| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: Distance, and no space was seen
'Twixt the turtle and his queen;
But in them it were a wonder.
So between them love did shine,
That the turtle saw his right
Flaming in the phoenix' sight:
Either was the other's mine.
Property was thus appall'd,
That the self was not the same;
Single nature's double name
Neither two nor one was call'd.
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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 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: hurry, for I was nearly busting. I popped out to my
armpits and blowed the water out of my nose, and
puffed a bit. Of course there was a booming current;
and of course that boat started her engines again ten
seconds after she stopped them, for they never cared
much for raftsmen; so now she was churning along up
the river, out of sight in the thick weather, though I
could hear her.
I sung out for Jim about a dozen times, but I didn't
get any answer; so I grabbed a plank that touched me
while I was "treading water," and struck out for
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: beseech you, under favour, with your own gentle hand, to despatch
me on the spot. Your own ears have heard him, how before that I
was proven guilty he did threaten me with torments. It standeth
not with your own honour to deliver me to my sworn enemy and old
oppressor, but to try me fairly by the way of law, and, if that I
be guilty indeed, to slay me mercifully."
"My lord," cried Sir Daniel, "ye will not hearken to this wolf?
His bloody dagger reeks him the lie into his face."
"Nay, but suffer me, good knight," returned the tall stranger;
"your own vehemence doth somewhat tell against yourself."
And here the bride, who had come to herself some minutes past and
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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 Marie by H. Rider Haggard: Where he came from I do not know, but I think he must have been keeping
in the background on purpose to see what kind of a reception Pereira
would meet with.
"Silence, brothers," he said. "Is this the way you greet my nephew, who
has returned from the gate of death, when you should be on your knees
thanking God for his deliverance?"
"Then go on your knees and thank Him yourself, Henri Marais," screamed
the irrepressible Vrouw Prinsloo. "I give thanks for the safe return of
Allan here, though it is true they would be warmer if he had left this
stinkcat behind him. Allemachte! Henri Marais, why do you make so much
of this Portuguese fellow? Has he bewitched you? Or is it because he
Marie |
