| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Reason Discourse by Rene Descartes: much the judgments of our friends are to be suspected when given in our
favor. But I shall endeavor in this discourse to describe the paths I
have followed, and to delineate my life as in a picture, in order that
each one may also be able to judge of them for himself, and that in the
general opinion entertained of them, as gathered from current report, I
myself may have a new help towards instruction to be added to those I have
been in the habit of employing.
My present design, then, is not to teach the method which each ought to
follow for the right conduct of his reason, but solely to describe the way
in which I have endeavored to conduct my own. They who set themselves to
give precepts must of course regard themselves as possessed of greater skill
 Reason Discourse |
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 Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: Nekhludoff spoke with surprise, and again repeated his offer.
"We have no need to think about it; as we have said, so it will
be," angrily muttered the morose, toothless old man.
"I shall remain here another day, and if you change your minds,
send to let me know."
The peasants gave no answer.
So Nekhludoff did not succeed in arriving at any result from this
interview.
"If I might make a remark, Prince," said the foreman, when they
got home, "you will never come to any agreement with them; they
are so obstinate. At a meeting these people just stick in one
 Resurrection |