| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Voyage to Abyssinia by Father Lobo: know. It bears a great resemblance to our radishes; the leaf and
colour were beautiful, and the taste not unpleasant. It came into
my mind when I began to chew it that perhaps it might be that
venomous herb against which no antidote had yet been found, but
persuading myself afterwards that my fears were merely chimerical, I
continued to
chew it, till a man accidentally meeting me, and seeing me with a
handful of it, cried out to me that I was poisoned; I had happily
not swallowed any of it, and throwing out what I had in my mouth, I
returned God thanks for this instance of his protection.
I crossed the Nile the first time in my journey to the kingdom of
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: fast as we could we ran down the road. Fortunately, they were
thinking more of secrecy than speed, and in a minute we had
doubled the distance between them and us. In two minutes their
lights were mere sparks shining in the gloom behind us. We lost
even the tramp of their feet. Then I began to look out and go
more slowly, peering into the shadows on either side for the
fernstack.
On one hand the hill rose steeply, on the other it fell away to
the stream. On neither side was close wood, or my difficulties
had been immensely increased; but scattered oak trees stood here
and there among the bracken. This helped me, and presently, on
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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 Aesop's Fables by Aesop: Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what
measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat.
Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got
up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet
the case. "You will all agree," said he, "that our chief danger
consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy
approaches us. Now, if we could receive some signal of her
approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore,
to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon
round the neck of the Cat. By this means we should always know
when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in the
Aesop's Fables |
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 Hamlet by William Shakespeare: And bring the Gentlemen where Hamlet is
Guil. Heauens make our presence and our practises
Pleasant and helpfull to him.
Enter.
Queene. Amen.
Enter Polonius.
Pol. Th' Ambassadors from Norwey, my good Lord,
Are ioyfully return'd
King. Thou still hast bin the father of good Newes
Pol. Haue I, my Lord? Assure you, my good Liege,
I hold my dutie, as I hold my Soule,
Hamlet |
