| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: he sold the bricks to the city, at his own price, and the city came and
got them in its own wagons. And also he owned the other hole near by,
where the stagnant water was; and it was he who cut the ice and sold it;
and what was more, if the men told truth, he had not had to pay any
taxes for the water, and he had built the icehouse out of city lumber,
and had not had to pay anything for that. The newspapers had got hold of
that story, and there had been a scandal; but Scully had hired somebody
to confess and take all the blame, and then skip the country. It was said,
too, that he had built his brick-kiln in the same way, and that the workmen
were on the city payroll while they did it; however, one had to press
closely to get these things out of the men, for it was not their business,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Confessio Amantis by John Gower: For if the lawe of covoitise
Be set upon a jugges hond,
Wo is the poeple of thilke lond,
For wrong mai noght himselven hyde:
Bot elles on that other side,
If lawe stonde with the riht,
The poeple is glad and stant upriht. 2760
Wher as the lawe is resonable,
The comun poeple stant menable,
And if the lawe torne amis,
The poeple also mistorned is.
Confessio Amantis |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Martin Luther: His life in the flesh is not a life after the flesh.
"I live by the faith of the Son of God," he says. "My speech is no longer
directed by the flesh, but by the Holy Ghost. My sight is no longer governed
by the flesh, but by the Holy Ghost. My hearing is no longer determined by
the flesh, but by the Holy Ghost. I cannot teach, write, pray, or give thanks
without the instrumentality of the flesh; yet these activities do not proceed
from the flesh, but from God."
A Christian uses earthly means like any unbeliever. Outwardly they look
alike. Nevertheless there is a great difference between them. I may live in
the flesh, but I do not live after the flesh. I do my living now "by the faith
of the Son of God." Paul had the same voice, the same tongue, before and
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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 Under the Andes by Rex Stout: to Harry and Desiree, I redoubled my efforts. Desiree was by now
almost able to hold her own, but we still supported her.
Every stroke made the next one easier, carrying us away from
the whirlpool, and soon we swam smoothly. Less and less strong
became the resistance of the current, until finally it was possible
to float easily on our backs and rest.
"How far is it to the cavern?" Harry panted.
"Somewhere between one and ten miles," was my answer. "How
the deuce should I know? But we'll make it now, I think. Can you
hold out, Desiree?"
"Easily," she answered. "If only I could get some air! Just
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