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This stage is marked by a point in someone's life when they are warned about their life and that everything they know will change.

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In The Alchemist, Santiago is given signs that things will change. He starts having recurring dreams, ones where he is taken to the Egyptian pyramids.

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The text says, "Then, at the Egyptian pyramids,"--he said the last three words slowly, so that the old woman would understand--"the child said to me, 'If you come here, you will find a hidden treasure.' And, just as she was about to show me the exact location, I woke up. Both times." (16)

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When the hero is given their "call", they refuse it at first. They ignore it for multiple reasons, like fear or responsibility.

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Santiago refuses to go to the Pyramids without a reason. Even after he gets his dream read, he will not budge. Later, a king appears and tells him to give ⅓ of the sheep in exchange for information about his Personal Legend.

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"'Treasure is uncovered by the force of flowing water, and it is buried by the same currents,' said the old man. 'If you want to learn about your own treasure, you will have to give me one-tenth of your flock.'" (27)

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The hero's adventure begins. They travel into the unknown to find what has been luring them in. The threshold is the place in between two worlds—the one they are familiar with and the one they are not.

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The journey truly begins when the king tells Santiago to follow his dream and chase after his Personal Legend. He also tells him a few short important lessons and gives him two special stones, Urim and Thummim.

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"'They are called Urim and Thummim. The black signifies 'yes,' and the white 'no.' When you are unable to read the omens, they will help you to do so.' ... 'Don't forget that everything you deal with is only one thing and nothing else. And don't forget the language of omens. And, above all, don't forget to follow your Personal Legend through to its conclusion.'" (33)

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This is the hero's assistance in a physical form. The mentor can teach the hero but also awaken a power within them. The mentor does not stay for long in the story.

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There were a few mentor figures in The Alchemist. The king pushed Santiago to follow his dreams, the crystal merchant was a friend and well-written foil character, the Englishman confirmed his feelings about his Personal Legend, and the alchemist gave him advice and led him to his treasure.

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"'You must always know what it is that you want,' the old king has said. The boy knew, and was now working toward it. Maybe it was his treasure to have wound up in that strange land, met up with a thief, and doubled the size of his flock without spending a cent." (58)

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These are the series of tasks and obstacles the hero must face before getting to their "treasure". Sometimes the trials are failed, but it helps the hero grow.

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Santiago struggles through nearly infinite obstacles to get to his treasure. First, when he leaves to cross the Strait of Gibraltar, he gets robbed by a man who Santiago thought was his friend. As he goes through the desert, he has to face tribal wars in order to get to Egypt. Later, the alchemist gives all of Santiago's savings to one of the tribal chiefs to save their lives. The boy has to learn how to turn himself into the wind. When he reaches the pyramids and starts digging, he doesn't find the treasure. He then gets robbed and beat up by thieves.

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"'You gave them everything I had!' the boy said. 'Everything I've saved in my entire life!' 'Well, what good would it be to you if you had to die?' the alchemist answered. 'Your money saved us for three days. It's not often that money saves a person's life.' But the boy was too frightened to listen to words of wisdom. He had no idea how he was going to transform himself into the wind. He wasn't an alchemist!" (145-146)

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This unconditional love or temptress is yet another obstacle. During this stage, there is someone or something that gets in the way of the hero's desires for victory. This something makes the hero want to abandon their quest.

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The person who held Santiago's unconditional love was Fatima. She is a woman of the desert, who he meets and doesn’t want to leave. Santiago promises to return to her, and at one point, he wants to pause his journey to stay with her.

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"'I want to stay at the oasis,' the boy answered. 'I've found Fatima, and, as far as I'm concerned, she's worth more than treasure.' 'Fatima is a woman of the desert,' said the alchemist. 'She knows that men have to go away in order to return. And she already has her treasure: it's you. Now she expects that you will find what it is you're looking for.'" (122-123)

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This is the reward the hero gets at the end. All those hindrances and difficulties have led to this specific moment, where everything fits together like a puzzle piece.

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The chest back in Spain that Santiago finds at the end of the book is his reward. His Personal Legend is also what he was looking to achieve, and therefore is the ultimate boon.

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"The boy smiled, and continued digging. Half an hour later, his shovel hit something solid. An hour later, he had before him a chest of Spanish gold coins. There were also precious tones, gold masks adorned with red and white feathers, and stone statues embedded with jewels." (170)

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When the hero has gone through so much, they may not want to return. Their home seems so different now and they feel as if it may not be the right choice to head back.

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Back in the desert, Santiago refuses to move onward to his journey or go home because he wants to stay with Fatima. It is a hard decision for him to continue.

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"It was difficult not to think about what he had left behind. The desert, with its endless monotony, put him to dreaming. The boy could still see the palm trees, the wells, and the face of the woman he loved." (128)

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This stage is where the hero is given a push to go home. These "rescuers" will help them if they are injured or don't realize it is time to return.

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In this story, the one who rescues him is the alchemist. He gives Santiago multiple pieces of advice and saves his life. The alchemist also pushes Santiago to follow his dream and continue on to the Pyramids without him.

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"The alchemist sounded angry: 'Trust in your heart, but never forget that you're in the desert. When men are at war with one another, the Soul of the World can hear the screams of battle. No one fails to suffer the consequences of everything under the sun.'" (140)

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Crossing Back/Return/Master of Two Worlds

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Crossing Back/Return/Master of Two Worlds

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Towards the end, the hero must use their wisdom to master the two worlds. The return is usually difficult because the hero has a hard time resettling.

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Santiago doesn't really struggle with switching between two worlds. He returns with ease because he wants to share his knowledge with the world. Since the beginning of the story, Santiago has grown as a person and is now prepared to go back to his love.

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"The wind began to blow again. It was the levanter, the wind that came from Africa. It didn't bring with it the smell of the desert, nor the threat of Moorish invasion. Instead, it brought the scent of a perfume he knew well, and the touch of a kiss—a kiss that came from far away, slowly, slowly, until it rested on his lips. The boy smiled. It was the first time she had done that. 'I'm coming, Fatima,' he said." (171)