| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King James Bible: time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army,
and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged
Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and
destroyed it.
CH1 20:2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and
found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in
it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding much
spoil out of the city.
CH1 20:3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them
with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David
with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: amongst the elect looking like this, wouldn't I attract
considerable attention? - wouldn't I be a little conspicuous?"
"Well," he says, "I don't see anything the matter. What do you
lack?"
"Lack! Why, I lack my harp, and my wreath, and my halo, and my
hymn-book, and my palm branch - I lack everything that a body
naturally requires up here, my friend."
Puzzled? Peters, he was the worst puzzled man you ever saw.
Finally he says -
"Well, you seem to be a curiosity every way a body takes you. I
never heard of these things before."
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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 Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: touch upon the shoulder, and facing about, he was aware of a
very plain and elegant brougham, drawn by a pair of powerful
horses, and driven by a man in sober livery. There were no
arms upon the panel; the window was open, but the interior
was obscure; the driver yawned behind his palm; and the young
man was already beginning to suppose himself the dupe of his
own fancy, when a hand, no larger than a child's and smoothly
gloved in white, appeared in a corner of the window and
privily beckoned him to approach. He did so, and looked in.
The carriage was occupied by a single small and very dainty
figure, swathed head and shoulders in impenetrable folds of
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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 Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: How and Lady Why. Many people do it, and fall into great mistakes
thereby,--mistakes that even a little child, if it would think,
need not commit. But really great philosophers sometimes make
this mistake about Why and How; and therefore it is no wonder if
other people make it too, when they write children's books about
the wonders of nature, and call them "Why and Because," or "The
Reason Why." The books are very good books, and you should read
and study them: but they do not tell you really "Why and
Because," but only "How and So." They do not tell you the "Reason
Why" things happen, but only "The Way in which they happen."
However, I must not blame these good folks, for I have made the
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