the alchemist's language

"The Alchemist," by Paulo Coelho, is the story of a young Andalusian sheppard who sets out on a journey to interpret his dreams of finding a treasure beneath the pyramids of Egypt. On the way to fulfilling this Personal Legend he is guided across the Sahara Desert by mystical characters and persistant omens that point out that the treasure may not be material at all. Reading like a fable from the Arabian NIghts, this somewhat simple tale is a brilliantly written carrier for several alchemical themes of self-transformation through reality's interpretations. Most of the characters operate under the assumption that all things are one thing and are thus expression and representations of it. Through intuition and a keen attention one is able to learn the Language of the World, which is an intimate knowlege of and communication with all things as aspects of the Soul of the World. I imagine it as a language of magical 'true names,' but also a recognition that all names are essentialy reflections of one name which is god or existence (or not. the tao that can be named is not the tao...) The alchemist's task then is to learn to recognize themselves as avatars of this metaconsciouss interpretation, and capable of whatever they want (assuming of course that's what existence wants too since everything is one thing). I'm fond of this interpretation of alchemy myself, and was glad Coelho suggested that its symbols and metalurgic processes are really just metchorical for the transmogrification of self into everything (though not in these words). I also found this passage discussing the emerald tablet particularly suggestive:
"Perhaps if you were in a laboratory of alchemy, this would be the right time to study the best way to understand the Emerald Tablet. But you are in the desert. So immerse yourself in it. The dessert will give you an understanding of the world; in fact, anything on the face of the earth will do that. You don't even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation."
"How do I immerse myself in the desert?"
"Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there."