| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Smalcald Articles by Dr. Martin Luther: and thank you in Christ. If now such idolatrous honor were
withdrawn from angels and departed saints, the remaining honor
would be without harm and would quickly be forgotten. For when
advantage and assistance, both bodily and spiritual, are no
more to be expected, the saints will not be troubled [the
worship of the saints will soon vanish], neither in their
graves nor in heaven. For without a reward or out of pure love
no one will much remember, or esteem, or honor them [bestow on
them divine honor].
In short, the Mass itself and anything that proceeds from it,
and anything that is attached to it, we cannot tolerate, but
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: Cherbuliez, "Un Cheval de Phidias," p. 148.
Thus far on this topic; these notes may serve perhaps to meet a
special need.
XI
If, however, the wish is to secure a horse adapted to parade and state
processions, a high stepper and a showy[1] animal, these are qualities
not to be found combined in every horse, but to begin with, the animal
must have high spirit and a stalwart body. Not that, as some think, a
horse with flexible legs will necessarily be able to rear his body.
What we want is a horse with supple loins, and not supple only but
short and strong (I do not mean the loins towards the tail, but by the
On Horsemanship |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Don Quixote by Miquel de Cervantes: their knees adoring their relics be a better fame in this life and
in the other than that which all the heathen emperors and
knights-errant that have ever been in the world have left or may leave
behind them?"
"That I grant, too," said Don Quixote.
"Then this fame, these favours, these privileges, or whatever you
call it," said Sancho, "belong to the bodies and relics of the
saints who, with the approbation and permission of our holy mother
Church, have lamps, tapers, winding-sheets, crutches, pictures, eyes
and legs, by means of which they increase devotion and add to their
own Christian reputation. Kings carry the bodies or relics of saints
Don Quixote |
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 Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: "All's well so far," I whispered. "Now you must vanish into the bathroom."
He did so, as noiseless as a ghost, and then I rang for the steward,
and facing him boldly, directed him to tidy up my stateroom while I was
having my bath--"and be quick about it." As my tone admitted of no excuses,
he said, "Yes, sir," and ran off to fetch his dustpan and brushes.
I took a bath and did most of my dressing, splashing, and whistling
softly for the steward's edification, while the secret sharer of my life
stood drawn up bolt upright in that little space, his face looking
very sunken in daylight, his eyelids lowered under the stern, dark line
of his eyebrows drawn together by a slight frown.
When I left him there to go back to my room the steward
The Secret Sharer |
