| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: bade them all take weapons of war in their hands. So they
were not disobedient to his word, but clad themselves in
mail, and opened the doors and went forth, and Odysseus led
the way. And now there was light over all the earth; but
them Athene hid in night, and quickly conducted out of the
town.
Book XXIV
The Ithacans bury the wooers, and sitting in council
resolve on revenge. And coming near the house of Laertes,
are met by Odysseus, and Laertes with Telemachus and
servants, the whole number twelve, and are overcome, and
The Odyssey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: some great building might have been raised?
Thus, too, we do not contemn works and ceremonies--nay, we set
the highest value on them; but we contemn the belief in works,
which no one should consider to constitute true righteousness, as
do those hypocrites who employ and throw away their whole life in
the pursuit of works, and yet never attain to that for the sake
of which the works are done. As the Apostle says, they are "ever
learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2
Tim. iii. 7). They appear to wish to build, they make
preparations, and yet they never do build; and thus they continue
in a show of godliness, but never attain to its power.
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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 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle: photograph a cabinet?"
"It was."
"Then, good-night, your Majesty, and I trust that we shall soon
have some good news for you. And good-night, Watson," he added,
as the wheels of the royal brougham rolled down the street. "If
you wlll be good enough to call to-morrow afternoon at three
o'clock I should like to chat this little matter over with you."
II.
At three o'clock precisely I was at Baker Street, but Holmes had
not yet returned. The landlady informed me that he had left the
house shortly after eight o'clock in the morning. I sat down
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes |
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 Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: "That's good, that is! And I, who wanted to remain quiet!"
He mechanically set about making the preparations for departure.
Around the world in eighty days! Was his master a fool? No.
Was this a joke, then? They were going to Dover; good!
To Calais; good again! After all, Passepartout, who had
been away from France five years, would not be sorry
to set foot on his native soil again. Perhaps they would
go as far as Paris, and it would do his eyes good to see Paris once more.
But surely a gentleman so chary of his steps would stop there; no doubt--
but, then, it was none the less true that he was going away,
this so domestic person hitherto!
Around the World in 80 Days |
