| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: to obtain some security; and you save your bile.' She wouldn't listen,
but go she would, and asked me to support her; so I went. 'Madame is
not at home.'--'Up to that! we'll wait,' said Madame Mahuchet, 'if we
have to stay all night,'--and down we camped in the antechamber.
Presently the doors began to open and shut, and feet and voices came
along. I felt badly. The guests were arriving for dinner. You can see
the appearance it had. The countess sent her maid to coax Madame
Mahuchet: 'Pay you to-morrow!' in short, all the snares! Nothing took.
The countess, dressed to the nines, went to the dining-room. Mahuchet
heard her and opened the door. Gracious! when she saw that table
sparkling with silver, the covers to the dishes and the chandeliers
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: destroyed, which is improved by justice and depraved by injustice? Do we
suppose that principle, whatever it may be in man, which has to do with
justice and injustice, to be inferior to the body?
CRITO: Certainly not.
SOCRATES: More honourable than the body?
CRITO: Far more.
SOCRATES: Then, my friend, we must not regard what the many say of us:
but what he, the one man who has understanding of just and unjust, will
say, and what the truth will say. And therefore you begin in error when
you advise that we should regard the opinion of the many about just and
unjust, good and evil, honorable and dishonorable.--'Well,' some one will
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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 King James Bible: nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any
stranger that is among the children of Israel.
EZE 44:10 And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel
went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they
shall even bear their iniquity.
EZE 44:11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at
the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay
the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall
stand before them to minister unto them.
EZE 44:12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and
caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I
King James Bible |
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 Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: despatched by Nels, returned and said an officer would come at
once. Madeline's attention was centered in the foreground, upon
the guard over the road, upon the dry, dusty town beyond; but she
was aware of noise and people in the rear. A cavalry officer
approached the car, stared, and removed his sombrero.
"Can you tell me anything about Stewart, the American cowboy who
was captured by rebels a few days ago?" asked Madeline.
"Yes," replied the officer. "There was a skirmish over the line
between a company of Federals and a large force of guerrillas and
rebels. The Federals were driven west along the line. Stewart
is reported to have done reckless fighting and was captured. He
The Light of Western Stars |
