| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: and has not only entered into my ears, but filled my soul, and my intention
is to yield to the inspiration to-day; and to-morrow I will be exorcised by
some priest or sophist. 'Go on; I am anxious to hear the rest.' Now that
we have a general notion, how shall we proceed? What names will afford the
most crucial test of natural fitness? Those of heroes and ordinary men are
often deceptive, because they are patronymics or expressions of a wish; let
us try gods and demi-gods. Gods are so called, apo tou thein, from the
verb 'to run;' because the sun, moon, and stars run about the heaven; and
they being the original gods of the Hellenes, as they still are of the
Barbarians, their name is given to all Gods. The demons are the golden
race of Hesiod, and by golden he means not literally golden, but good; and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: turn their backs in aversion. We know best for what they listen when
they listen to thee; and when they whisper apart- when the wrong-doers
say, 'Ye only follow a man enchanted.'
Behold, how they strike out for you parables, and err, and cannot
find the way!
They say, 'What! when we have become bones and rubbish are we to
be raised up a new creature?' Say, 'Be ye stones, or iron, or a
creature, the greatest your breasts can conceive-!' Then they shall
say, 'Who is to restore us?' Say, 'He who originated you at first;'
and they will wag their heads and say, 'When will that be? Say, 'It
may, perhaps, be nigh.'
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Mucker by Edgar Rice Burroughs: more. And still they staggered on, footsore and weary. Mallory
suffered excruciating agony from his wound. There were times
when it seemed that it would be impossible for him to continue
another yard; but then the thought that Barbara Harding
was somewhere ahead of them, and that in a short time now
they must be with her once more kept him doggedly at his
painful task.
They had reached the river and were following slowly down
its bank. The moon, full and gorgeous, flooded the landscape
with silvery light.
"Look!" exclaimed Mallory. "The island!"
The Mucker |
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 Fisherman's Luck by Henry van Dyke: a smoke yet.
Then gather a good supply of stuff which seems likely to suppress
fire without smothering it. Moss of a certain kind will do, but not
the soft, feathery moss that grows so deep among the spruce-trees.
Half-decayed wood is good; spongy, moist, unpleasant stuff, a
vegetable wet blanket. The bark of dead evergreen trees, hemlock,
spruce, or balsam, is better still. Gather a plentiful store of it.
But don’t try to make a smoke yet.
Let your fire burn a while longer; cheer it up a little. Get some
clear, resolute, unquenchable coals aglow in the heart of it. Don’t
try to make a smoke yet.
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