| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: exercise his own body and preserve it. His works are to be done
freely, with the sole object of pleasing God. Only we are not yet
fully created anew in perfect faith and love; these require to be
increased, not, however, through works, but through themselves.
A bishop, when he consecrates a church, confirms children, or
performs any other duty of his office, is not consecrated as
bishop by these works; nay, unless he had been previously
consecrated as bishop, not one of those works would have any
validity; they would be foolish, childish, and ridiculous. Thus a
Christian, being consecrated by his faith, does good works; but
he is not by these works made a more sacred person, or more a
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Ebb-Tide by Stevenson & Osbourne: the middle distance. For long they continued to gaze on the scene
before them, and hearken anxiously to the rustle and tinkle of
that miniature surf, or the more distant and loud reverberations
from the outer coast. For long speech was denied them; and
when the words came at last, they came to both simultaneously.
'Say, Herrick . . .'the captain was beginning.
But Herrick, turning swiftly towards his companion, bent him
down with the eager cry: 'Let's up anchor, captain, and to sea!'
'Where to, my son?' said the captain. 'Up anchor's easy saying.
But where to?'
'To sea,' responded Herrick. 'The sea's big enough! To sea--away
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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 Herbert West: Reanimator by H. P. Lovecraft: former appearance. The affair made us rather nervous, especially
the stiff form and vacant face of our first trophy, but we managed
to remove all traces of our visit. When we had patted down the
last shovelful of earth, we put the specimen in a canvas sack
and set out for the old Chapman place beyond Meadow Hill.
On
an improvised dissecting-table in the old farmhouse, by the light
of a powerful acetylene lamp, the specimen was not very spectral
looking. It had been a sturdy and apparently unimaginative youth
of wholesome plebeian type -- large-framed, grey-eyed, and brown-haired
-- a sound animal without psychological subtleties, and probably
Herbert West: Reanimator |
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 The Augsburg Confession by Philip Melanchthon: saying, where He teaches that not all men are fit to lead a
single life; for God created man for procreation, Gen. 1, 28.
Nor is it in man's power, without a singular gift and work of
God, to alter this creation. [For it is manifest, and many
have confessed that no good, honest, chaste life, no
Christian, sincere, upright conduct has resulted (from the
attempt), but a horrible, fearful unrest and torment of
conscience has been felt by many until the end.] Therefore,
those who are not fit to lead a single life ought to contract
matrimony. For no man's law, no vow, can annul the commandment
and ordinance of God. For these reasons the priests teach that
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