| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: preposterous softheartedness, she would insist upon spending a good part
of her money every week for things which she saw they needed. Marija was
really the capitalist of the party, for she had become an expert can
painter by this time--she was getting fourteen cents for every hundred
and ten cans, and she could paint more than two cans every minute.
Marija felt, so to speak, that she had her hand on the throttle, and the
neighborhood was vocal with her rejoicings.
Yet her friends would shake their heads and tell her to go slow; one could
not count upon such good fortune forever--there were accidents that always
happened. But Marija was not to be prevailed upon, and went on planning
and dreaming of all the treasures she was going to have for her home;
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: "I have been ignorant," said he, simply, "until the great Ak in his
kindness taught me who and what I am. You, who live so sweetly in
your forest bowers, ever fair and youthful and innocent, are no fit
comrades for a son of humanity. For I have looked upon man, finding
him doomed to live for a brief space upon earth, to toil for the
things he needs, to fade into old age, and then to pass away as the
leaves in autumn. Yet every man has his mission, which is to leave
the world better, in some way, than he found it. I am of the race of
men, and man's lot is my lot. For your tender care of the poor,
forsaken babe you adopted, as well as for your loving comradeship
during my boyhood, my heart will ever overflow with gratitude. My
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: "But here there are strong men whose hatred is roused! and nothing
binds them to Carthage, neither families, oaths nor gods!"
Matho remained leaning against the wall; Spendius came close, and
continued in a low voice:
"Do you understand me, soldier? We should walk purple-clad like
satraps. We should bathe in perfumes; and I should in turn have
slaves! Are you not weary of sleeping on hard ground, of drinking the
vinegar of the camps, and of continually hearing the trumpet? But you
will rest later, will you not? When they pull off your cuirass to cast
your corpse to the vultures! or perhaps blind, lame, and weak you will
go, leaning on a stick, from door to door to tell of your youth to
Salammbo |
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 A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson: Till far to-morrow, fare you well!
2. Shadow March
All around the house is the jet-black night;
It stares through the window-pane;
It crawls in the corners, hiding from the light,
And it moves with the moving flame.
Now my little heart goes a beating like a drum,
With the breath of the Bogies in my hair;
And all around the candle and the crooked shadows come,
And go marching along up the stair.
The shadow of the balusters, the shadow of the lamp,
A Child's Garden of Verses |
