| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: With the thought came instant action. I threw myself upon
the floor of my cell close by the wall, in a strained and
distorted posture, as though I were dead after a struggle
or convulsions. When he should stoop over me I had but to
grasp his throat with one hand and strike him a terrific blow
with the slack of my chain, which I gripped firmly in my
right hand for the purpose.
Nearer and nearer came the doomed man. Now I heard
him halt before me. There was a muttered exclamation, and
then a step as he came to my side. I felt him kneel beside me.
My grip tightened upon the chain. He leaned close to me.
The Gods of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Another Study of Woman by Honore de Balzac: form of luxury."
"Everything in France has aided and abetted the 'perfect lady,' " said
Daniel d'Arthez. "The aristocracy has acknowledged her by retreating
to the recesses of its landed estates, where it has hidden itself to
die--emigrating inland before the march of ideas, as of old to foreign
lands before that of the masses. The women who could have founded
European /salons/, could have guided opinion and turned it inside out
like a glove, could have ruled the world by ruling the men of art or
of intellect who ought to have ruled it, have committed the blunder of
abandoning their ground; they were ashamed of having to fight against
the citizen class drunk with power, and rushing out on to the stage of
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: there's room for all.'
'I can see better here, thank you, Nancy,' replied I, taking my
work to the window, where she had the goodness to suffer me to
remain unmolested, while she got a brush to remove the cat's hairs
from Mr. Weston's coat, carefully wiped the rain from his hat, and
gave the cat its supper, busily talking all the time: now thanking
her clerical friend for what he had done; now wondering how the cat
had found out the warren; and now lamenting the probable
consequences of such a discovery. He listened with a quiet, good-
natured smile, and at length took a seat in compliance with her
pressing invitations, but repeated that he did not mean to stay.
Agnes Grey |
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 A Personal Record by Joseph Conrad: certain longitude, once won, cannot be disputed. The sun and the
stars and the shape of your earth are the witnesses of your gain;
whereas a handful of pages, no matter how much you have made them
your own, are at best but an obscure and questionable spoil.
Here they are. "Failure"--"Astonishing": take your choice; or
perhaps both, or neither--a mere rustle and flutter of pieces of
paper settling down in the night, and undistinguishable, like the
snowflakes of a great drift destined to melt away in sunshine.
"How do you do?"
It was the greeting of the general's daughter. I had heard
nothing--no rustle, no footsteps. I had felt only a moment
A Personal Record |
