| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: people that do know.
But if they break faith with you after their treaty, and taunt
your religion, then fight the leaders of misbelief; verily, they
have no faith, haply they may desist.
Will ye not fight a people who broke their oaths, and intended to
expel the Apostle? They began with you at first, are ye afraid of
them? God is more deserving that ye should fear Him! If ye be
believers, kill them! God will torment them by your hands, and
disgrace them, and aid you against them, and heal the breasts of a
people who believe; and will remove rage from their hearts; for God
turns unto Him whomsoever He pleases, and God is knowing, wise!
The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Chronicles of the Canongate by Walter Scott: intercourse, from Johnnie Groat's House to Ladykirk and Cornhill
Bridge, safe, pleasant, and cheap. But, Mr. Piper, you who are a
shrewd arithmetician, did it never occur to you to calculate how
many fools' heads, which might have produced an idea or two in
the year, if suffered to remain in quiet, get effectually addled
by jolting to and fro in these flying chariots of yours; how many
decent countrymen become conceited bumpkins after a cattle-show
dinner in the capital, which they could not have attended save
for your means; how many decent country parsons return critics
and spouters, by way of importing the newest taste from
Edinburgh? And how will your conscience answer one day for
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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 Rinkitink In Oz by L. Frank Baum: King, so he was not discouraged by this answer. After
all, he reflected, a conquest by battle would be out of
the question, yet the White Pearl would not have
advised him to go to Regos and Coregos had the mission
been a hopeless one. It seemed to him, on further
reflection, that he must rely upon circumstances to
determine his actions when he reached the islands of
the barbarians.
By this time Inga felt perfect confidence in the
Magic Pearls. It was the White Pearl that had given him
the boat, and the Blue Pearl that had given him
Rinkitink In Oz |
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 Charmides by Plato: Then I am quite certain that he put forth his definition as a riddle,
thinking that no one would know the meaning of the words 'doing his own
business.'
I dare say, he replied.
And what is the meaning of a man doing his own business? Can you tell me?
Indeed, I cannot; and I should not wonder if the man himself who used this
phrase did not understand what he was saying. Whereupon he laughed slyly,
and looked at Critias.
Critias had long been showing uneasiness, for he felt that he had a
reputation to maintain with Charmides and the rest of the company. He had,
however, hitherto managed to restrain himself; but now he could no longer
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