| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King James Bible: faithfulness in destruction?
PSA 88:12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness
in the land of forgetfulness?
PSA 88:13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall
my prayer prevent thee.
PSA 88:14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face
from me?
PSA 88:15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I
suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
PSA 88:16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
PSA 88:17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: signs are lies? verily, the sinners shall not prosper.
They worship beside God what can neither harm them nor profit
them, and they say, 'These are our intercessors with God!' Say,
'Will ye inform God of aught in the heavens or the earth, that He
knows not of?' Celebrated be His praise! and exalted be He, above what
they associate with Him!
People were but one nation once, then they disagreed; and had it not
been for thy Lord's word already passed, there would have been decided
between them that concerning which they disagreed.
They say, 'Why is not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord?' Say,
'The unseen is only God's; but wait ye for a while, verily, I with you
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: might have told us, I think, why Falleix went off in such a hurry. But
let's invent my little speech. This is what I thought of: 'Madame, if
you would say a word to his Excellency--'"
"'If you would deign,'" said Gaudron; "add the word 'deign,' it is
more respectful. But you ought to know, first of all, whether Madame
la Dauphine will grant you her protection, and then you could suggest
to Madame la comtesse the idea of co-operating with the wishes of her
Royal Highness."
"You ought to designate the vacant post," said Baudoyer.
"'Madame la comtesse,'" began Saillard, rising, and bowing to his
wife, with an agreeable smile.
|
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Half an hour later Kutuzov left for Tatarinova, and Bennigsen and
his suite, with Pierre among them, set out on their ride along the
line.
CHAPTER XXIII
From Gorki, Bennigsen descended the highroad to the bridge which,
when they had looked it from the hill, the officer had pointed out
as being the center of our position and where rows of fragrant
new-mown hay lay by the riverside. They rode across that bridge into
the village of Borodino and thence turned to the left, passing an
enormous number of troops and guns, and came to a high knoll where
militiamen were digging. This was the redoubt, as yet unnamed, which
War and Peace |
