| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: 'Verily, I have brought it forth a female'- but God knew best what she
brought forth; and a male is not like a female- 'I have called her
Mary, and I seek a refuge in Thee for her and for her seed from
Satan the pelted.'
And her Lord received her with a good reception, and made her grow
up with a good growth, and Zachariah took care of her. Whenever
Zachariah entered the chamber to her he found beside her a
provision, and said, 'O Mary, how hast thou this?' She said, 'It is
from God, for God provides for whom He pleases without count.'
Therefore prayed Zachariah to his Lord, and said, 'Lord, grant me from
Thee a good seed. Verily, Thou hearest prayer.' And an angel cried out
The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Young Forester by Zane Grey: "Leslie, you're a liar!" he said.
Dick's eyes glinted from his pale face.
"Yes, that's your speed, Stockton," he retorted. "You bring your thugs into
my camp pretending to be friendly. You grab a fellow behind his back, tie
him up, and then call him a liar. Wait, you timber shark!"
"You're lying about that kid, Ward," declared the other. "You sent him back
East, that's what. He'll have the whole forest service down here. Buell
will be wild. Oh, he won't do a thing when he learns Ward has given us the
slip!"
"I tell you, Ken Ward gave me the slip," replied Dick. "I'll admit I meant
to see him safe in Holston. But he wouldn't go. He ran off from me right
The Young Forester |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: the situation of his yacht. He pointed out that by the constant superposition
of new deposits of ice, the vessel would be elevated to a great height,
and consequently in the event of a thaw, it must be exposed to a calamity
similar to those which in polar seas cause destruction to so many whalers.
There was no time now for concerting measures offhand to prevent
the disaster, for the other members of the party had already
reached the spot where the _Hansa_ lay bound in her icy trammels.
A flight of steps, recently hewn by Hakkabut himself, gave access
for the present to the gangway, but it was evident that some
different contrivance would have to be resorted to when the tartan
should be elevated perhaps to a hundred feet.
|
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 Forged Coupon by Leo Tolstoy: loaf.' And, sure enough, he had no sooner lain
down than he slept like a lump of lead, and in the
morning on waking he was bright and lively, and
ready for any work. He could do anything, just
not very well nor very ill; he cooked, sewed,
planed wood, cobbled his boots, and was always
occupied with some job or other, only allowing
himself to chat and sing at night. He sang, not
like a singer who knows he has listeners, but as
the birds sing to God, the Father of all, feeling it
as necessary as walking or stretching himself.
The Forged Coupon |
