| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Euthyphro by Plato: and that he too had punished his own father (Uranus) for a similar reason,
in a nameless manner. And yet when I proceed against my father, they are
angry with me. So inconsistent are they in their way of talking when the
gods are concerned, and when I am concerned.
SOCRATES: May not this be the reason, Euthyphro, why I am charged with
impiety--that I cannot away with these stories about the gods? and
therefore I suppose that people think me wrong. But, as you who are
well informed about them approve of them, I cannot do better than
assent to your superior wisdom. What else can I say, confessing as I
do, that I know nothing about them? Tell me, for the love of Zeus,
whether you really believe that they are true.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: Picnic as a cure for everything, even a heartache, or being worried
about Spies, etcetera.
"No, thank you," I said. "I am worried about those of my friends
who have enlisted." I then gave him a scornful glance and left the
room. He said "Bab!" in a strange voice and I heard him coming
after me. So I ran as fast as I could to my Chamber and locked the door.
IN CAMP GIRLS AVIATION CORPS, APRIL 12TH.
We are now in Camp, although not in Unaform, owing to the delivery
waggon not coming yet with our clothes. I am writing on a pad on my
knee, while my Orderley, Betty Anderson, holds the ink bottle.
What a morning we have had!
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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 Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum: eats it?" questioned the boy.
."Ask Ugu the Shoemaker. He knows," said the bird, preening its
feathers with its bill.
"And who is Ugu the Shoemaker?"
"The one who enchanted the peach and placed it here--in the exact
center of the Great Orchard--so no one would ever find it. We birds
didn't dare to eat it; we are too wise for that. But you are
Button-Bright from the Emerald City, and you, YOU, YOU ate the
enchanted peach!
You must explain to Ugu the Shoemaker why you did
that." And then, before the boy could ask any more questions, the
The Lost Princess of Oz |
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 Philebus by Plato: three tests--definiteness, comprehensiveness, and motive power.
There are three subjective principles of morals,--sympathy, benevolence,
self-love. But sympathy seems to rest morality on feelings which differ
widely even in good men; benevolence and self-love torture one half of our
virtuous actions into the likeness of the other. The greatest happiness
principle, which includes both, has the advantage over all these in
comprehensiveness, but the advantage is purchased at the expense of
definiteness.
Again, there are the legal and political principles of morals--freedom,
equality, rights of persons; 'Every man to count for one and no man for
more than one,' 'Every man equal in the eye of the law and of the
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