| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: stupefied, and noticing nothing around him went on moving his legs
as the others did till they all stopped and he stopped too. The only
thought in his mind at that time was: who was it that had really
sentenced him to death? Not the men on the commission that had first
examined him- not one of them wished to or, evidently, could have done
it. It was not Davout, who had looked at him in so human a way. In
another moment Davout would have realized that he was doing wrong, but
just then the adjutant had come in and interrupted him. The
adjutant, also, had evidently had no evil intent though he might
have refrained from coming in. Then who was executing him, killing
him, depriving him of life- him, Pierre, with all his memories,
War and Peace |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King James Bible: thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
KI1 8:36 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants,
and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they
should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy
people for an inheritance.
KI1 8:37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence,
blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy
besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever
sickness there be;
KI1 8:38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by
all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own
King James Bible |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Voyage to Abyssinia by Father Lobo: Let us suppose an inhabitant of some remote and superior region, yet
unskilled in the ways of men, having read and considered the
precepts of the gospel, and the example of our Saviour, to come down
in search of the true church: if he would not inquire after it
among the cruel, the insolent, and the oppressive; among those who
are continually grasping at dominion over souls as well as bodies;
among those who are employed in procuring to themselves impunity for
the most enormous villainies, and studying methods of destroying
their fellow-creatures, not for their crimes but their errors; if he
would not expect to meet benevolence, engage in massacres, or to
find mercy in a court of inquisition, he would not look for the true
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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 The Sportsman by Xenophon: way or overdone with fatigue, it were well not to come too close the
quarry, should it chance to be a stag, or he will lunge out with his
antlers and his feet; better therefore let fly your javelins from a
distance.
These animals may also be captured without aid of gin or caltrop, by
sheer coursing in hot summer time; they get so tired, they will stand
still to be shot down. If hard pressed they will plunge into the sea
or take to water of any sort in their perplexity, and at times will
drop down from sheer want of breath.[36]
[36] "From mere shortness of breath."
X
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