| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: soldier finds himself fully prepared to engage the enemy on a
sudden, if occasion need."
But now, supposing the rider fairly seated, whether bareback or on a
saddle-cloth, a good seat is not that of a man seated on a chair, but
rather the pose of a man standing upright with his legs apart. In this
way he will be able to hold on to the horse more firmly by his thighs;
and this erect attitude will enable him to hurl a javelin or to strike
a blow from horseback, if occasion calls, with more vigorous effect.
The leg and foot should hang loosely from the knee; by keeping the leg
stiff, the rider is apt to have it broken in collision with some
obstacle; whereas a flexible leg[9] will yield to the impact, and at
On Horsemanship |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: my bed, the boys on the floor - for when it comes to the judicial I
play dignity - or else going down to Apia on some more or less
unsatisfactory errand. Altogether it is a life that suits me, but
it absorbs me like an ocean. That is what I have always envied and
admired in Scott; with all that immensity of work and study, his
mind kept flexible, glancing to all points of natural interest.
But the lean hot spirits, such as mine, become hypnotised with
their bit occupations - if I may use Scotch to you - it is so far
more scornful than any English idiom. Well, I can't help being a
skeleton, and you are to take this devious passage for an apology.
I thought ALADDIN capital fun; but why, in fortune, did he pretend
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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 Heroes by Charles Kingsley: with victims, and dances, and songs; and they offered
sacrifices to Athene, and rejoiced all the night long,
because their king had found a noble son, and an heir to his
royal house.
So Theseus stayed with his father all the winter: and when
the spring equinox drew near, all the Athenians grew sad and
silent, and Theseus saw it, and asked the reason; but no one
would answer him a word.
Then he went to his father, and asked him: but AEgeus turned
away his face and wept.
'Do not ask, my son, beforehand, about evils which must
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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 Enoch Arden, &c. by Alfred Tennyson: He therefore turning softly like a thief,
Lest the harsh shingle should grate underfoot,
And feeling all along the garden-wall,
Lest he should swoon and tumble and be found,
Crept to the gate, and open'd it, and closed,
As lightly as a sick man's chamber-door,
Behind him, and came out upon the waste.
And there he would have knelt, but that his knees
Were feeble, so that falling prone he dug
His fingers into the wet earth, and pray'd.
`Too hard to bear! why did they take me hence?
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