| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: Single nature's double name
Neither two nor one was call'd.
Reason, in itself confounded,
Saw division grow together;
To themselves yet either-neither,
Simple were so well compounded.
That it cried how true a twain
Seemeth this concordant one!
Love hath reason, reason none
If what parts can so remain.
Whereupon it made this threne
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass: bot county, Maryland, when I left there; and if he
is still alive, he very probably lives there now; and if
so, he is now, as he was then, as highly esteemed
and as much respected as though his guilty soul
had not been stained with his brother's blood.
I speak advisedly when I say this,--that killing
a slave, or any colored person, in Talbot county,
Maryland, is not treated as a crime, either by the
courts or the community. Mr. Thomas Lanman, of
St. Michael's, killed two slaves, one of whom he
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: drew the dolly from the ashes, it had baked as hard as if it had lain
a full day in the hot sun.
Now our Claus became a dressmaker as well as a toymaker. He cut the
lavender silk, and nearly sewed it into a beautiful gown that just
fitted the new dolly. And he put a lace collar around its neck and
pink silk shoes on its feet. The natural color of baked clay is a
light gray, but Claus painted the face to resemble the color of flesh,
and he gave the dolly Bessie's brown eyes and golden hair and rosy cheeks.
It was really a beautiful thing to look upon, and sure to bring joy to
some childish heart. While Claus was admiring it he heard a knock at
his door, and little Mayrie entered. Her face was sad and her eyes
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
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 Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: witness the betrothal? She only mocks me when I
beg her to tell me if she loves him, languishes, or
sings a bar of some one of our beautiful songs with
ridiculous words. But she does. She did not sleep
last night. Her room is next to mine. No, it is of
Rezanov she thinks, and always. Those proud,
silent girls, who jest when others would weep and
use many words and must die without sympathy--
they have tragedy in their souls, ay yi! And you
think she is fortunate? True she is beautiful, she
is La Favorita, she receives many boxes from Mex-
Rezanov |
