| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: date. You have heard the people extol the eloquence of our latter day
preachers; now and again I have wasted my time by going to hear them;
they produced a change in my opinions, but in my conduct (as somebody
said, I can't recollect his name), in my conduct--never!--Well, well;
these good priests and your Mirabeaus and Vergniauds and the rest of
them, are mere stammering beginners compared with these orators of
mine.
" 'Often it is some girl in love, some gray-headed merchant on the
verge of bankruptcy, some mother with a son's wrong-doing to conceal,
some starving artist, some great man whose influence is on the wane,
and, for lack of money, is like to lose the fruit of all his labors--
Gobseck |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: up at the same time to help his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down;
and then two Spaniards more came in to help their man, and a third
Englishman fell in upon them. They had none of them any firearms
or any other weapons but hatchets and other tools, except this
third Englishman; he had one of my rusty cutlasses, with which he
made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them both. This fray
set the whole family in an uproar, and more help coming in they
took the three Englishmen prisoners. The next question was, what
should be done with them? They had been so often mutinous, and
were so very furious, so desperate, and so idle withal, they knew
not what course to take with them, for they were mischievous to the
Robinson Crusoe |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: intercourse, in exercise, in discussion knowest thou not that it
is a God whom thou feedest, a God whom thou exercisest, a God
whom thou bearest about with thee, O miserable! and thou
perceivest it not. Thinkest thou that I speak of a God of silver
or gold, that is without thee? Nay, thou bearest Him within thee!
all unconcious of polluting Him with thoughts impure and unclean
deeds. Were an image of God present, thou wouldest not dare to
act as thou dost, yet, when God Himself is present within thee,
beholding and hearing all, thou dost not blush to think such
thoughts and do such deeds, O thou that art insensible of thine
own nature and liest under the wrath of God!
The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |
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 Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: without looking once behind, or even on one side of me, to see whom I trod
upon!--I'll tread upon no one--quoth I to myself when I mounted--I'll take
a good rattling gallop; but I'll not hurt the poorest jack-ass upon the
road.--So off I set--up one lane--down another, through this turnpike--over
that, as if the arch-jockey of jockeys had got behind me.
Now ride at this rate with what good intention and resolution you may--'tis
a million to one you'll do some one a mischief, if not yourself--He's
flung--he's off--he's lost his hat--he's down--he'll break his neck--see!--
if he has not galloped full among the scaffolding of the undertaking
criticks!--he'll knock his brains out against some of their posts--he's
bounced out!--look--he's now riding like a mad-cap full tilt through a
|
