Today's Stichomancy for Freddie Prinze Jr.
| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: "That you WILL do so," answered Ranald, "is certain, though the
cause be hid in the darkness of futurity. You say," he
continued, suppressing his own emotions with difficulty, "that
side by side you have pursued your prey like bloodhounds--have
you never seen bloodhounds turn their fangs against each other,
and fight over the body of a throttled deer?"
"It is false!" said M'Aulay, starting up, "these are not the
forebodings of fate, but the temptation of some evil spirit from
the bottomless pit!" So saying, he strode out of the cabin.
"Thou hast it!" said the Son of the Mist, looking after him with
an air of exultation; "the barbed arrow is in thy side! Spirits
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: it 's awkward--you don't mind it? Ah well, you are very good!
But I like it, Angela--I like it extremely, immensely. I think
it 's delightful, and I wonder it never occurred to me.
Has it been going on long? Ah, of course, it has been going on!
Did n't it begin at Baden, and did n't I see it there?
Do you mind my alluding to that? At Baden we were all so mixed up
that one could n't tell who was attentive to whom! But Bernard
has been very faithful, my dear; I can assure you of that.
When he was in America he would n't look at another woman.
I know something about that! He stayed three months in my
house and he never spoke to me. Now I know why, Mr. Bernard;
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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 Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce: "I don't know whether you cultivate the arts of peace or your flag
is flung to the battle and the breeze and your voice is for war.
If you are a civilian, the windows of this house flatter you worse
than a newspaper, but if you're a soldier, they do you a grave
injustice."
This speech being unintelligible to the Bulldog he only civilly
smiled, which so terrified the Spaniel that he dropped dead in his
tracks.
Saint and Sinner
"MY friend," said a distinguished officer of the Salvation Army, to
a Most Wicked Sinner, "I was once a drunkard, a thief, an assassin.
Fantastic Fables |
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 The Poems of Goethe, Bowring, Tr. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Then all matters go smoothly; each thinks himself far the wisest,
And the best, and so they exist by the side of each other,
And the most sensible man no better than others is reckon'd
For the world moves on, as if by itself and in silence.
But when distress unsettles our usual manner of living,
Pulls down each time-honour'd fabric, and roots up the seed in our gardens,
Drives the man and his wife far away from the home they delight in,
Hurries them off in confusion through days and nights full of anguish,
Ah! then look we around in search of the man who is wisest,
And no longer in vain he utters his words full of wisdom.
Tell me whether you be these fugitives' magistrate, Father,
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