| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: "Don' know nuffin 'bout it," said he, "'ceptin' she done rolled 'way
over 'bout foh times. Yass she did, suh! I know. I felt her doin'
it."
"No," he answered a query. "I wasn't what you-all would call
scairt, that is, not really SCAIRT--jess a little ne'vous. All I
had to do was to feed her slabs and listen foh my bell. You see,
Cap'n Ma'sh, he was in cha'ge."
"No, sir," Captain Marsh was saying emphatically to his employer.
"I can't figure it out except on one thing. You see it's stove from
UNDERNEATH. A sea would have smashed it from above."
"Perhaps you grounded in between seas out there," suggested Orde.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dreams by Olive Schreiner: African river are sometimes a hundred feet high, and consist of deep
shifting sands, through which in the course of ages the river has worn its
gigantic bed.) And on it an old man met her, who had a long white beard;
and a stick that curled was in his hand, and on it was written Reason. And
he asked her what she wanted; and she said "I am woman; and I am seeking
for the land of Freedom."
And he said, "It is before you."
And she said, "I see nothing before me but a dark flowing river, and a bank
steep and high, and cuttings here and there with heavy sand in them."
And he said, "And beyond that?"
She said, "I see nothing, but sometimes, when I shade my eyes with my hand,
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: lays, and methinks I sing to thee as to a god, wherefore be
not eager to cut off my head. And Telemachus will testify
of this, thine own dear son, that not by mine own will or
desire did I resort to thy house to sing to the wooers at
their feasts; but being so many and stronger than I they
led me by constraint.'
So he spake, and the mighty prince Telemachus heard him and
quickly spake to his father at his side: 'Hold thy hand,
and wound not this blameless man with the sword; and let us
save also the henchman Medon, that ever had charge of me in
our house when I was a child, unless perchance Philoetius
The Odyssey |
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 Aesop's Fables by Aesop: and often carried his master. With the Farmer came his Lapdog,
who danced about and licked his hand and frisked about as happy as
could be. The Farmer felt in his pocket, gave the Lapdog some
dainty food, and sat down while he gave his orders to his
servants. The Lapdog jumped into his master's lap, and lay there
blinking while the Farmer stroked his ears. The Ass, seeing this,
broke loose from his halter and commenced prancing about in
imitation of the Lapdog. The Farmer could not hold his sides with
laughter, so the Ass went up to him, and putting his feet upon the
Farmer's shoulder attempted to climb into his lap. The Farmer's
servants rushed up with sticks and pitchforks and soon taught the
Aesop's Fables |
