| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Forged Coupon by Leo Tolstoy: it to me.
"I took the feather, and could only express my
rapture and gratitude with my eyes. I was not
only pleased and gay, I was happy, delighted; I
was good, I was not myself but some being not
of this earth, knowing nothing of evil. I hid the
feather in my glove, and stood there unable to
tear myself away from her.
"'Look, they are urging father to dance,' she
said to me, pointing to the tall, stately figure of
her father, a colonel with silver epaulettes, who
The Forged Coupon |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling: to triumph over the jest, blowing: Our King went forth to
Normandie. When we halted and rolled the ringing guns
out of the tower, 'twas for all the world like Friar Roger's
picture of the French siege in the Queen's Missal-book.'
'And what did we - I mean, what did our village do?' said Dan.
'Oh! Bore it nobly - nobly,' cried Hal. 'Though they
had tricked me, I was proud of them. They came out of
their housen, looked at that little army as though it had
been a post, and went their shut-mouthed way. Never a
sign! Never a word! They'd ha' perished sooner than let
Brightling overcrow us. Even that villain, Ticehurst Will,
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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 The Tanach: 1_Chronicles 23: 28 For their station was at the side of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God;
1_Chronicles 23: 29 for the showbread also, and for the fine flour for a meal-offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked on the griddle, or of that which is soaked, and for all manner of measure and size;
1_Chronicles 23: 30 and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;
1_Chronicles 23: 31 and to offer all burnt-offerings unto the LORD, on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and in the appointed seasons, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually, before the LORD;
1_Chronicles 23: 32 and that they should keep the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, for the service of the house of the LORD.
1_Chronicles 24: 1 And the courses of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
1_Chronicles 24: 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.
The Tanach |
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 An Episode Under the Terror by Honore de Balzac: He stopped; for, at the sight of the great emotion in the faces of the
two poor nuns, he was afraid that he had gone too far. They were
trembling, and the tears stood in their eyes.
"Do not fear," he said frankly. "I know your names and the name of
your guest. Three days ago I heard of your distress and devotion to
the venerable Abbe de----"
"Hush!" Sister Agathe cried, in the simplicity of her heart, as she
laid her finger on her lips.
"You see, Sisters, that if I had conceived the horrible idea of
betraying you, I could have given you up already, more than once----"
At the words the priest came out of his hiding-place and stood in
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