| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: ideal into the very bone and marrow of our generation, one
wonders whether a revival of the belief that poverty is a worthy
religious vocation may not be "the transformation of military
courage," and the spiritual reform which our time stands most in
need of.
Among us English-speaking peoples especially do the praises of
poverty need once more to be boldly sung. We have grown
literally afraid to be poor. We despise any one who elects to be
poor in order to simplify and save his inner life. If he does
not join the general scramble and pant with the money-making
street, we deem him spiritless and lacking in ambition. We have
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: Then came a bustle and a noise, and one strove to push between the men-at-arms
so as to reach the cart, and Stutely saw that it was Little John that made
all that stir.
"Now stand thou back!" cried one of the men-at-arms whom Little John pushed
with his elbows.
"Now stand thou back thine own self," quoth Little John, and straightway smote
the man a buffet beside his head that felled him as a butcher fells an ox,
and then he leaped to the cart where Stutely sat.
"I pray thee take leave of thy friends ere thou diest, Will,"
quoth he, "or maybe I will die with thee if thou must die,
for I could never have better company." Then with one stroke
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas: only on condition that you become a Frondist, my young
friend, and a hearty Frondist, too."
"But can I continue to visit Madame de Chevreuse?"
"I should say you could! and the coadjutor and Madame de
Longueville; and if the worthy Broussel were there, whom you
so stupidly helped arrest, I should tell you to excuse
yourself to him at once and kiss him on both cheeks."
"Well, sir, I will obey you, although I do not understand
you.
"It is unnecessary for you to understand. Hold," continued
D'Artagnan, turning toward the door, which had just opened,
Twenty Years After |
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 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: Moscow, only he had been taken so ill on the road that it was
doubtful if he would ever leave his bed again, she wrote. "It's
always of you he has talked, and, besides, he has no more money
left."
"Read this; Dolly writes about you," Kitty was beginning, with a
smile; but she stopped suddenly, noticing the changed expression
on her husband's face.
"What is it? What's the matter?"
"She writes to me that Nikolay, my brother, is at death's door. I
shall go to him."
Kitty's face changed at once. Thoughts of Tanya as a marquise, of
Anna Karenina |
