| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: about corners and archways. I walked along, hardly knowing
where I was going or what I did there, but feeling impelled, as
one sometimes is, to explore still further, with a vague idea of
reaching some unknown goal. Thus I forged up the street, noting
the small traffic of the milk-shop, and wondering at the
incongruous medley of penny pipes, black tobacco, sweets,
newspapers, and comic songs which here and there jostled one
another in the short compass of a single window. I think it was
a cold shudder that suddenly passed through me that first told
me that I had found what I wanted. I looked up from the
pavement and stopped before a dusty shop, above which the
The Great God Pan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: the smallest insult.
M. de Treville employed this powerful weapon for the king, in the
first place, and the friends of the king--and then for himself
and his own friends. For the rest, in the memoirs of this
period, which has left so many memoirs, one does not find this
worthy gentleman blamed even by his enemies; and he had many such
among men of the pen as well as among men of the sword. In no
instance, let us say, was this worthy gentleman accused of
deriving personal advantage from the cooperation of his minions.
Endowed with a rare genius for intrigue which rendered him the
equal of the ablest intriguers, he remained an honest man. Still
The Three Musketeers |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling: "'Now," said Witta, when the ship was loaded, "I
counsel you strangers to pray to your Gods, for, from
here on, our road is No Man's road." He and his men
killed a black goat for sacrifice on the bows; and the
Yellow Man brought out a small, smiling image of dull-
green stone and burned incense before it. Hugh and I
commended ourselves to God, and Saint Barnabas, and
Our Lady of the Assumption, who was specially dear to
my Lady. We were not young, but I think no shame to say
whenas we drove out of that secret harbour at sunrise
over a still sea, we two rejoiced and sang as did the
|
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 Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: had ever given him more than perfunctory courtesy and it was very
flattering to have a former belle like Scarlett hanging on his
words. He slowed the horse so they would not reach home before he
had finished his story.
"I'm not a millionaire, Miss Scarlett, and considering the money I
used to have, what I've got now sounds small. But I made a
thousand dollars this year. Of course, five hundred of it went to
paying for new stock and repairing the store and paying the rent.
But I've made five hundred clear and as things are certainly
picking up, I ought to clear two thousand next year. I can sure
use it, too, for you see, I've got another iron in the fire."
Gone With the Wind |
