| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: "But you remember what you wrote to me? I thought it
would be requisite that she--"
He whispered the rest into the doctor's ear.
"Not at all, not at all. That is nonsense. I assure
you. Indeed, it is better as it is; I am quite certain of
that."
"Consider the matter well, Raymond. It's a great
responsibility. Something might go wrong; you would be a
miserable man for the rest of your days."
"No, I think not, even if the worst happened. As you
know, I rescued Mary from the gutter, and from almost certain
The Great God Pan |
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 Pagan and Christian Creeds by Edward Carpenter: for instance, of Abraham sacrificing the ram, or of the
Siberian angakout slaughtering a totem-bear, or of a modern
and pious Christian contemplating the Saviour on the Cross
are really almost exactly the same. I mention this because
in tracing the origins or the evolution of religions it is
important to distinguish clearly what is essential and
universal from that which is merely local and temporary.
Some people, no doubt, would be shocked at the comparisons
just made; but surely it is much more inspiriting and
encouraging to think that whatever progress HAS been
made in the religious outlook of the world has come about
Pagan and Christian Creeds |
