| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: I made a movement intended to express resignation.
"I must neglect nothing," he said; "and since my fate has driven me
on this part of the coast, I will not leave it until I have examined
it."
To understand what followed, it must be borne in mind that, through
circumstances hereafter to be explained, we were not really where the
Professor supposed we were. In fact we were not upon the north shore
of the sea.
"Now let us start upon fresh discoveries," I said.
And leaving Hans to his work we started off together. The space
between the water and the foot of the cliffs was considerable. It
Journey to the Center of the Earth |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Three Taverns by Edwin Arlington Robinson: If we and France, as you anticipate,
Must eat each other, what Caesar, if not yourself,
Do you see for the master of the feast?
There may be a place waiting on your head
For laurel thick as Nero's. You don't know.
I have not crossed your glory, though I might
If I saw thrones at auction.
HAMILTON
Yes, you might.
If war is on the way, I shall be -- here;
And I've no vision of your distant heels.
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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 Koran: that ye did defraud yourselves, wherefore He has turned towards you
and forgiven you; so now go in unto them and crave what God has
prescribed for you, and eat and drink until a white thread can be
distinguished by you from a black one at the dawn. Then fulfil the
fast until the night, and go not in unto them, and ye at your
devotions in the mosques the while. These are the bounds that God
has set, so draw not near thereto. Thus does God make manifest His
signs to men, that haply they may fear.
Devour not your wealth among yourselves vainly, nor present it to
the judges that ye may devour a part of the wealth of men sinfully,
the while ye know.
The Koran |
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 Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. iii.
23), and also: "There is none righteous, no, not one; they are
all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable:
there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Rom. iii. 10—12).
When you have learnt this, you will know that Christ is necessary
for you, since He has suffered and risen again for you, that,
believing on Him, you might by this faith become another man, all
your sins being remitted, and you being justified by the merits
of another, namely of Christ alone.
Since then this faith can reign only in the inward man, as it is
said, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Rom. x.
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