| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: [20] B.C. 383 and 380; see "Hell." V. ii. 10; iii. 10.
[21] See "Hell." V. iii. 16.
Thus, when the adverse faction had put to death those of the
Lacedaemonians then in Thebes, he brought succour to his friends, and
marched upon Thebes.[22] Finding the entire country fenced with ditch
and palisading, he crossed Cynoscephalae[23] and ravaged the district
right up to the city itself, giving the Thebans an opportunity of
engaging him in the plain or upon the hills, as they preferred. And
once more, in the ensuing year,[24] he marched against Thebes, and now
surmounting these palisades and entrenchments at Scolus,[25] he
ravaged the remainder of Boeotia.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Manon Lescaut by Abbe Prevost: may be perhaps revived.'
"As I was about to turn away from him: `You refuse then to
follow me,' cried he, in a tone of excessive anger. `Go! go on
to your ruin. Adieu! ungrateful and disobedient boy.'
"`Adieu!' exclaimed I to him, in a burst of grief, `adieu,
cruel and unnatural father!'
"I left the Luxembourg, and rushed like a madman through the
streets to M. de T----'s house. I raised my hands and eyes as I
went along, invoking the Almighty Powers: `O Heaven,' cried I,
`will you not prove more merciful than man! The only hope that
remains to me is from above!'
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: stopped half way and fell to his side----" she ran out there an' the one
comin' from N'york knock right into her, goin' thirty or forty miles an
hour."
"What's the name of this place here?" demanded the officer.
"Hasn't got any name."
A pale well-dressed negro stepped near.
"It was a yellow car," he said, "big yellow car. New."
"See the accident?" asked the policeman.
"No, but the car passed me down the road, going faster'n forty. Going
fifty, sixty."
"Come here and let's have your name. Look out now. I want to get his
The Great Gatsby |
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 The Koran: praiseworthy.
If He please He will take you off, and will bring a fresh
creation; for that is no hard matter unto God.
And no burdened soul shall bear the burden of another; and if a
heavily laden one shall call for its load (to be carried) it shall not
be carried for it at all, even though it be a kinsman!-thou canst only
warn those who fear their Lord in the unseen and who are steadfast
in prayer; and he who is pure is only pure for himself; and unto God
the journey is.
The blind is not equal with him who sees, nor the darkness with
the night, nor the shade with the hot blast; nor are the living
The Koran |
