| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: Richmond, landing near Libby Prison. As the party stepped ashore
they found a guide among the contrabands who quickly crowded the
streets, for the possible coming of the President had already
been noised through the city. Ten of the sailors armed with
carbines were formed as a guard, six in front, and four in rear,
and between them the President and Admiral Porter, with the three
officers who accompanied them, walked the long distance, perhaps
a mile and a half, to the centre of the town.
Imagination can easily fill in the picture of a gradually
increasing crowd, principally of negroes, following the little
group of marines and officers with the tall form of the President
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain: that time; that's all I claim. And I hadn't no more
idea I could do such a thing, and warn't any more
thinking about it or trying to, than you be this minute.
Why, I was just as ca'm, a body couldn't be any
ca'mer, and yet, all of a sudden, out it come. I've
often thought of that time, and I can remember just
the way everything looked, same as if it was only last
week. I can see it all: beautiful rolling country with
woods and fields and lakes for hundreds and hundreds
of miles all around, and towns and villages scattered
everywheres under us, here and there and yonder; and
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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 Sarrasine by Honore de Balzac: "For some days," I resumed after a pause, "Sarrasine had been so
faithful in attendance in his box, and his glances expressed such
passionate love, that his passion for La Zambinella's voice would have
been the town-talk of Paris, if the episode had happened here; but in
Italy, madame, every one goes to the theatre for his own enjoyment,
with all his own passions, with a heartfelt interest which precludes
all thought of espionage with opera-glasses. However, the sculptor's
frantic admiration could not long escape the notice of the performers,
male and female. One evening the Frenchman noticed that they were
laughing at him in the wings. It is hard to say what violent measures
he might have resorted to, had not La Zambinella come on the stage.
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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 On Horsemanship by Xenophon: horse seems to have had enough of the manege, it would be good to give
him a slight pause, and then suddenly to put him to his quickest, away
from his fellows first,[21] and now towards them; and then again to
quiet him down in mid-career as short as possible;[22] and from halt
once more to turn him right-about and off again full charge. It is
easy to predict that the day will come when there will be need of each
of these manouvres.
[21] {mentoi}, "of course."
[22] Or, "within the narrowest compass"; "as finely as possible."
When the moment to dismount has come, you should never do so among
other horses, nor near a group of people,[23] nor outside the
On Horsemanship |
