| 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: ourselves a particular place, and give a name to the house according to
the assembly.
Thus the word Kirche (church) means really nothing else than a common
assembly and is not German by idiom, but Greek (as is also the word
ecclesia); for in their own language they call it kyria, as in Latin it
is called curia. Therefore in genuine German, in our mother-tongue, it
ought to be called a Christian congregation or assembly (eine
christliche Gemeinde oder Sammlung), or, best of all and most clearly,
holy Christendom (eine heilige Christenheit).
So also the word communio, which is added, ought not to be rendered
communion (Gemeinschaft), but congregation (Gemeinde). And it is
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Ruling Passion by Henry van Dyke: deserts.
"And to these Four Rules I will add yet another--Fifth: when you
smoke your pipe with a good conscience, trouble not yourself because
there are men in the world who will find fault with you for so
doing. If you wait for a pleasure at which no sour-complexioned
soul hath ever girded, you will wait long, and go through life with
a sad and anxious mind. But I think that God is best pleased with
us when we give little heed to scoffers, and enjoy His gifts with
thankfulness and an easy heart.
"Well, Scholar, I have almost tired myself, and, I fear, more than
almost tired you. But this pipe is nearly burned out, and the few
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Daisy Miller by Henry James: "And what is the evidence you have offered?" asked Winterbourne,
rather annoyed at Miss Miller's want of appreciation of the zeal of
an admirer who on his way down to Rome had stopped neither at Bologna
nor at Florence, simply because of a certain sentimental impatience.
He remembered that a cynical compatriot had once told him that
American women--the pretty ones, and this gave a largeness to the axiom--
were at once the most exacting in the world and the least endowed
with a sense of indebtedness.
"Why, you were awfully mean at Vevey," said Daisy.
"You wouldn't do anything. You wouldn't stay there when
I asked you."
|
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 Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: The Thing flew due North, going in the same direction from whence it had
come. At least, that was the Scarecrow's opinion, and the others agreed that
the Scarecrow was the best judge of direction. After passing over several
cities and villages the Gump carried them high above a broad plain where
houses became more and more scattered until they
234
disappeared altogether. Next came the wide, sandy desert separating the rest
of the world from the Land of Oz, and before noon they saw the dome-shaped
houses that proved they were once more within the borders of their native
land.
"But the houses and fences are blue," said the Tin Woodman, "and that
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
