| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: incapable of faith, frankness, or justice, and bringing about,
therefore, in due time, his own separate loss and punishment to each
person."
France and England literally, observe, buy PANIC of each other; they
pay, each of them, for ten thousand-thousand-pounds'-worth of
terror, a year. Now suppose, instead of buying these ten millions'
worth of panic annually, they made up their minds to be at peace
with each other, and buy ten millions' worth of knowledge annually;
and that each nation spent its ten thousand thousand pounds a year
in founding royal libraries, royal art galleries, royal museums,
royal gardens, and places of rest. Might it not be better somewhat
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: undeservedly; that was for that they were rebellious and had
transgressed.
Verily, whether it be of those who believe, or those who are Jews or
Christians or Sabaeans, whosoever believe in God and the last day
and act aright, they have their reward at their Lord's hand, and there
is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.
And when we took a covenant with you and held the mountain over you;
'Accept what we have brought you with strong will, and bear in mind
what is therein, haply ye yet may fear.'
Then did ye turn aside after this, and were it not for God's grace
towards you and His mercy, ye would have been of those who lose. Ye
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: 'O, Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth!'
And so I was, which plainly signified
That I should snarl and bite and play the dog.
Then, since the heavens have shap'd my body so,
Let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it.
I have no brother, I am like no brother,
And this word 'love,' which greybeards call divine,
Be resident in men like one another,
And not in me! I am myself alone.--
Clarence, beware! thou keep'st me from the light;
But I will sort a pitchy day for thee;
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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 Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: should attempt to take more than the sum by law decreed. If a
baker refused to sell his bread for a price which would have been
adequate only in a time of great plenty, his shop was to be
broken open, and his loaves distributed among the populace. The
consequences of this idiotic policy were twofold.
In the first place, the enforced lowness of prices prevented any
breadstuffs or other provisions from being brought into the city.
It was a long time before Farnese succeeded in so blockading the
Scheldt as to prevent ships laden with eatables from coming in
below. Corn and preserved meats might have been hurried by
thousands of tons into the beleaguered city. Friendly Dutch
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
