| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A treatise on Good Works by Dr. Martin Luther: unworthiness I cease from nothing. I pray and work only because
God of His pure mercy has promised to hear and to be gracious to
all unworthy men, and not only promised it, but He has also most
sternly, on pain of His everlasting displeasure and wrath,
commanded us to pray, to trust and to receive. If it has not been
too much for that high Majesty so solemnly and highly to obligate
His unworthy worms to pray, to trust, and to receive from Him,
how shall it be too much for me to take such command upon myself
with all joy, however worthy or unworthy I may be?" Thus we must
drive out the devil's suggestion with God's command. Thus will
he cease, and in no other way whatever.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: been killed, the death of men is but a detail, not considered of
great importance in that astonishing country of America.
Naturally the excitement became more intense as one approached the
finishing line near Milwaukee. There were assembled the most curious,
the most interested; and there the passions of the moment were
unchained. By ten o'clock it was evident, that the first prize,
twenty thousand dollars, lay between five machines, two American, two
French, and one English. Imagine, therefore, the fury with which bets
were being made under the influence of national pride. The regular
book makers could scarcely meet the demands of those who wished to
wager. Offers and amounts were hurled from lip to lip with feverish
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Vailima Letters by Robert Louis Stevenson: word was 'Faamolemole' - 'Please' - and he kept telling us at
intervals that his family were calling him. During this
interval, by the special grace of God, my boys came home; we
had already called in Arrick, the black boy; now we had that
Hercules, Lafaele, and a man Savea, who comes from
Paatalise's own island and can alone communicate with him
freely. Lloyd went to bed, I took the first watch, and sat
in my room reading, while Lafaele and Arrick watched the
madman. Suddenly Arrick called me; I ran into the verandah;
there was Paatalise free of all his bonds and Lafaele holding
him. To tell what followed is impossible. We were five
|
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 Euthyphro by Plato: them is easily told. Would you not say that victory in war is the chief of
them?
EUTHYPHRO: Certainly.
SOCRATES: Many and fair, too, are the works of the husbandman, if I am not
mistaken; but his chief work is the production of food from the earth?
EUTHYPHRO: Exactly.
SOCRATES: And of the many and fair things done by the gods, which is the
chief or principal one?
EUTHYPHRO: I have told you already, Socrates, that to learn all these
things accurately will be very tiresome. Let me simply say that piety or
holiness is learning how to please the gods in word and deed, by prayers
|
