| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Daisy Miller by Henry James: "Have you been all alone?" he asked.
"I have been walking round with mother. But mother gets tired
walking round," she answered.
"Has she gone to bed?"
"No; she doesn't like to go to bed," said the young girl.
"She doesn't sleep--not three hours. She says she
doesn't know how she lives. She's dreadfully nervous.
I guess she sleeps more than she thinks. She's gone somewhere
after Randolph; she wants to try to get him to go to bed.
He doesn't like to go to bed."
"Let us hope she will persuade him," observed Winterbourne.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Twilight Land by Howard Pyle: up and down and here and there, until at last in a far-away part
of the magic palace he found the three-legged stool, and if I had
been in the soldier's place I would have chopped it up into
kindling-wood after I had gotten all that I wanted. But there it
was, and in an instant the magician resumed his own shape. Down
he sat him upon the stool. "I wish," said he, "that this palace
and the princess and all who are within it, together with its
orchards and its lawns and its gardens and everything, may be
removed to such and such a country, upon the other side of the
earth."
And as the stool had obeyed the soldier, so everything was done
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: The sister's letter found its way to Madeline. She read it,
tears in her eyes. It told Madeline much more than its brief
story of illness and poverty and wonder why Gene had not written
home for so long. It told of motherly love, sisterly love,
brotherly love--dear family ties that had not been broken. It
spoke of pride in this El Capitan brother who had become famous.
It was signed "your loving sister Letty."
Not improbably, Madeline revolved in mind, this letter was one
reason for Stewart's headstrong, long-continued abasement. It
had been received too late--after he had squandered the money
that would have meant so much to mother and sister. Be that as
The Light of Western Stars |
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 Odyssey by Homer: best of seamen; and dear to us ever is the banquet, and the
harp, and the dance, and changes of raiment, and the warm
bath, and love, and sleep. Lo, now arise, ye dancers of the
Phaeacians, the best in the land, and make sport, that so
the stranger may tell his friends, when he returneth home,
how far we surpass all men besides in seamanship, and speed
of foot, and in the dance and song. And let one go quickly,
and fetch for Demodocus the loud lyre which is lying
somewhere in our halls.'
So spake Alcinous the godlike, and the henchman rose to
bear the hollow lyre from the king's palace. Then stood up
The Odyssey |
