| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: threshold and there took his stand, and poured forth the
swift arrows, glancing terribly around, and smote the king
Antinous. Thereafter on the others he let fly his bolts,
winged for death, with straight aim, and the wooers fell
thick one upon another. Then was it known how that some god
was their helper, for pressing on as their passion drave
them, they slew the men right and left through the halls,
and thence there arose a hideous moaning, as heads were
smitten and the floor all ran with blood. So we perished,
Agamemnon, and even now our bodies lie uncared for in the
halls of Odysseus, for the friends of each one at home as
The Odyssey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: if it had been as full of wonderful pictures as all the natural
history books you ever saw. Its name was Evenings at Home; and in
it was a story called "Eyes and no Eyes;" a regular old-fashioned,
prim, sententious story; and it began thus:-
"Well, Robert, where have you been walking this afternoon?" said
Mr. Andrews to one of his pupils at the close of a holiday.
Oh--Robert had been to Broom Heath, and round by Camp Mount, and
home through the meadows. But it was very dull. He hardly saw a
single person. He had much rather have gone by the turnpike-road.
Presently in comes Master William, the other pupil, dressed, I
suppose, as wretched boys used to be dressed forty years ago, in a
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortensio,
Or, Signior Gremio, you, know any such,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men
I will be very kind, and liberal
To mine own children in good bringing up;
And so, farewell. Katherina, you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca.
[Exit.]
KATHERINA.
Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not?
What! shall I be appointed hours, as though, belike,
The Taming of the Shrew |
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 Odyssey by Homer: whensoever we made mention of thee and asked one another
concerning thee. And now, if it be possible, be persuaded
by me, who for one have no pleasure in weeping at supper
time--the new-born day will right soon be upon us. {*} Not
indeed that I deem it blame at all to weep for any mortal
who hath died and met his fate. Lo, this is now the only
due we pay to miserable men, to cut the hair and let the
tear fall from the cheek. For I too have a brother dead,
nowise the meanest of the Argives, and thou art like to
have known him, for as for me I never encountered him,
never beheld him. But men say that Antilochus outdid all,
The Odyssey |
