| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: between his paws, and, without moving a muscle, rolled his eyes round and
round, now gazing up at Tattine, and then at his mother, trying to be happy
though quiet. Finally he stretched himself, got on his feet, cocked up his
ears, and came and stood in front of Betsy, and although not a sound was
heard, he said, so that Betsy perfectly understood him, "I can't stand this
any longer. If you have any love for me do please come for a run."
Then Betsy took one long stretch and with motherly self-sacrifice reluctantly
got up, prepared to humor this lively boy of hers. Suddenly Doctor craned his
head high in the air, and gave a little sniff, and then Betsy craned her head
and sniffed. Then they stole as stealthily away as though stepping upon eggs,
and Tattine never knew that they had gone. It was no stealthy treading very
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: many of the guests there assembled had seen him!
"His name!" was the cry from all lips.
"Iaokanann!"
Antipas fell back in his chair as if a heavy blow had struck him on
the breast. The Sadducees rose from their seats and rushed towards
Jacob. Eleazar raised his voice to a shout in order to make himself
heard. When order was finally restored, he draped his mantle about his
shoulders, and, with the air of a judge, proceeded to put questions to
Jacob.
"Since the prophet is dead--" he began.
Murmurs interrupted him. Many persons believed that Elias was not
Herodias |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Treatise on Parents and Children by George Bernard Shaw: good many who could afford a trip round the world, who are more
immovable than Aldgate pump. To others, who would move if they knew
how, travelling is surrounded with imaginary difficulties and terrors.
In short, the difficulty is not to fix people, but to root them up.
We keep repeating the silly proverb that a rolling stone gathers no
moss, as if moss were a desirable parasite. What we mean is that a
vagabond does not prosper. Even this is not true, if prosperity means
enjoyment as well as responsibility and money. The real misery of
vagabondage is the misery of having nothing to do and nowhere to go,
the misery of being derelict of God and Man, the misery of the idle,
poor or rich. And this is one of the miseries of unoccupied
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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 Koran: nearest to you in usefulness:- an ordinance this from God; verily, God
is knowing and wise! And ye shall have half of what your wives
leave, if they have no son; but if they have a son, then ye shall have
a fourth of what they leave, after payment of the bequests they
bequeath or of their debts. And they shall have a fourth of what ye
leave, if ye have no son; but if ye have a son, then let them have
an eighth of what ye leave, after payment of the bequest ye bequeath
and of your debts.
And if the man's or the woman's (property) be inherited by a kinsman
who is neither parent nor child, and he have a brother or sister, then
let each of these two have a sixth; but if they are more than that,
The Koran |
