| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: houses. I know just what I want. It's the newest thing because I
saw a picture of it in--let me see--it was in that Harper's Weekly
I was looking at. It was modeled after a Swiss chalet."
"A Swiss what?"
"A chalet."
"Spell it."
She complied.
"Oh," he said and stroked his mustache.
"It was lovely. It had a high mansard roof with a picket fence on
top and a tower made of fancy shingles at each end. And the towers
had windows with red and blue glass in them. It was so stylish
Gone With the Wind |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Grimm's Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm: off easily, he took a hatchet and cut off the finger; but the finger
sprang into the air, and fell behind the cask into the lap of the girl
who was hiding there. The robber took a light and began looking for
it, but he could not find it. 'Have you looked behind the large cask?'
said one of the others. But the old woman called out, 'Come and eat
your suppers, and let the thing be till tomorrow; the finger won't run
away.'
'The old woman is right,' said the robbers, and they ceased looking
for the finger and sat down.
The old woman then mixed a sleeping draught with their wine, and
before long they were all lying on the floor of the cellar, fast
Grimm's Fairy Tales |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from King James Bible: from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me,
and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
JDG 16:18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she
sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this
once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the
Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
JDG 16:19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a
man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and
she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
JDG 16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times
King James Bible |
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 Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: her shining hair and softly kissed her cheek, while the sunbeams,
looking most kindly in her face, made little rainbows in her tears,
and lingered lovingly about her. But Annie paid no heed to sun,
or wind, or flower; still the bright tears fell, and she forgot
all but her sorrow.
"Little Annie, tell me why you weep," said a low voice in her ear;
and, looking up, the child beheld a little figure standing on a
vine-leaf at her side; a lovely face smiled on her, from amid
bright locks of hair, and shining wings were folded on a white and
glittering robe, that fluttered in the wind.
"Who are you, lovely little thing?" cried Annie, smiling through
Flower Fables |
