| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Augsburg Confession by Philip Melanchthon: end that anxious consciences should not be without consolation
but that they might know that grace and forgiveness of sins
and justification are apprehended by faith in Christ.
Men are also admonished that here the term "faith" does not
signify merely the knowledge of the history, such as is in the
ungodly and in the devil, but signifies a faith which
believes, not merely the history, but also the effect of the
history -- namely, this Article: the forgiveness of sins, to
wit, that we have grace, righteousness, and forgiveness of
sins through Christ.
Now he that knows that he has a Father gracious to him through
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from New Arabian Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson: free for ever from the primal curse, and might follow his own
inclinations without concern or hurry, without let or hindrance.
And as he suddenly turned it, the rays leaped forth again with
renewed brilliancy, and seemed to pierce his very heart.
Decisive actions are often taken in a moment and without any
conscious deliverance from the rational parts of man. So it was
now with Mr. Rolles. He glanced hurriedly round; beheld, like Mr.
Raeburn before him, nothing but the sunlit flower-garden, the tall
tree-tops, and the house with blinded windows; and in a trice he
had shut the case, thrust it into his pocket, and was hastening to
his study with the speed of guilt.
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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 Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol: landowners in being were about to revert to the peasant state, and to
take their own wares to market; wherefore one of the local volosts[3],
oblivious of the fact that an order of things of that kind would lead
to a superfluity alike of landowners and of superintendents of police,
had refused to pay its taxes, and necessitated recourse to forcible
measures. Hence it was in a mood of the greatest possible despondency
that the poor Prince was sitting plunged when word was brought to him
that the old man who had gone bail for Chichikov was waiting to see
him.
[2] Dissenters or Old Believers: i.e. members of the sect which
refused to accept the revised version of the Church Service Books
Dead Souls |
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 Miracle Mongers and Their Methods by Harry Houdini: by this female, then questioned her
respecting her country and family, and soon
learned that she belonged to the same
stock.
The dauphin being desirous to see Barsabas
exhibit some of his feats, the latter
said, ``My horse has carried me so long
that I will carry him in my turn.'' He
then placed himself below the animal and
raising him up, carried him more than
fifty paces, and then placed him on the
Miracle Mongers and Their Methods |
