| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: of pretty little yellow legs, then some coat tails, then a pair of
arms stuck akimbo, and finally the well-known head of his friend the
mug--all which articles, uniting as they rolled out, stood up
energetically on the floor in the shape of a little golden dwarf
about a foot and a half high.
"That's right!" said the dwarf, stretching out first his
legs and then his arms, and then shaking his head up and down and
as far round as it would go, for five minutes without stopping,
apparently with the view of ascertaining if he were quite correctly
put together, while Gluck stood contemplating him in speechless
amazement. He was dressed in a slashed doublet of spun gold, so
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Egmont by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: through him they had passed into the power of his descendant, the
Emperor Charles V. This powerful ruler abolished the constitutional rights
of the provinces, and introduced the Inquisition in order to stamp out
Protestantism. Prominent among his officers was the Fleming, Lamoral,
Count Egmont, upon whom he lavished honors and opportunities of
service--opportunities so well improved that, by his victories over the
French at Saint-Quentin (1557) and Gravelines (1558) Egmont made a
reputation as one of the most brilliant generals in Europe, and became the
idol of his countrymen. When in 1559 a new Regent of the Netherlands
was to be created, the people hoped that Philip II, who had succeeded
Charles, would choose Egmont; but instead he appointed his half-sister
Egmont |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: "You are a novice in toilet fashions, my dear cousin. All women
consult the looking-glass with anxiety before they go into
company; but when they return home, the mirror has not the same
charm. The die has been cast--the party has been successful or
unsuccessful in the impression which she desired to make. But,
without going deeper into the mysteries of the dressing-table, I
will tell you that I myself, like many other honest folks, do not
like to see the blank, black front of a large mirror in a room
dimly lighted, and where the reflection of the candle seems
rather to lose itself in the deep obscurity of the glass than to
be reflected back again into the apartment, That space of inky
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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 Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: the prodigal husband's return.
Now the far-sighted Aggie was experiencing less pleasant
sensations at the phone. "A special?" she was saying to Jimmy.
"When did Alfred GET the message?" There was a slight pause.
Then she asked irritably, "Well, didn't you mark it 'NIGHT
message'?" From the expression on Aggie's face it was evident
that he had not done so. "But, Jimmy," protested Aggie, "this is
dreadful! We haven't any baby!" Then calling to him to wait a
minute, and leaving the receiver dangling, she crossed the room
to Zoie, who was now thoroughly engrossed in the making of a
fresh toilet. "Zoie!" she exclaimed excitedly, "Jimmy made a
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