| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Paradise Lost by John Milton: Upon the wing, as when men wont to watch
On duty, sleeping found by whom they dread,
Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake.
Nor did they not perceive the evil plight
In which they were, or the fierce pains not feel;
Yet to their General's voice they soon obeyed
Innumerable. As when the potent rod
Of Amram's son, in Egypt's evil day,
Waved round the coast, up-called a pitchy cloud
Of locusts, warping on the eastern wind,
That o'er the realm of impious Pharaoh hung
Paradise Lost |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: gracefully around the pond, some were pluming their snowy breasts on the shore
beside it, and three, the finest of them all, and each with a bow of ribbon
tied round its long neck, were confined within a little picket-fence apart
from the others.
"Why, what beauties, Mrs. Kirk!" exclaimed Tattine, the minute she spied them,
"and what are the ribbons for? Do they mean they have taken a prize at some
show or other? And why do they each have a different color?"
"They mane," said Mrs. Kirk proudly, standing with her hands upon her hips and
her face fairly beaming, "they mane as how they're to be presinted to you
three children. The red is for Master Rudolph, the white is for Miss Mabel,
and the blue is for you, Miss Tattine."
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from King James Bible: us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and
of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their
brethren.
JER 41:9 Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of
the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the
king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of
Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.
JER 41:10 Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the
people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the
people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the
guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son
King James Bible |
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 Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey: to his.
"Jack, do you love me still?"
More than woman's sweetness was in the whisper; the portent of
indefinable motive made Hare tremble like a shaking leaf.
"Good heavens! You are to be married in a few minutes--What do you mean?
Where are you going? this buckskin suit--and Wolf with you_Mescal!"
"There's no time--only a word--hurry--do you love me still?" she panted,
with great shining eyes close to his.
"Love you? With all my soul!"
"Listen," she whispered, and leaned against him. A fresh breeze bore the
boom of the river. She caught her breath quickly: "I love you!--I love
The Heritage of the Desert |
