| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling: them at first, for I separated to live with their father in a cart-
lodge. The mother we put - forced - into the house with her
babes. She had done enough.
'And now, good people, give me leave to be particular in this
case. The plague was worst on the north side of the street, for
lack, as I showed 'em, of sunshine; which, proceeding from the
PRIME MOBILE, or source of life (I speak astrologically), is cleansing
and purifying in the highest degree. The plague was hot too
by the corn-chandler's, where they sell forage to the carters,
extreme hot in both Mills, along the river, and scatteringly in
other places, except, mark you, at the smithy. Mark here, that all
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy: proving her truth. "Will you promise to leave me quite free as to
seeing you or not seeing you?"
"Certainly. Have I given any ground for you to doubt my first
promise in that respect?"
She was obliged to admit that he had not.
"Then I think that you might get your heart out of that grave,"
said he, with playful sadness. "It has been there a long time."
She faintly shook her head, but said, "I'll try to think of you
more--if I can."
With this Fitzpiers was compelled to be satisfied, and he asked
her when she would meet him again.
The Woodlanders |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: and the remaining warriors scampered back into the forest.
As they ran the raiders opened the gates, rushing after them,
to complete the day's work with the utter extermination of
the tribe. Tarzan had been among the last to turn back toward
the forest, and now, as he ran slowly, he turned from time to
time to speed a well-aimed arrow into the body of a pursuer.
Once within the jungle, he found a little knot of determined
blacks waiting to give battle to the oncoming horde,
but Tarzan cried to them to scatter, keeping out of
harm's way until they could gather in force after dark.
"Do as I tell you," he urged, "and I will lead you to
The Return of Tarzan |
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 Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad: took it into his head to tell Stevie to take his blessed sticks
somewhere out of that? A division, on the other hand, however
carefully made, might give some cause of offence to Winnie. No,
Stevie must remain destitute and dependent. And at the moment of
leaving Brett Street she had said to her daughter: "No use waiting
till I am dead, is there? Everything I leave here is altogether
your own now, my dear."
Winnie, with her hat on, silent behind her mother's back, went on
arranging the collar of the old woman's cloak. She got her hand-
bag, an umbrella, with an impassive face. The time had come for
the expenditure of the sum of three-and-sixpence on what might well
The Secret Agent |
