| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Vailima Prayers & Sabbath Morn by Robert Louis Stevenson: us to repay, in service one to another, the debt of thine unmerited
benefits and mercies, so that, when the period of our stewardship
draws to a conclusion, when the windows begin to be darkened, when
the bond of the family is to be loosed, there shall be no
bitterness of remorse in our farewells.
Help us to look back on the long way that Thou hast brought us, on
the long days in which we have been served, not according to our
deserts, but our desires; on the pit and the miry clay, the
blackness of despair, the horror of misconduct, from which our feet
have been plucked out. For our sins forgiven or prevented, for our
shame unpublished, we bless and thank Thee, O God. Help us yet
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson: how much I owed to such a residence; six weeks in one unpleasant
country-side had done more, it seemed, to quicken and educate my
sensibilities than many years in places that jumped more nearly with
my inclination.
The country to which I refer was a level and tree-less plateau, over
which the winds cut like a whip. For miles and miles it was the
same. A river, indeed, fell into the sea near the town where I
resided; but the valley of the river was shallow and bald, for as far
up as ever I had the heart to follow it. There were roads,
certainly, but roads that had no beauty or interest; for, as there
was no timber, and but little irregularity of surface, you saw your
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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 Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: rejoined them. For a few minutes he busied himself licking his
wounds, then he wandered off to hunt his breakfast.
For many months the strange life of the three went on unmarked
by any unusual occurrences. At least without any occurrences
that seemed unusual to the youth or the ape; but to the little
girl it was a constant nightmare of horrors for days and weeks,
until she too became accustomed to gazing into the eyeless sockets
of death and to the feel of the icy wind of his shroud-like mantle.
Slowly she learned the rudiments of the only common medium of
thought exchange which her companions possessed--the language of
the great apes. More quickly she perfected herself in jungle craft,
The Son of Tarzan |
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 Smalcald Articles by Dr. Martin Luther: meanwhile to publish these articles in plain print, so that,
should I die before there would be a Council (as I fully
expect and hope, because the knaves who flee the light and
shun the day take such wretched pains to delay and hinder the
Council), those who live and remain after me may have my
testimony and confession to produce, in addition to the
Confession which I have issued previously, whereby up to this
time I have abided, and, by God's grace, will abide.
For what shall I say? How shall I complain? I am still living,
writing, preaching, and lecturing daily; [and] yet there are
found such spiteful men, not only among the adversaries, but
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