| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Talisman by Walter Scott: thrown into some confusion by this reply, his more austere
companion took up the thread of the conversation, and with as
much dry and brief gravity as was consistent with the presence
which he addressed, informed the King that they came from the
Council, to pray, in the name of Christendom, "that he would not
suffer his health to be tampered with by an infidel physician,
said to be dispatched by Saladin, until the Council had taken
measures to remove or confirm the suspicion which they at present
conceived did attach itself to the mission of such a person."
"Grand Master of the Holy and Valiant Order of Knights Templars,
and you, most noble Marquis of Montserrat," replied Richard, "if
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: chien chasse de race."
It pleased Mrs. Weguelin. Her guarded attitude toward me relented. "John
mentioned your cultivation to us," she said. "In these tumble-down days
it is rare to meet with one who still lives, mentally, on the
gentlefolks' plane--the piano nobile of intelligence!"
I realized how high a compliment she was paying me, and I repaid it with
a joke. "Take care. Those who don't live there would call it the piano
snobile."
"Ah!" cried the delighted lady, "they'd never have the wit!"
"Did you ever hear," I continued, "the Bostonian's remark--'The mission
of America is to vulgarize the world'?"
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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 1984 by George Orwell: Nothing that I can do or say, or stop myself from saying, will put off
your death for as much as five minutes. Neither of us will even know
whether the other is alive or dead. We shall be utterly without power of
any kind. The one thing that matters is that we shouldn't betray one
another, although even that can't make the slightest difference.'
'If you mean confessing,' she said, 'we shall do that, right enough.
Everybody always confesses. You can't help it. They torture you.'
'I don't mean confessing. Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do
doesn't matter: only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving
you--that would be the real betrayal.'
She thought it over. 'They can't do that,' she said finally. 'It's the one
1984 |
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 Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: him of his purse, as he is to convert the skin of Gustavus into a
buff jerkin."
"And yet, if all this were true, cousin," answered Montrose,
"there is something convenient in commanding a soldier, upon
whose motives and springs of action you can calculate to a
mathematical certainty. A fine spirit like yours, my cousin,
alive to a thousand sensations to which this man's is as
impervious as his corslet,--it is for such that thy friend must
feel, while he gives his advice." Then, suddenly changing his
tone, he asked Menteith when he had seen Annot Lyle.
The young Earl coloured deeply, and answered, "Not since last
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