| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum: enough for them to walk erect in. and then they reached
the cave itself and paused in wonder and admiration.
They stood on the edge of a vast cavern, the walls
and domed roof of which were lined with countless
rubies, exquisitely cut and flashing sparkling rays
from one to another. This caused a radiant light that
permitted the entire cavern to be distinctly seen, and
the effect was so marvelous that Trot drew in her
breath with a sort of a gasp, and stood quite still in
wonder.
But the walls and roof of the cavern were merely a
The Scarecrow of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: it. The opposite plan of forcing the frightened creature by blows only
intensifies its fear, the horse mentally associating the pain he
suffers at such a moment with the object of suspicion, which he
naturally regards as its cause.
[9] Cf. "Hell." v. iii. 7 for this maxim.
[10] Al. "if possibly by help of another and plucky animal."
If, when the groom brings up the horse to his master to mount, he
knows how to make him lower his back,[11] to facilitate mounting, we
have no fault to find. Still, we consider that the horseman should
practise and be able to mount, even if the horse does not so lend
himself;[12] since on another occasion another type of horse may fall
On Horsemanship |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Dreams by Olive Schreiner: back, and cried, "Who are you?" He answered nothing; and she looked up
between his eyelids. And she said, "What can you give the child--health?"
And he said, "The man I touch, there wakes up in his blood a burning fever,
that shall lick his blood as fire. The fever that I will give him shall be
cured when his life is cured."
"You give wealth?"
He shook his head. "The man whom I touch, when he bends to pick up gold,
he sees suddenly a light over his head in the sky; while he looks up to see
it, the gold slips from between his fingers, or sometimes another passing
takes it from them."
"Fame?"
|
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 Droll Stories, V. 1 by Honore de Balzac: better than that, more maidenly than ever maiden was; a maiden all
ignorant of love, who knew not why or what it was; a maiden who
wondered why certain people lingered in their beds; a maiden who
believed that children were found in parsley beds. Her mother had thus
reared her in innocence, without even allowing her to consider, trifle
as it was, how she sucked in her soup between her teeth. Thus she was
a sweet flower, and intact, joyous and innocent; an angel, who needed
but the wings to fly away to Paradise. When she left the poor lodging
of her weeping mother to consummate her betrothal at the cathedral of
St. Gatien and St. Maurice, the country people came to a feast their
eyes upon the bride, and on the carpets which were laid down all along
Droll Stories, V. 1 |
