| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Reason Discourse by Rene Descartes: which may be felt with the fingers, and from the nature of the blood as
learned from experience, as does the motion of a clock from the power, the
situation, and shape of its counterweights and wheels.
But if it be asked how it happens that the blood in the veins, flowing in
this way continually into the heart, is not exhausted, and why the
arteries do not become too full, since all the blood which passes through
the heart flows into them, I need only mention in reply what has been
written by a physician 1 of England, who has the honor of having broken
the ice on this subject, and of having been the first to teach that there
are many small passages at the extremities of the arteries, through which
the blood received by them from the heart passes into the small branches
Reason Discourse |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Sportsman by Xenophon: funnel net or rushes past outside or inside, whatever incident betide,
the net-keeper must with a shout proclaim the fact. Should the hare be
caught, the huntsman has only to begin looking for another; if not, he
must follow up the chase once more with like encouragement.
[38] Or, "whisking their tails and frisking wildly, and jostling
against one another, and leaping over one another at a great
rate." Al. "over one obstacle, and then another."
[39] Or, "this is the true line at last."
[40] Al. "with a crash of tongues."
When at length the hounds show symptoms of fatigue, and it is already
late in the day, the time has come for the huntsman to look for his
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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 The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: under his shadow they can give vent to their ambitions. The people,
finding they cannot resist the nobles, also cry up the reputation of
one of themselves, and make him a prince so as to be defended by his
authority. He who obtains sovereignty by the assistance of the nobles
maintains himself with more difficulty than he who comes to it by the
aid of the people, because the former finds himself with many around
him who consider themselves his equals, and because of this he can
neither rule nor manage them to his liking. But he who reaches
sovereignty by popular favour finds himself alone, and has none around
him, or few, who are not prepared to obey him.
Besides this, one cannot by fair dealing, and without injury to
The Prince |
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 Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: is nowhere to be found. I am always rankled by a feeling of
dissatisfaction and haunted by an awareness of emptiness."
"Truly, his majesty's desires seem to be infinite," said one of his
courtiers, scarcely more able to hide his disgust than his envy.
"His majesty's desires are indeed infinite," said the woman. "For
that is the nature of the human heart. The heart's deepest desires
cannot be satisfied by any finite thing."
"Then what am I to do?" asked the king with dismay.
"You must seek the Infinite," the woman said.
"And where can I find it?" he asked. "What form does it take?"
"The Infinite is not a thing or in a particular place," said the
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