| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: maleficio existimabat. Tamen, ut spatium intercedere posset dum milites
quos imperaverat convenirent, legatis respondit diem se ad deliberandum
sumpturum: si quid vellent, ad Id. April. reverterentur.
Interea ea legione quam secum habebat militibusque, qui ex provincia
convenerant, a lacu Lemanno, qui in flumen Rhodanum influit, ad montem
Iuram, qui fines Sequanorum ab Helvetiis dividit, milia passuum XVIIII
murum in altitudinem pedum sedecim fossamque perducit. Eo opere perfecto
praesidia disponit, castella communit, quo facilius, si se invito transire
conentur, prohibere possit. Ubi ea dies quam constituerat cum legatis
venit et legati ad eum reverterunt, negat se more et exemplo populi Romani
posse iter ulli per provinciam dare et, si vim lacere conentur,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: Now, however, take leave at once of thy kine, thou strange one! thou
amiable one! though it be hard for thee. For they are thy warmest friends
and preceptors!"--
--"One excepted, whom I hold still dearer," answered the voluntary beggar.
"Thou thyself art good, O Zarathustra, and better even than a cow!"
"Away, away with thee! thou evil flatterer!" cried Zarathustra
mischievously, "why dost thou spoil me with such praise and flattery-honey?
"Away, away from me!" cried he once more, and heaved his stick at the fond
beggar, who, however, ran nimbly away.
LXIX. THE SHADOW.
Scarcely however was the voluntary beggar gone in haste, and Zarathustra
Thus Spake Zarathustra |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from When a Man Marries by Mary Roberts Rinehart: delicately. "She didn't say anything about me?"
"Nothing good. She said the house was in a disgraceful
condition," I said heartlessly. "And her diamond bracelet was
stolen while she took a nap on the kitchen table"--he
groaned--"and--oh, Jim, you are such a goose! If I could only
manage my own affairs the way I could my friends'! She's too sure
of you, Jimmy. She knows you adore her, and--how brutal could you
be, Jim?"
"Fair," he said. "I may have undiscovered depths of brutality
that I have never had occasion to use. However, I might try.
Why?"
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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 Shadow out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft: I could climb to best advantage. An open door four rows from the
bottom would help, and the locks of the closed doors formed possible
holds for hands and feet. I would grip the torch between my teeth,
as I had in other places where both hands were needed. Above all
I must make no noise.
How to get down what I wished to remove
would be difficult, but I could probably hook its movable fastener
in my coat collar and carry it like a knapsack. Again I wondered
whether the lock would be undamaged. That I could repeat each
familiar motion I had not the least doubt. But I hoped the thing
would not scrape or creak - and that my hand could work it properly.
Shadow out of Time |
