| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Alcibiades II by Platonic Imitator: ALCIBIADES: Certainly.
SOCRATES: And if you made many attempts, and each time failed to recognize
Pericles, you would never attack him?
ALCIBIADES: Never.
SOCRATES: Well, but if Orestes in like manner had not known his mother, do
you think that he would ever have laid hands upon her?
ALCIBIADES: No.
SOCRATES: He did not intend to slay the first woman he came across, nor
any one else's mother, but only his own?
ALCIBIADES: True.
SOCRATES: Ignorance, then, is better for those who are in such a frame of
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Records of a Family of Engineers by Robert Louis Stevenson: entrance-door of the lighthouse and the beacon. Dickson, on
reaching the cook-room, was surprised at not seeing his
companion, and inquired hastily for Henderson. Upon which the
cook replied, `Was he before you upon the rope-ladder?'
Dickson answered, `Yes; and I thought I heard something fall.'
Upon this the alarm was given, and links were immediately
lighted, with which the artificers descended on the legs of
the beacon, as near the surface of the water as possible, it
being then about full tide, and the sea breaking to a
considerable height upon the building, with the wind at S.S.E.
But, after watching till low-water, and searching in every
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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 The Koran: make those to hear who believe in our signs and who are resigned.
God it is who created you of weakness, then made for you after
weakness strength; then made for you after strength, weakness and grey
hairs: He creates what He pleases, for He is the knowing, the
powerful!
And on the day when the Hour shall rise, the sinners shall swear
that they have not tarried save an hour; thus were they wont to lie!
But those who are given knowledge and faith will say, 'We have
tarried according to the Book of God, until the day of
resurrection;' and this is the day of resurrection, but ye-ye do not
know.
The Koran |
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 Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker: direction, they walked on together.
Round the roadway between the entrances of Diana's Grove and Lesser
Hill were many trees, with not much foliage except at the top. In
the dusk this place was shadowy, and the view was hampered by the
clustering trunks. In the uncertain, tremulous light which fell
through the tree-tops, it was hard to distinguish anything clearly,
and at last, somehow, he lost sight of her altogether, and turned
back on his track to find her. Presently he came across her close
to her own gate. She was leaning over the paling of split oak
branches which formed the paling of the avenue. He could not see
the mongoose, so he asked her where it had gone.
Lair of the White Worm |
