| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: Reuiue, looke vp, or I will die with thee:
Helpe, helpe, call helpe.
Enter Father.
Fa. For shame bring Iuliet forth, her Lord is come
Nur. Shee's dead: deceast, shee's dead: alacke the day
M. Alacke the day, shee's dead, shee's dead, shee's dead
Fa. Ha? Let me see her: out alas shee's cold,
Her blood is setled and her ioynts are stiffe:
Life and these lips haue long bene seperated:
Death lies on her like an vntimely frost
Vpon the swetest flower of all the field
Romeo and Juliet |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from United States Declaration of Independence: of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which
impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends,
it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute
new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing
its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect
United States Declaration of Independence |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: people's houses to look after the flowers. Mrs. Jordan had a
manner of her own of sounding this allusion; "the flowers," on her
lips, were, in fantastic places, in happy homes, as usual as the
coals or the daily papers. She took charge of them, at any rate,
in all the rooms, at so much a month, and people were quickly
finding out what it was to make over this strange burden of the
pampered to the widow of a clergyman. The widow, on her side,
dilating on the initiations thus opened up to her, had been
splendid to her young friend, over the way she was made free of the
greatest houses--the way, especially when she did the dinner-
tables, set out so often for twenty, she felt that a single step
|
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 Symposium by Xenophon: and head together, until he was fairly tired out, and threw himself
dead beat upon the sofa, gasping:
There, that's a proof that my jigs too are splendid exercise; at any
rate, I am dying of thirst; let the attendant kindly fill me the
mighty goblet.[45]
[45] Cf. Plat. "Symp." 223 C.
Quite right (said Callias), and we will pledge you. Our throats are
parched with laughing at you.
At this point Socrates: Nay, gentlemen, if drinking is the order of
the day, I heartily approve. Wine it is in very truth that moistens
the soul of man,[46] that lulls at once all cares to sleep, even as
The Symposium |
