| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Christ in Flanders by Honore de Balzac: trusting in himself rather than in Providence, crying, "Bail away!"
instead of "Holy Virgin," defying the storm, in fact, and struggling
with the sea like a wrestler.
But the helpless poor at the other end of the wherry! The mother
rocking on her bosom the little one who smiled at the storm; the woman
once so frivolous and gay, and now tormented with bitter remorse; the
old soldier covered with scars, a mutilated life the sole reward of
his unflagging loyalty and faithfulness. This veteran could scarcely
count on the morsel of bread soaked in tears to keep the life in him,
yet he was always ready to laugh, and went his way merrily, happy when
he could drown his glory in the depths of a pot of beer, or could tell
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: which neither herb nor shrub any longer cheered, a mountain-path, crunched
under the daring of my foot.
Mutely marching over the scornful clinking of pebbles, trampling the stone
that let it slip: thus did my foot force its way upwards.
Upwards:--in spite of the spirit that drew it downwards, towards the abyss,
the spirit of gravity, my devil and arch-enemy.
Upwards:--although it sat upon me, half-dwarf, half-mole; paralysed,
paralysing; dripping lead in mine ear, and thoughts like drops of lead into
my brain.
"O Zarathustra," it whispered scornfully, syllable by syllable, "thou stone
of wisdom! Thou threwest thyself high, but every thrown stone must--fall!
Thus Spake Zarathustra |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Out of Time's Abyss by Edgar Rice Burroughs: leave behind.
"Now," announced Bradley, "we'll plan for the future. The boat
has fuel, provisions and water for a month, I believe you said,
Plesser; there are ten of us to man it. We have a last sad duty
here--we must search for Miss La Rue and Mr. Tyler. I say a sad
duty because we know that we shall not find them; but it is none
the less our duty to comb the shoreline, firing signal shells at
intervals, that we at least may leave at last with full knowledge
that we have done all that men might do to locate them."
None dissented from this conviction, nor was there a voice raised
in protest against the plan to at least make assurance doubly
Out of Time's Abyss |
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 Poems by Bronte Sisters: With them I celebrate His birth--
Glory to God, in highest Heaven,
Good-will to men, and peace on earth,
To us a Saviour-king is given;
Our God is come to claim His own,
And Satan's power is overthrown!
A sinless God, for sinful men,
Descends to suffer and to bleed;
Hell MUST renounce its empire then;
The price is paid, the world is freed,
And Satan's self must now confess
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