| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: think?
Of course they do, only they do not think in words, as we do.
But how can they think without words?
That is very difficult for you and me to imagine, because we
always think in words. They must think in pictures, I suppose, by
remembering things which have happened to them. You and I do that
in our dreams. I suspect that savages, who have very few words to
express their thoughts with, think in pictures, like their own
dogs. But that is a long story. We must see about getting on
board now, and under way.
* * *
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: victory hard, the degrees had need be, first to stay
and arrest nature in time; like to him that would
say over the four and twenty letters when he was
angry; then to go less in quantity; as if one should,
in forbearing wine, come from drinking healths,
to a draught at a meal; and lastly, to discontinue
altogether. But if a man have the fortitude, and
resolution, to enfranchise himself at once, that is
the best:
Optimus ille animi vindex laedentia pectus
Vincula qui rupit, dedoluitque semel.
Essays of Francis Bacon |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: throat. The next grade is represented by the midges. "Bite 'em no
see 'em," is the Indian name for these invisible atoms of animated
pepper which settle upon you in the twilight and make your skin
burn like fire. But their hour is brief, and when they depart they
leave not a bump behind. One step lower in the scale we find the
mosquito, or rather he finds us, and makes his poisoned mark upon
our skin. But after all, he has his good qualities. The mosquito
is a gentlemanly pirate. He carries his weapon openly, and gives
notice of an attack. He respects the decencies of life, and does
not strike below the belt, or creep down the back of your neck.
But the black fly is at the bottom of the moral scale. He is an
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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 The Soul of Man by Oscar Wilde: In its development it will be assisted by Christianity, if men
desire that; but if men do not desire that, it will develop none
the less surely. For it will not worry itself about the past, nor
care whether things happened or did not happen. Nor will it admit
any laws but its own laws; nor any authority but its own authority.
Yet it will love those who sought to intensify it, and speak often
of them. And of these Christ was one.
'Know thyself' was written over the portal of the antique world.
Over the portal of the new world, 'Be thyself' shall be written.
And the message of Christ to man was simply 'Be thyself.' That is
the secret of Christ.
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