How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them. And since I am not wise, I have had to learn other arts, such as the reading of palms." (1.65)
So, apparently reading palms is easy, and the gypsy woman wasn't such a good student of other psychic powers and had to stick with the crystal ball approach. Her hint that the simplest things are also the most extraordinary shows us that even Santiago's straightforward dream is going to take a lot of doing before it comes true.
Quote #2
I can always go back to being a shepherd, the boy thought. I learned how to care for sheep, and I haven't forgotten how that's done. But maybe I'll never have another chance to get to the Pyramids in Egypt. (2.82)
Santiago has learned a super-important lesson here. Once you gain knowledge you never lose it. (Tell that to our high school German.) No seriously: the take-home here is that you should never stop learning. Even if things don't work out in a new project, you can fall back on the abilities you already learned flipping burgers or reading palms.
Quote #3
Who knows, maybe they had failed to discover the secret of the Master Work—the Philosopher's Stone—and for this reason kept their knowledge to themselves. (2.90)
Hmm. The Englishman is starting to suspect like the stingy, so-called wise men might not be all that wise. Pro tip: if someone claims to have some secret knowledge but isn't willing to show or share it, "secret" just might be code for "nonexistent."