| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: use all the blessings which God gives no farther than as a shoemaker
uses his needle, awl, and thread for work, and then lays them aside, or
as a traveler uses an inn, and food, and his bed only for temporal
necessity, each one in his station, according to God's order, and
without allowing any of these things to be our food or idol. Let this
suffice with respect to the First Commandment, which we have had to
explain at length, since it is of chief importance, because, as before
said, where the heart is rightly disposed toward God and this
commandment is observed, all the others follow.
The Second Commandment.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: Denver stood up with a shrug. "Look here, man--what's wrong with
you? Make a clean breast of it! Nerves gone to smash? I'd like
to take you to see a chap I know--an ex-prize-fighter--who's a
wonder at pulling fellows in your state out of their hole--"
"Oh, oh--" Granice broke in. He stood up also, and the two men
eyed each other. "You don't believe me, then?"
"This yarn--how can I? There wasn't a flaw in your alibi."
"But haven't I filled it full of them now?"
Denver shook his head. "I might think so if I hadn't happened to
know that you WANTED to. There's the hitch, don't you see?"
Granice groaned. "No, I didn't. You mean my wanting to be found
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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 Pool in the Desert by Sara Jeanette Duncan: there in this?'
The coolie folded his naked arms, and dug in the dust with an
unconcerned toe.
'I, what can I do?' he said, 'It is the order of the memsahib.'
Ram Singh grunted and said no more. A rickshaw was coming down from
the Mall, and the memsahib was in it.
Ten minutes later the ponies stood in their traces under the iron
bar, and the lady sat in the tonga behind Ram Singh. Her runners,
in uniform, waited beside the empty rickshaw with a puzzled look, at
which she laughed, and threw a rupee to the head man.
The luggage was piled and corded on three ekkas behind, and their
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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 Camille by Alexandre Dumas: as Marguerite, and went on to my father's; his first glance
seemed to study me attentively. He held out his hand.
"Your two visits have given me pleasure, Armand," he said; "they
make me hope that you have thought over things on your side as I
have on mine."
"May I ask you, father, what was the result of your reflection?"
"The result, my dear boy, is that I have exaggerated the
importance of the reports that had been made to me, and that I
have made up my mind to be less severe with you."
"What are you saying, father?" I cried joyously.
"I say, my dear child, that every young man must have his
Camille |
