| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: After her divorce from Philip, she had indeed left her daughter in
Rome, hoping that, as the wife of the tetrarch, she might bear other
children. Until that moment she had never spoken to Antipas of her
daughter. He asked himself the reason for this sudden display of
tenderness.
During their brief conversation several attendants had come out upon
the balcony; one slave brought a quantity of large, soft cushions, and
arranged them in a kind of temporary couch upon the floor behind his
mistress. Herodias sank upon them, and turning her face away from
Antipas, seemed to be weeping silently. After a few moments she dried
her eyes, declared that she would dream no more, and that she was, in
Herodias |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King James Bible: forbid.
GAL 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make
myself a transgressor.
GAL 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live
unto God.
GAL 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
GAL 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come
by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
GAL 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not
King James Bible |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories by Mark Twain: "Thir-ty thousand dollars!" the song went on and on. A vast sum,
an unthinkable sum!
All day long Aleck was absorbed in planning how to invest it,
Sally in planning how to spend it.
There was no romance-reading that night. The children took
themselves away early, for their parents were silent, distraught,
and strangely unentertaining. The good-night kisses might as well
have been impressed upon vacancy, for all the response they got;
the parents were not aware of the kisses, and the children had
been gone an hour before their absence was noticed. Two pencils
had been busy during that hour--note-making; in the way of plans.
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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 Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: hardly ever see it again. There were billions of people; when they
were singing or hosannahing, the noise was wonderful; and even when
their tongues were still the drumming of the wings was nearly
enough to burst your head, for all the sky was as thick as if it
was snowing angels. Although Adam was not there, it was a great
time anyway, because we had three archangels on the Grand Stand -
it is a seldom thing that even one comes out."
"What did they look like, Sandy?"
"Well, they had shining faces, and shining robes, and wonderful
rainbow wings, and they stood eighteen feet high, and wore swords,
and held their heads up in a noble way, and looked like soldiers."
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