| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Fanny Herself by Edna Ferber: quiet, cleanly bedroom, with its cream enamel, and the
chaise longue that she had had cushioned in rose because it
contrasted so becomingly with her black hair. And there, on
her dressing table, propped up against the brushes and
bottles, was the yellow oblong of a telegram. From Theodore
of course. She opened it with a rush of happiness. It was
like a loving hand held out to her in need. It was a day
letter.
"We sail Monday on the St. Paul. Mizzi is with
me. I broke my word to you. But you lied to me about
the letters. I found them the week before the concert.
Fanny Herself |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Collection of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter: She ran so fast through the village
that she was too early, and she had
to wait a little while in the lane
that leads down to Ribby's house.
"I wonder if Ribby has taken
MY pie out of the oven yet?" said
Duchess, "and whatever can have
become of the other pie made of
mouse?"
At a quarter past four to the
minute, there came a most genteel
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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 A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde: Fisherman at night-time, and as he sat in the wattled house alone,
'Lo! now I have tempted thee with evil, and I have tempted thee
with good, and thy love is stronger than I am. Wherefore will I
tempt thee no longer, but I pray thee to suffer me to enter thy
heart, that I may be one with thee even as before.'
'Surely thou mayest enter,' said the young Fisherman, 'for in the
days when with no heart thou didst go through the world thou must
have much suffered.'
'Alas!' cried his Soul, 'I can find no place of entrance, so
compassed about with love is this heart of thine.'
'Yet I would that I could help thee,' said the young Fisherman.
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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 A Horse's Tale by Mark Twain: "Well, you know, she's a nuisance herself, Miss Cathy is, she IS so
busy, and into everything, like that bird. It's all just as
innocent, you know, and she don't mean any harm, and is so good and
dear; and it ain't her fault, it's her nature; her interest is
always a-working and always red-hot, and she can't keep quiet.
Well, yesterday it was 'Please, Miss Cathy, don't do that'; and,
'Please, Miss Cathy, let that alone'; and, 'Please, Miss Cathy,
don't make so much noise'; and so on and so on, till I reckon I had
found fault fourteen times in fifteen minutes; then she looked up
at me with her big brown eyes that can plead so, and said in that
odd little foreign way that goes to your heart,
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