| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Octopus by Frank Norris: substance that was neither solid nor fluid. What was he to do?
How make himself heard?
But even as he thought about this, the cone under the chute broke
again and sent a great layer of grain rippling and tumbling
toward him. It reached him where he sat and buried his hand and
one foot.
He sprang up trembling and made for another corner.
"By God," he cried, "by God, I must think of something pretty
quick!"
Once more the level of the wheat rose and the grains began piling
deeper about him. Once more he retreated. Once more he crawled
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: not independent of a certain penetration. The young Frenchman
discerned in Francesca the imprudence of girlhood, the true nature of
a woman as yet unbroken, sometimes struggling against her love, and at
other moments yielding and carried away by it. The old man certainly
behaved to her as a father to his daughter, and Francesca treated him
with a deeply felt gratitude which roused her instinctive nobleness.
The situation and the woman were to Rodolphe an impenetrable enigma,
of which the solution attracted him more and more.
These last days were full of secret joys, alternating with melancholy
moods, with tiffs and quarrels even more delightful than the hours
when Rodolphe and Francesca were of one mind. And he was more and more
Albert Savarus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: shut the door upon him." See Becker, "Charicles," p. 92.
Meanwhile the jester, standing at the door of the apartment where the
feast was spread, addressed the company:
I believe you know, sirs, that being a jester by profession, it is my
business to make jokes. I am all the readier, therefore, to present
myself, feeling convinced it is a better joke to come to dinner thus
unbidden than by solemn invitation.
Be seated,[29] then (replied the host). The company are fully fed on
serious thoughts, you see, if somewhat starved of food for laughter.
[29] Lit. "Pray, find a couch then."
The feast proceeded; and, if only to discharge the duty laid upon him
The Symposium |
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 Schoolmistress and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov: stayed for months at a time, leaving his duties to me together
with the right of pocketing his salary. I had no children, no
cake would have tempted visitors to come and see me, and I could
only visit other officials on the line, and that no oftener than
once a month.
I remember my wife and I saw the New Year in. We sat at table,
chewed lazily, and heard the deaf telegraph clerk monotonously
tapping on his apparatus in the next room. I had already drunk
five glasses of drugged vodka, and, propping my heavy head on my
fist, thought of my overpowering boredom from which there was no
escape, while my wife sat beside me and did not take her eyes off
The Schoolmistress and Other Stories |
