| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: aside the bad designs with which he comes hither."
As she said this, Medea smiled; but, for all her smiling face,
she meant nothing less than to poison the poor innocent
Theseus, before his father's eyes. And King Aegeus, like most
other kings, thought any punishment mild enough for a person
who was accused of plotting against his life. He therefore made
little or no objection to Medea's scheme, and as soon as the
poisonous wine was ready, gave orders that the young stranger
should be admitted into his presence.
The goblet was set on a table beside the king's throne; and a
fly, meaning just to sip a little from the brim, immediately
Tanglewood Tales |
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: "These are your bane," said Conrade of Montserrat; "and you, as
well as I, reverend Grand Master, know that, were the allied
princes to be successful in Palestine, it would be their first
point of policy to abate the independence of your Order, which,
but for the protection of our holy father the Pope, and the
necessity of employing your valour in the conquest of Palestine,
you would long since have experienced. Give them complete
success, and you will be flung aside, as the splinters of a
broken lance are tossed out of the tilt-yard,"
"There may be truth in what you say," said the Templar, darkly
smiling. "But what were our hopes should the allies withdraw
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: also the holiest. But alas! how have _I_ still--inclination?
Have _I_--still a goal? A haven towards which MY sail is set?
A good wind? Ah, he only who knoweth WHITHER he saileth, knoweth what wind
is good, and a fair wind for him.
What still remaineth to me? A heart weary and flippant; an unstable will;
fluttering wings; a broken backbone.
This seeking for MY home: O Zarathustra, dost thou know that this seeking
hath been MY home-sickening; it eateth me up.
'WHERE is--MY home?' For it do I ask and seek, and have sought, but have
not found it. O eternal everywhere, O eternal nowhere, O eternal--in-
vain!"
Thus Spake Zarathustra |
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 Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum: great crowd and captured Mr. Yoop, and carried him away
to a cage somewhere in the mountains. I don't know
where it is, and I don't care, for my husband treated
me badly at times, forgetting the respect a giant owes
to a giantess. Often he kicked me on my shins, when I
wouldn't wait on him. So I'm glad he is gone."
"It's a wonder the people didn't capture you, too,"
remarked Woot.
"Well, I was too clever for them," said she, giving a
sudden laugh that caused such a breeze that the wobbly
Scarecrow was almost blown off his feet and had to grab
The Tin Woodman of Oz |
