| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Arizona Nights by Stewart Edward White: game. About nine o'clock every mornin' they would saunter down
to the rise of the road where they would wait patient until a
machine came along. Then it would warm your heart to see the
enthusiasm of them. With, exultant cackles of joy they'd trail
in, reachin' out like quarter-horses, their wings half spread
out, their eyes beamin' with delight. At the lower turn they'd
quit. Then, after talkin' it over excited-like for a few
minutes, they'd calm down and wait for another.
After a few months of this sort of trainin' they got purty good
at it. I had one two-year-old rooster that made fifty-four mile
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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 Odyssey by Homer: dash upon smaller birds, and these scour low in the plain,
stooping in terror from the clouds, while the vultures
pounce on them and slay them, and there is no help nor way
of flight, and men are glad at the sport; even so did the
company of Odysseus set upon the wooers and smite them
right and left through the hall; and there rose a hideous
moaning as their heads were smitten, and the floor all ran
with blood.
Now Leiodes took hold of the knees of Odysseus eagerly, and
besought him and spake winged words: 'I entreat thee by thy
knees, Odysseus, and do thou show mercy on me and have
The Odyssey |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: Will you, O professor of true virtue, pretend that you are justified in
this? Has a philosopher like you failed to discover that our country is
more to be valued and higher and holier far than mother or father or any
ancestor, and more to be regarded in the eyes of the gods and of men of
understanding? also to be soothed, and gently and reverently entreated when
angry, even more than a father, and either to be persuaded, or if not
persuaded, to be obeyed? And when we are punished by her, whether with
imprisonment or stripes, the punishment is to be endured in silence; and if
she lead us to wounds or death in battle, thither we follow as is right;
neither may any one yield or retreat or leave his rank, but whether in
battle or in a court of law, or in any other place, he must do what his
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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 Reason Discourse by Rene Descartes: Whether or not I have succeeded in this it is not for me to say; and I do
not wish to forestall the judgments of others by speaking myself of my
writings; but it will gratify me if they be examined, and, to afford the
greater inducement to this I request all who may have any objections to
make to them, to take the trouble of forwarding these to my publisher, who
will give me notice of them, that I may endeavor to subjoin at the same
time my reply; and in this way readers seeing both at once will more easily
determine where the truth lies; for I do not engage in any case to make
prolix replies, but only with perfect frankness to avow my errors if I am
convinced of them, or if I cannot perceive them, simply to state what I
think is required for defense of the matters I have written, adding
Reason Discourse |
