. Find a jar or any other type of container and write your name on it. You can decorate it however you want, glitter, dried petals, dandelion seeds, and crystals are my favourites, but you can also leave it plain. On some strips of paper, write your wishes in present tense, using the active voice. Close your eyes and feel the wish as if it just came true. Then fold the paper and place it in your jar, once you're done put the jar somewhere where you'll forget about it.
‘Sometimes the thing we want is right before our eyes but we can’t see it.’
‘Then how do we find it?’ I asked.
‘Simple. We stop looking for it.’
Till next Sunday, have a lovely week!
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