| 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: that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will
not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every
man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
SA1 30:23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that
which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the
company that came against us into our hand.
SA1 30:24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part
is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by
the stuff: they shall part alike.
SA1 30:25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a
statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: however different they may be in structure. If we extend the use of this
element of descent,--the only certainly known cause of similarity in
organic beings,--we shall understand what is meant by the natural system:
it is genealogical in its attempted arrangement, with the grades of
acquired difference marked by the terms varieties, species, genera,
families, orders, and classes.
On this same view of descent with modification, all the great facts in
Morphology become intelligible,--whether we look to the same pattern
displayed in the homologous organs, to whatever purpose applied, of the
different species of a class; or to the homologous parts constructed on the
same pattern in each individual animal and plant.
On the Origin of Species |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: door decided him and he sank with trembling knees behind the
nearest armchair, just as Zoie made a flying leap into the bed
and prepared to draw the cover over her head.
The knock was repeated and Aggie signalled to Zoie to answer it.
"Come in!" called Zoie very faintly.
CHAPTER XIX
From his hiding-place Jimmy peeped around the edge of the
armchair and saw what seemed to be a large clothes basket
entering the room. Closer inspection revealed the small figure
of Maggie, the washerwoman's daughter, propelling the basket,
which was piled high with freshly laundered clothing. Jimmy drew
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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 Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: of even the sincerest religion, which is not daily founded on
rational, effective, humble, and helpful action. Helpful action,
observe! for there is just one law, which, obeyed, keeps all
religions pure--forgotten, makes them all false. Whenever in any
religious faith, dark or bright, we allow our minds to dwell upon
the points in which we differ from other people, we are wrong, and
in the devil's power. That is the essence of the Pharisee's
thanksgiving--"Lord, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are."
At every moment of our lives we should be trying to find out, not in
what we differ from other people, but in what we agree with them;
and the moment we find we can agree as to anything that should be
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