| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: over the sitting room. The house is heated with
stoves in the winter time. There is a register right
through the floor of the spare bedroom and the
ceiling of the sitting room. Not the kind of a
register that comes from a twisted-around shaft in
a house that uses furnace heat. But jest really a
hole in the floor, with a cast-iron grating, to let
the heat from the room below into the one above.
She says she guesses two people that wasn't so
very honourable might sneak into the house the
back way, and up the back stairs, and into the spare
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Case of the Golden Bullet by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: back again to the entrance gate in the wall near where he stood.
It was a heavy iron-barred gate, its handsome ornamentation outlined
in snow, and behind it the body of a large dog could be occasionally
seen. This dog was an enormous grey Ulmer hound.
The peddler stood for a long time motionless behind the pillar, then
he looked at his watch. "It's nearly time," he murmured, and looked
over towards the station again, where lights and figures were
gathering.
At the same time the noise of an opening door was heard, and steps
creaked over the snow. A man, evidently a servant, opened the
little door beside the great gate and held it for another man to
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Recruit by Honore de Balzac: "For," he said in conclusion, "though some of the authorities will
readily pardon a heroism which protects a priest, none of them will
spare you if they discover that you are sacrificing yourself to the
interests of your heart."
At these words Madame de Dey looked at the old man with a wild and
bewildered air, that made him shudder.
"Come," she said, taking him by the hand and leading him into her
bedroom. After assuring herself that they were quite alone, she drew
from her bosom a soiled and crumpled letter.
"Read that," she said, making a violent effort to say the words.
She fell into a chair, seemingly exhausted. While the old man searched
|
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 Agesilaus by Xenophon: In spite of a certain haughtiness, he was never overbearing, but rich
in saving common sense. At any rate, while pouring contempt upon
arrogance, he bore himself more humbly than the most ordinary man. In
fact, what he truly took a pride in was the simplicity of his own
attire, in contrast with the splendid adornment of his troops; or,
again, in the paucity of his own wants, combined with a bountiful
liberality towards his friends.
Besides all this, as an antagonist he could hit hard enough, but no
one ever bore a lighter hand when the victory was won.[10]
[10] Lit. "he was the heaviest of antagonists and the lightest of
conquerors."
|
