| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson: And closed the hand upon it, and she died.
So that day there was dole in Astolat.
But when the next sun brake from underground,
Then, those two brethren slowly with bent brows
Accompanying, the sad chariot-bier
Past like a shadow through the field, that shone
Full-summer, to that stream whereon the barge,
Palled all its length in blackest samite, lay.
There sat the lifelong creature of the house,
Loyal, the dumb old servitor, on deck,
Winking his eyes, and twisted all his face.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Talisman by Walter Scott: armorial bearings, and renounce our burgonets, if the highest
honour of Christianity were conferred on an unchristened Turk of
tenpence."
"You rate the Soldan cheap," replied the Marquis; "yet though he
be a likely man, I have seen a better heathen sold for forty
pence at the bagnio."
They were now near their horses, which stood at some distance
from the royal tent, prancing among the gallant train of esquires
and pages by whom they were attended, when Conrade, after a
moment's pause, proposed that they should enjoy the coolness of
the evening breeze which had arisen, and, dismissing their steeds
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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 King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: PUCELLE.
I am prepared: here is my keen-edg'd sword,
Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side,
The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's church-yard,
Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth.
CHARLES.
Then come, o' God's name; I fear no woman.
PUCELLE.
And while I live, I 'll ne'er fly from a man.
Here they fight, and Joan La Pucelle overcomes.
CHARLES.
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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 The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: steadily between the eyes. The big panther turned his head away
in half a minute.
"That is why," he said, shifting his paw on the leaves. "Not
even I can look thee between the eyes, and I was born among men,
and I love thee, Little Brother. The others they hate thee
because their eyes cannot meet thine; because thou art wise;
because thou hast pulled out thorns from their feet--because
thou art a man."
"I did not know these things," said Mowgli sullenly, and he
frowned under his heavy black eyebrows.
"What is the Law of the Jungle? Strike first and then give
The Jungle Book |
