| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King James Bible: EXO 13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for
a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth:
for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
EXO 13:10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from
year to year.
EXO 13:11 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land
of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall
give it thee,
EXO 13:12 That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the
matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the
males shall be the LORD's.
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Voyage to Abyssinia by Father Lobo: quantity of bread, beer, and cows. The peasants are very exact in
supplying their quota, being obliged to pay double the value in case
of failure; and very often when they have produced their full share,
they are told that they have been deficient, and condemned to buy
their peace with a large fine.
When the providore has received these contributions, he divides them
according to the number of persons, and the want they are in: the
proportion they observe in this distribution is twenty pots of beer,
ten of mead, and one cow to a hundred loaves. The chief officers
and persons of note carry their own provisions with them, which I
did too, though I afterwards found the precaution unnecessary, for I
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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 The Koran: See how they lie against themselves, and how what they did forge
deserts them! And they are some who listen unto thee, but we have
placed a veil upon their hearts lest they should understand it, and in
their ears is dulness of hearing; and though they saw each sign they
would not believe therein; until when they come to thee to wrangle
with thee, the unbelievers say, 'These are but old folks' tales.'
They forbid it and they avoid it;- but they destroy none but
themselves; yet they do not perceive.
But couldst thou see when they are set over the fire and say, 'Would
that we were sent back! we would not call our Lord's signs lies, but
we would be of the believers?' Nay! now is shown to them what they did
The Koran |
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 Parmenides by Plato: should be far more amazed if any one found in the ideas themselves which
are apprehended by reason, the same puzzle and entanglement which you have
shown to exist in visible objects.
While Socrates was speaking, Pythodorus thought that Parmenides and Zeno
were not altogether pleased at the successive steps of the argument; but
still they gave the closest attention, and often looked at one another, and
smiled as if in admiration of him. When he had finished, Parmenides
expressed their feelings in the following words:--
Socrates, he said, I admire the bent of your mind towards philosophy; tell
me now, was this your own distinction between ideas in themselves and the
things which partake of them? and do you think that there is an idea of
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