| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: river and up its tributaries other crews, both in the employ of
Newmark and Orde and of others, were also pausing from their cold
and dangerous toil. The river, refreshed after its long winter,
bent its mighty back to the great annual burden laid upon it.
By the end of the second day the logs actually in the bed of the
stream had been shaken loose, and a large proportion of them had
floated entirely from sight. It now became necessary to break down
the rollways piled along the tops of the banks.
The evening of this day, however, Orde received a visit from Jim
Denning, the foreman of the next section below, bringing with him
Charlie, the cook of Daly's last year's drive. Leaving him by the
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: waster of cities.'
Then the ghost of Amphimedon answered him, and spake: 'Most
famous son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon, I remember
all these things, O fosterling of Zeus, as thou declarest
them, and I in turn will tell thee all the tale well and
truly, even our death and evil end, on what wise it befell.
We wooed the wife of Odysseus that was long afar, and she
neither refused the hated bridal nor was minded to make an
end, devising for us death and black fate. Also this other
wile she contrived in her heart. She set up in her halls a
mighty web, fine of woof and very wide, whereat she would
The Odyssey |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from King James Bible: thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
ACT 22:28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I
this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
ACT 22:29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have
examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that
he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
ACT 22:30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty
wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and
commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought
Paul down, and set him before them.
ACT 23:1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and
King James Bible |
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 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: He walked to and fro, sat down and got up again, took a
chance book, put it down, consulted his instruments without
taking his habitual notes, and seemed restless and uneasy.
At last, he came up to me, and said:
"Are you a doctor, M. Aronnax?"
I so little expected such a question that I stared some time
at him without answering.
"Are you a doctor?" he repeated. "Several of your colleagues
have studied medicine."
"Well," said I, "I am a doctor and resident surgeon to the hospital.
I practised several years before entering the museum."
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
