| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche: PRESQUE! Neither is he a model man; he does not go in advance of
any one, nor after, either; he places himself generally too far
off to have any reason for espousing the cause of either good or
evil. If he has been so long confounded with the PHILOSOPHER,
with the Caesarian trainer and dictator of civilization, he has
had far too much honour, and what is more essential in him has
been overlooked--he is an instrument, something of a slave,
though certainly the sublimest sort of slave, but nothing in
himself--PRESQUE RIEN! The objective man is an instrument, a
costly, easily injured, easily tarnished measuring instrument and
mirroring apparatus, which is to be taken care of and respected;
Beyond Good and Evil |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Intentions by Oscar Wilde: who, for the general welfare of the race, are to be deprived of the
power of putting their decisions into execution, will not be of
much avail. There is only one thing worse than Injustice, and that
is Justice without her sword in her hand. When Right is not Might,
it is Evil.
No: the emotions will not make us cosmopolitan, any more than the
greed for gain could do so. It is only by the cultivation of the
habit of intellectual criticism that we shall be able to rise
superior to race-prejudices. Goethe - you will not misunderstand
what I say - was a German of the Germans. He loved his country -
no man more so. Its people were dear to him; and he led them.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: serve any other king."
"Humph!" said Charles, "I am sorry to hear that; I should
like to do much for you; I like you very much."
"Sire ---- "
"But let us see," said Charles with a smile, "if we cannot
make you break your word. Duke, assist me. If you were
offered, that is to say, if I offered you the chief command
of my musketeers?" D'Artagnan bowed lower than before.
"I should have the regret to refuse what your gracious
majesty would offer me," said he; "a gentleman has but his
word, and that word, as I have had the honor to tell your
Ten Years Later |
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 At the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs: and corridors I had just explored.
"I wonder, David," he said at length, "as you are determined
to carry out your wild scheme, if we could not accomplish
something of very real and lasting benefit for the human
race of Pellucidar at the same time. Listen, I have
learned much of a most surprising nature from these
archives of the Mahars. That you may not appreciate
my plan I shall briefly outline the history of the race.
"Once the males were all-powerful, but ages ago the females,
little by little, assumed the mastery. For other ages
no noticeable change took place in the race of Mahars.
At the Earth's Core |
