| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: beg off from thee, and those whose hearts are in doubt, and in their
doubt do hesitate.
Had they wished to go forth, they would have prepared for it a
preparation; but God was averse from their starting off, and made them
halt, and they were told to sit with those who sit. Had they gone
forth with you they would but have made you more trouble, and they
would have hurried about amongst you craving a sedition; amongst you
are some who would have listened to them; but God knows those who
are unjust! They used to crave sedition before and upset thy
affairs; until the truth came, and God's bidding was made manifest,
averse although they were.
The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sanitary and Social Lectures by Charles Kingsley: merest rudiments of Christianity, the merest rudiments of popular
instruction, are enough, provided they be given by lips which
speak as if they believed what they said, and with a look which
shows real love for the pupil. Manner is everything--matter a
secondary consideration; for in matter, brain only speaks to
brain; in manner, soul speaks to soul. If you want Christ's lost-
lambs really to believe that He died for them, you will do it
better by one little act of interest and affection, than by making
them learn by heart whole commentaries--even as Miss Nightingale
has preached Christ crucified to those poor soldiers by acts of
plain outward drudgery, more livingly, and really, and
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Falk by Joseph Conrad: great howl,--and then we held our breaths. It was
a near thing. But Falk had her! He had her in
his clutch. I fancied I could hear the steel hawser
ping as it surged across the Diana's forecastle, with
the hands on board of her bolting away from it in
all directions. It was a near thing. Hermann, with
his hair rumpled, in a snuffy flannel shirt and a pair
of mustard-coloured trousers, had rushed to help
with the wheel. I saw his terrified round face; I
saw his very teeth uncovered by a sort of ghastly
fixed grin; and in a great leaping tumult of water
Falk |
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 Georgics by Virgil: About their shoulders dash the plenteous spray,
Now duck their head beneath the wave, now run
Into the billows, for sheer idle joy
Of their mad bathing-revel. Then the crow
With full voice, good-for-naught, inviting rain,
Stalks on the dry sand mateless and alone.
Nor e'en the maids, that card their nightly task,
Know not the storm-sign, when in blazing crock
They see the lamp-oil sputtering with a growth
Of mouldy snuff-clots.
So too, after rain,
Georgics |
