| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from 'Twixt Land & Sea by Joseph Conrad: turned up, the family made a point of showing their gratitude by
admitting me to their intimacy. My knowledge of the French
language made me specially acceptable. They had meantime managed
to marry the fellow to a woman nearly twice his age, comparatively
well off: the only profession he was really fit for. But it was
not all cakes and ale. The first time I called on the couple she
spied a little spot of grease on the poor devil's pantaloons and
made him a screaming scene of reproaches so full of sincere passion
that I sat terrified as at a tragedy of Racine.
Of course there was never question of the money I had advanced him;
but his sisters, Miss Angele and Miss Mary, and the aunts of both
'Twixt Land & Sea |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "Some time I will surely overtake them," he reflected; "for the road will
end at the gates of the Emerald City, and they can go no further than that."
Meantime Jack was holding fast to the post and the Saw-Horse was tearing
along the road like a racer. Neither of them knew Tip was left behind, for
the Pumpkinhead did not look around and the Saw-Horse couldn't.
As he rode, Jack noticed that the grass and trees
65
had become a bright emerald-green in color, so he guessed they were nearing
the Emerald City even before the tall spires and domes came into sight.
At length a high wall of green stone, studded thick with emeralds, loomed up
before them; and fearing the Saw-Horse would not know enough to stop and so
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Village Rector by Honore de Balzac: The most clear-sighted among those who surrounded her attributed the
change which rendered Veronique increasingly charming to her friends
to the secret delight which all women, even the most religious, feel
when they see themselves courted; and to the satisfaction of living at
last in a circle congenial to her mind, where the pleasure of
exchanging ideas and the happiness of being surrounded by intelligent
and well-informed men and true friends, whose attachment deepened day
by day, had dispersed forever the weary dulness of her life.
Perhaps, however, closer, more perceptive or sceptical observers were
needed than those who frequented the hotel Graslin, to detect the
barbaric grandeur, the plebeian force of the People which lay deep-
|
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 The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy: that time she will remain a serf. One need only imagine,
forgetting the universality of the case, the conditions in which
our young girls are brought up, to avoid astonishment at the
debauchery of the women of our upper classes. It is the opposite
that would cause astonishment.
"Follow my reasoning. From infancy garments, ornaments,
cleanliness, grace, dances, music, reading of poetry, novels,
singing, the theatre, the concert, for use within and without,
according as women listen, or practice themselves. With that,
complete physical idleness, an excessive care of the body, a vast
consumption of sweetmeats; and God knows how the poor maidens
The Kreutzer Sonata |
