| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Eddystone, triumphantly to overleap its summit with their scud.
*This motion is peculiar to the sperm whale. It receives its
designation (pitchpoling) from its being likened to that preliminary
up-and-down poise of the whale-lance, in the exercise called
pitchpoling, previously described. By this motion the whale must
best and most comprehensively view whatever objects may be encircling
him.
But soon resuming his horizontal attitude, Moby Dick swam swiftly
round and round the wrecked crew; sideways churning the water in his
vengeful wake, as if lashing himself up to still another and more
deadly assault. The sight of the splintered boat seemed to madden
Moby Dick |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Mosses From An Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne: pleasant humor, and was further dulcified by her pipe tobacco,
she resolved to produce something fine, beautiful, and splendid,
rather than hideous and horrible.
"I don't want to set up a hobgoblin in my own corn-patch, and
almost at my own doorstep," said Mother Rigby to herself, puffing
out a whiff of smoke; "I could do it if I pleased, but I'm tired
of doing marvellous things, and so I'll keep within the bounds of
every-day business just for variety's sake. Besides, there is no
use in scaring the little children for a mile roundabout, though
't is true I'm a witch."
It was settled, therefore, in her own mind, that the scarecrow
Mosses From An Old Manse |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Macbeth by William Shakespeare: Against the vndivulg'd pretence, I fight
Of Treasonous Mallice
Macd. And so doe I
All. So all
Macb. Let's briefely put on manly readinesse,
And meet i'th' Hall together
All. Well contented.
Exeunt.
Malc. What will you doe?
Let's not consort with them:
To shew an vnfelt Sorrow, is an Office
Macbeth |
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 Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: inestimable value. Not only was the stone which it contained
incomparably fine, but it possessed the marvellous property of
rendering its owner agreeable both to God and to men. The old man
bequeathed this ring to that one of his sons whom he loved the
most; and the son, in turn, made a similar disposition of it. So
that, passing from hand to hand, the ring finally came into the
possession of a father who loved his three sons equally well.
Unto which one should he leave it? To get rid of the perplexity,
he had two other rings made by a jeweller, exactly like the
original, and to each of his three sons he bequeathed one. Each
then thinking that he had obtained the true talisman, they began
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
