| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: would not let any one old or young sit along with them, and
Antinous, son of Eupeithes, spoke first.
"Good heavens," said he, "see how the gods have saved this man
from destruction. We kept a succession of scouts upon the
headlands all day long, and when the sun was down we never went
on shore to sleep, but waited in the ship all night till morning
in the hope of capturing and killing him; but some god has
conveyed him home in spite of us. Let us consider how we can
make an end of him. He must not escape us; our affair is never
likely to come off while is alive, for he is very shrewd, and
public feeling is by no means all on our side. We must make
 The Odyssey |
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 Mansion by Henry van Dyke: for if he was dreaming, then it was all a dream; but if his
companions
were real, then he also was with them in reality, and if they had
died
then he must have died too. Yet he could not rid his mind of
the sense that there was a difference between them and him,
and it made him afraid to go on. But, as he paused and turned,
the Keeper of the Gate looked straight and deep into his eyes,
and beckoned to him. Then he knew that it was not only right but
necessary that he should enter.
They passed from street to street among fair and spacious
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