| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Fanny Herself by Edna Ferber: Fifth avenue again and up to Forty-fifth street. Then she
scrambled up the spiral stairs of a Washington Square 'bus.
The air was crisp, clear, intoxicating. To her Chicago eyes
the buildings, the streets, the very sky looked startlingly
fresh and new-washed. As the 'bus lurched down Fifth avenue
she leaned over the railing to stare, fascinated, at the
colorful, shifting, brilliant panorama of the most amazing
street in the world. Block after block, as far as the eye
could see, the gorgeous procession moved up, moved down, and
the great, gleaming motor cars crept, and crawled, and
writhed in and out, like nothing so much as swollen angle
Fanny Herself |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: awaken such old slumbering, light-shunning things!
With the old Deities hath it long since come to an end:--and verily, a good
joyful Deity-end had they!
They did not "begloom" themselves to death--that do people fabricate! On
the contrary, they--LAUGHED themselves to death once on a time!
That took place when the unGodliest utterance came from a God himself--the
utterance: "There is but one God! Thou shalt have no other Gods before
me!"--
--An old grim-beard of a God, a jealous one, forgot himself in such wise:--
And all the Gods then laughed, and shook upon their thrones, and exclaimed:
"Is it not just divinity that there are Gods, but no God?"
Thus Spake Zarathustra |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: upon him. Perhaps the proconsul would discover his relations with the
Parthians. Several men whom Antipas had recognised as hired assassins
from Jerusalem, had escorted the priests in the train of the
proconsul; they all carried daggers concealed beneath their robes. The
tetrarch had no doubt whatever of the exactness of Phanuel's skill in
astrology.
Suddenly he bethought him of Herodias. He would consult her. He hated
her, certainly, but she might give him courage; and besides, in spite
of his dislike, not all the bonds were yet broken of that sorcery
which once she had woven about him.
When he entered her chamber, he was met by the pungent odour of
Herodias |
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 King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: Grown to this faction in the Temple-garden,
Shall send between the red rose and the white
A thousand souls to death and deadly night.
PLANTAGENET.
Good Master Vernon, I am bound to you,
That you on my behalf would pluck a flower.
VERNON.
In your behalf still will I wear the same.
LAWYER.
And so will I.
PLANTAGENET.
|
