| 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: which you hold it remains stiff, the rest hangs loose); and while
perpetually hunting for the portion which escapes him, he lets the
mouthpiece go from his bars.[6] For this reason the rings are hung in
the middle from the two axles,[7] so that while feeling for them with
his tongue and teeth he may neglect to take the bit up against his
jaws.
[5] Or, "poker," as we might say; lit. "spit."
[6] Schneid. cf. Eur. "Hippol." 1223.
[7] See Morgan, note ad loc. Berenger (i. 261) notes: "We have a small
chain in the upset or hollow part of our bits, called a 'Player,'
with which the horse playing with his tongue, and rolling it
On Horsemanship |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Reef by Edith Wharton: and sit in the dark till it begins again!"
"Is THAT the way they made you feel?"
"Didn't they YOU?...As if the gods were there all the
while, just behind them, pulling the strings?" Her hands
were pressed against the railing, her face shining and
darkening under the wing-beats of successive impressions.
Darrow smiled in enjoyment of her pleasure. After all, he
had felt all that, long ago; perhaps it was his own fault,
rather than that of the actors, that the poetry of the play
seemed to have evaporated...But no, he had been right in
judging the performance to be dull and stale: it was simply
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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 Pagan and Christian Creeds by Edward Carpenter: than our children do to-day, and it all was, and is, part of a
natural-magic tendency in human thought.
[1] See The Golden Bough, i, 139 seq. Also Art and Ritual, p. 31.
Let me pause here for a moment. It is difficult for us
with our academical and somewhat school-boardy minds
to enter into all this, and to understand the sense of
(unconscious or sub-conscious) identification with the world
around which characterized the primitive man--or to look upon
Nature with his eyes. A Tree, a Snake, a Bull, an Ear of
Corn. WE know so well from our botany and natural history
books what these things are. Why should our minds
Pagan and Christian Creeds |
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 Purse by Honore de Balzac: This simple and natural idea filled the lover with fresh remorse;
he asked himself whether the proofs of attachment given him by
the young girl, the delightful talks, full of the love that had
so charmed him, did not deserve at least an inquiry; were not
worthy of some justification. Ashamed of having resisted the
promptings of his heart for a whole week, and feeling himself
almost a criminal in this mental struggle, he called the same
evening on Madame de Rouville.
All his suspicions, all his evil thoughts vanished at the sight
of the young girl, who had grown pale and thin.
"Good heavens! what is the matter?" he asked her, after greeting
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