| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf: Labour Party, they had gone up on to the bridge of the ship and were
taking their bearings; the change from poetry to politics struck her
like that; so Mr Bankes and Charles Mrs Ramsay going upstairs in the
lamplight alone. Where, Lily wondered, was she going so quickly?
Not that she did in fact run or hurry; she went indeed rather slowly.
She felt rather inclined just for a moment to stand still after all
that chatter, and pick out one particular thing; the thing that
mattered; to detach it; separate it off; clean it of all the emotions
and odds and ends of things, and so hold it before her, and bring it to
the tribunal where, ranged about in conclave, sat the judges she had
set up to decide these things. Is it good, is it bad, is it right or
To the Lighthouse |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens: Northumberland Militia, under the command of Lord Algernon Percy;
in some few of the city wards, the burgesses turned out, and
without making a very fierce show, looked brave enough. Some
hundreds of stout gentlemen threw themselves, armed to the teeth,
into the halls of the different companies, double-locked and bolted
all the gates, and dared the rioters (among themselves) to come on
at their peril. These arrangements being all made simultaneously,
or nearly so, were completed by the time it got dark; and then the
streets were comparatively clear, and were guarded at all the great
corners and chief avenues by the troops: while parties of the
officers rode up and down in all directions, ordering chance
Barnaby Rudge |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum: someone else, who would be forced to wear it always."
"I wonder," said Dorothy, thoughtfully, "if we
couldn't find someone in the Land of Oz who would be
willing to become a green monkey? Seems to me a monkey
is active and spry, and he can climb trees and do a lot
of clever things, and green isn't a bad color for a
monkey -- it makes him unusual."
"I wouldn't ask anyone to take this dreadful form,"
said Woot; "it wouldn't be right, you know. I've been a
monkey for some time, now, and I don't like it. It
makes me ashamed to be a beast of this sort when by
The Tin Woodman of Oz |
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 Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: Gaudron, to know so much. That's what it is to be brought up in a
seminary; they learn there how to speak to God and his saints."
"He is as good as he is learned," said Baudoyer, pressing the priest's
hand. "Did you write that article?" he added, pointing to the
newspaper.
"No, it was written by the secretary of his Eminence, a young abbe who
is under obligations to me, and who takes an interest in Monsieur
Colleville; he was educated at my expense."
"A good deed is always rewarded," said Baudoyer.
While these four personages were sitting down to their game of boston,
Elisabeth and her uncle Mitral reached the cafe Themis, with much
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