| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: from where the sledge was.
IX
Having stumbled back to the sledge Vasili Andreevich caught
hold of it and for a long time stood motionless, trying to calm
himself and recover his breath. Nikita was not in his former
place, but something, already covered with snow, was lying in
the sledge and Vasili Andreevich concluded that this was
Nikita. His terror had now quite left him, and if he felt any
fear it was lest the dreadful terror should return that he had
experienced when on the horse and especially when he was left
alone in the snow-drift. At any cost he had to avoid that
Master and Man |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Proposed Roads To Freedom by Bertrand Russell: desirable, the poorer ones often not far removed from
starvation. And almost all who work have no voice
in the direction of their work; throughout the hours
of labor they are mere machines carrying out the will
of a master. Work is usually done under disagreeable
conditions, involving pain and physical hardship.
The only motive to work is wages: the very idea that
work might be a joy, like the work of the artist, is
usually scouted as utterly Utopian.
But by far the greater part of these evils are
wholly unnecessary. If the civilized portion of mankind
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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 Crito by Plato: here in this city you begat your children, which is a proof of your
satisfaction. Moreover, you might in the course of the trial, if you had
liked, have fixed the penalty at banishment; the state which refuses to let
you go now would have let you go then. But you pretended that you
preferred death to exile (compare Apol.), and that you were not unwilling
to die. And now you have forgotten these fine sentiments, and pay no
respect to us the laws, of whom you are the destroyer; and are doing what
only a miserable slave would do, running away and turning your back upon
the compacts and agreements which you made as a citizen. And first of all
answer this very question: Are we right in saying that you agreed to be
governed according to us in deed, and not in word only? Is that true or
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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 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: I am such an ungrateful brute as to forget all the kind treatment
I have had here for five years, and all the trust they place in me,
and turn vicious because a couple of ignorant boys used me badly?
No, no! you never had a good place where they were kind to you,
and so you don't know, and I'm sorry for you; but I can tell you
good places make good horses. I wouldn't vex our people for anything;
I love them, I do," said Merrylegs, and he gave a low "ho, ho, ho!"
through his nose, as he used to do in the morning when he heard
James' footstep at the door.
"Besides," he went on, "if I took to kicking where should I be? Why,
sold off in a jiffy, and no character, and I might find myself slaved about
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