| 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: [199] Christian saints have had their specialties of devotion,
Saint Francis to Christ's wounds; Saint Anthony of Padua to
Christ's childhood; Saint Bernard to his humanity; Saint Teresa
to Saint Joseph, etc. The Shi-ite Mohammedans venerate Ali, the
Prophet's son-in-law, instead of Abu-bekr, his brother-in-law.
Vambery describes a dervish whom he met in Persia, "who had
solemnly vowed, thirty years before, that he would never employ
his organs of speech otherwise but in uttering, everlastingly,
the name of his favorite, Ali, Ali. He thus wished to signify to
the world that he was the most devoted partisan of that Ali who
had been dead a thousand years. In his own home, speaking with
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: of life, vegetable and animal, under her auspices spring up and are
reared outside the fortified defences of the city. For which reason
also this way of life stood in the highest repute in the eyes of
statesmen and commonwealths, as furnishing the best citizens and those
best disposed to the common weal.[9]
[8] Cf. Aristot. "Oec." I. ii. 1343 B, {pros toutois k.t.l.}
[9] Cf. Aristoph. "Archarnians."
Crit. I think I am fully persuaded as to the propriety of making
agriculture the basis of life. I see it is altogether noblest, best,
and pleasantest to do so. But I should like to revert to your remark
that you understood the reason why the tillage of one man brings him
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: sign of any living thing within the wood other than the
many, gay-plumaged birds and little monkeys which
filled the trees with life, color, and action.
To you it may seem that my conviction was the re-
sult of an overwrought imagination, or to the actual
reality of the prying eyes of the little monkeys or the
curious ones of the birds; but there is a difference
which I cannot explain between the sensation of casual
observation and studied espionage. A sheep might gaze
at you without transmitting a warning through your sub-
jective mind, because you are in no danger from a
Pellucidar |
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 Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence: and went upstairs, returning immediately with his shifting-trousers.
When he was dried he struggled into his shirt. Then, ruddy and shiny,
with hair on end, and his flannelette shirt hanging over his
pit-trousers, he stood warming the garments he was going to put on.
He turned them, he pulled them inside out, he scorched them.
"Goodness, man!" cried Mrs. Morel, "get dressed!"
"Should thee like to clap thysen into britches as cowd
as a tub o' water?" he said.
At last he took off his pit-trousers and donned decent black.
He did all this on the hearthrug, as he would have done if Annie
and her familiar friends had been present.
Sons and Lovers |
