| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Pool in the Desert by Sara Jeanette Duncan: think and talk and dream of nothing else. John indulged me as much
as was reasonable, and only once betrayed by a yawn that the subject
was not for him endlessly absorbing. Then I cried and he
apologized. 'You know,' he said, 'it isn't exactly the same thing.
I'm not her mother.' At which I dried my tears and expanded, proud
and pacified. I was her mother!
Then the rainy little station and Alice, all-embracing in a damp
waterproof, and the drive in the fly, and John's mother at the gate
and a necessary pause while I kissed John's mother. Dear thing, she
wanted to hold our hands and look into our faces and tell us how
little we had changed for all our hardships; and on the way to the
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw: brick like you. She don't know what a kiss means, and if she did,
is it likely that she'd kiss me when a fine man like the
inspector here would be only too happy to oblige her. Fie, for
shame! The barge were red and yellow, with a green dragon for a
figurehead, and a white horse towin' of it. Perhaps you're
color-blind, and can't distinguish red and yellow. The bargee was
moved to compassion by the sight of the poor faintin' lady, and
the offer of 'arf-a-crown, and he had a mother that acted as a
mother should. There was a cabin in that barge about as big as
the locker where your ladyship keeps your jam and pickles, and in
that locker the bargee lives, quite domestic, with his wife and
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Travels and Researches in South Africa by Dr. David Livingstone: formerly alight@mercury.interpath.net). To assure a high quality text,
the original was typed in (manually) twice and electronically compared.
[Note on text: Italicized words or phrases are CAPITALIZED.
Some obvious errors have been corrected.]
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa.
Also called, Travels and Researches in South Africa;
or, Journeys and Researches in South Africa.
By David Livingstone [British (Scot) Missionary and Explorer--1813-1873.]
David Livingstone was born in Scotland, received his medical degree
from the University of Glasgow, and was sent to South Africa
by the London Missionary Society. Circumstances led him to try to meet
|
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 Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: none be slow to speak his mind, if this damsel is not the fairest
of my household and ought not by right to receive the kiss of the
White Stag: I wish to know what you truly think." Then they all
cry with one accord: "Sire, by the Lord and his Cross! you may
well kiss her with good reason, for she is the fairest one there
is. In this damsel there is more beauty than there is of
radiance in the sun. You may kiss her freely, for we all agree
in sanctioning it." When the King hears that this is well
pleasing to them all, he will no longer delay in bestowing the
kiss, but turns toward her and embraces her. The maid was
sensible, and perfectly willing that the King should kiss her;
|
