| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Grimm's Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm: be his Holiness the Pope. Then he had to sing a mass, and did not know
one word of it, but the two doves sat continually on his shoulders,
and said it all in his ear.
THE FOX AND THE CAT
It happened that the cat met the fox in a forest, and as she thought
to herself: 'He is clever and full of experience, and much esteemed in
the world,' she spoke to him in a friendly way. 'Good day, dear Mr
Fox, how are you? How is all with you? How are you getting on in these
hard times?' The fox, full of all kinds of arrogance, looked at the
cat from head to foot, and for a long time did not know whether he
would give any answer or not. At last he said: 'Oh, you wretched
Grimm's Fairy Tales |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Fables by Robert Louis Stevenson: and like the wind that sings in windlestraw; and it took hold upon
men's ears like the crying of gulls.
"Are you the comer?" quoth the King's daughter of Duntrine.
"I am the corner," said he, "and these are the pipes that a man may
hear, and I have power upon the hour, and this is the song of the
morrow." And he piped the song of the morrow, and it was as long
as years; and the nurse wept out aloud at the hearing of it.
"This is true," said the King's daughter, "that you pipe the song
of the morrow; but that ye have power upon the hour, how may I know
that? Show me a marvel here upon the beach, between the waves and
the dead leaves."
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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 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: What are you now? A third-rate actress with a pretty
face."
The girl grew white, and trembled. She clenched her hands together,
and her voice seemed to catch in her throat. "You are not serious, Dorian?"
she murmured. "You are acting."
"Acting! I leave that to you. You do it so well," he answered bitterly.
She rose from her knees and, with a piteous expression of pain
in her face, came across the room to him. She put her hand
upon his arm and looked into his eyes. He thrust her back.
"Don't touch me!" he cried.
A low moan broke from her, and she flung herself at his feet
The Picture of Dorian Gray |
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 Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: other gentlemen?"
Phellion. "They have gone into Monsieur Baudoyer's office to see a
paper which it is said--"
Rabourdin [interrupting him]. "Enough." [Goes out, taking Sebastien
with him. Poiret and Phellion look at each other in amazement, and do
not know what to say.]
Poiret [to Phellion]. "Monsieur Rabourdin--"
Phellion [to Poiret]. "Monsieur Rabourdin--"
Poiret. "Well, I never! Monsieur Rabourdin!"
Phellion. "But did you notice how calm and dignified he was?"
Poiret [with a sly look that was more like a grimace]. "I shouldn't be
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