| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: his prime, and the other's bloom is withered, because fair is mated
with what is not fair, and hot lips are pressed to cold. Between man
and woman it is different. There the wife at any rate shares with her
husband in their nuptial joys; but here conversely, the one is sober
and with unimpassioned eye regards his fellow, who is drunken with the
wine of passion.[43]
[43] Lit. "by Aphrodite." Cf. Plat. "Phaedr." 240, "But the lover
. . . when he is drunk" (Jowett); "Symp." 214 C.
Wherefore it is no marvel if, beholding, there springs up in his
breast the bitterest contempt and scorn for such a lover. Search and
you shall find that nothing harsh was ever yet engendered by
The Symposium |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Master Key by L. Frank Baum: Resuming his flight he presently came to the gulf of Laou Tong, whose
fair face was freckled with many ships of many nations, and so on to
Korea, which seemed to him a land fully a century behind the times.
Night overtook him while speeding across the Sea of Japan, and having
a great desire to view the Mikado's famous islands, he put the
indicator at zero, and, coming to a full stop, composed himself to
sleep until morning, that he might run no chances of being carried
beyond his knowledge during the night.
You might suppose it no easy task to sleep suspended in mid-air, yet
the magnetic currents controlled by the traveling machine were so
evenly balanced that Rob was fully as comfortable as if reposing upon
The Master Key |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: writing.
This county, and this part of it in particular, has been famous for
the birth of several eminent men as well for learning as for arts
and for war, as particularly:-
1. Sir William Petre, who the learned Dr. Wake (now Archbishop of
Canterbury, and author of the Additions to Mr. Camden) says was
Secretary of State and Privy Councillor to King Henry VIII., Edward
VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, and seven times sent
ambassador into foreign countries.
2. Sir Thomas Bodley, famous and of grateful memory to all learned
men and lovers of letters for his collecting and establishing the
|
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 Tao Teh King by Lao-tze: All come to him, yea, all beneath the sky.
Thus he the constant excellence retains;
The simple child again, free from all stains.
Who knows how white attracts,
Yet always keeps himself within black's shade,
The pattern of humility displayed,
Displayed in view of all beneath the sky;
He in the unchanging excellence arrayed,
Endless return to man's first state has made.
Who knows how glory shines,
Yet loves disgrace, nor e'er for it is pale;
|
