| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre: comes and robs me of the finish of the unbridled debauch. Next
morning, the drained Mantis lies upon the ground. The Ants are
eagerly devouring the remains.
The eminent talents of the Epeirae are displayed to even better
purpose in the industrial business of motherhood than in the art of
the chase. The silk bag, the nest, in which the Banded Epeira
houses her eggs, is a much greater marvel than the bird's nest. In
shape, it is an inverted balloon, nearly the size of a Pigeon's
egg. The top tapers like a pear and is cut short and crowned with
a scalloped rim, the corners of which are lengthened by means of
moorings that fasten the object to the adjoining twigs. The whole,
The Life of the Spider |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: "At all events, Cerizet was a low sort of fellow, a good deal damaged
by low debauchery. Now for the duel I spoke about. Never did two
tradesmen of the worst type, with the worst manners, the lowest pair
of villains imaginable, go into partnership in a dirtier business.
Their stock-in-trade consisted of the peculiar idiom of the man about
town, the audacity of poverty, the cunning that comes of experience,
and a special knowledge of Parisian capitalists, their origin,
connections, acquaintances, and intrinsic value. This partnership of
two 'dabblers' (let the Stock Exchange term pass, for it is the only
word which describes them), this partnership of dabblers did not last
very long. They fought like famished curs over every bit of garbage.
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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 Lin McLean by Owen Wister: The cow-puncher stopped dead short, and his hand slid off his brother's
shoulder. "You've made it plain," he said, evenly, slanting his steady
eyes down into Frank's. "You've explained yourself fairly well. Run along
with your crowd, and I'll not bother yu' more with comin' round and
causin' yu' to feel ashamed. It's a heap better to understand these
things at once, and save making a fool of yourself any longer 'n yu' need
to. I guess there ain't no more to be said, only one thing. If yu' see me
around on the street, don't yu' try any talk, for I'd be liable to close
your jaw up, and maybe yu'd have more of a job explainin' that to your
crowd than you've had makin' me see what kind of a man I've got for a
brother."
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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 Hamlet by William Shakespeare: that was mad, and sent into England
Ham. I marry, why was he sent into England?
Clo. Why, because he was mad; hee shall recouer his
wits there; or if he do not, it's no great matter there
Ham. Why?
Clo. 'Twill not be seene in him, there the men are as
mad as he
Ham. How came he mad?
Clo. Very strangely they say
Ham. How strangely?
Clo. Faith e'ene with loosing his wits
Hamlet |
