| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Land of Footprints by Stewart Edward White: right through and disappears without trying again to discover
what has aroused him.
This first rush is not a charge in the sense that it is an attack
on a definite object. It may not, and probably will not, amount
to a charge at all, for the beast will blunder through without
ever defining more clearly the object of his blind dash. That
dash is likely, however, at any moment, to turn into a definite
charge should the rhinoceros happen to catch sight of his
disturber. Whether the impelling motive would then be a mistaken
notion that on the part of the beast he was so close he had to
fight, or just plain malice, would not matter. At such times the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: Lord and your Lord, that ye stone me not. And if ye believe not in
me then let me alone!'
Then he called upon his Lord, 'Verily, these are a sinful people.'
So journey with my servants by night-verily, ye will be pursued. But
leave the sea in quiet-verily, they are a host to be drowned! How many
gardens and springs have they left, and corn lands and a noble
place, and comfort wherein they did enjoy themselves!
Thus-and we gave them for an inheritance to another people. And
the heaven wept not for them, nor the earth, nor were they respited.
But we saved the children of Israel from shameful woe!- from
Pharaoh; verily, he was haughty, one of the extravagant! And we did
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Laches by Plato: bull, and a monkey, have equally little pretensions to courage.
LACHES: Capital, Socrates; by the gods, that is truly good. And I hope,
Nicias, that you will tell us whether these animals, which we all admit to
be courageous, are really wiser than mankind; or whether you will have the
boldness, in the face of universal opinion, to deny their courage.
NICIAS: Why, Laches, I do not call animals or any other things which have
no fear of dangers, because they are ignorant of them, courageous, but only
fearless and senseless. Do you imagine that I should call little children
courageous, which fear no dangers because they know none? There is a
difference, to my way of thinking, between fearlessness and courage. I am
of opinion that thoughtful courage is a quality possessed by very few, but
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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 Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad: after magnanimity, generosity, superiority--interrupted, however, by
flashes of indignation and anxiety--frightful anxiety to know how far
she had gone. She looked down at the torn paper. Then she looked up,
and their eyes met again, remained fastened together, like an
unbreakable bond, like a clasp of eternal complicity; and the
decorous silence, the pervading quietude of the house which enveloped
this meeting of their glances became for a moment inexpressibly vile,
for he was afraid she would say too much and make magnanimity
impossible, while behind the profound mournfulness of her face there
was a regret--a regret of things done--the regret of delay--the
thought that if she had only turned back a week sooner--a day
Tales of Unrest |
