| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson: overbalanced the amusements of the day. My women, who threw all
their cares upon their mistress, set their minds at ease from the
time when they saw me treated with respect, and gave themselves up
to the incidental alleviations of our fatigue without solicitude or
sorrow. I was pleased with their pleasure, and animated with their
confidence. My condition had lost much of its terror, since I
found that the Arab ranged the country merely to get riches.
Avarice is a uniform and tractable vice: other intellectual
distempers are different in different constitutions of mind; that
which soothes the pride of one will offend the pride of another;
but to the favour of the covetous there is a ready way - bring
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: empty and still, and my footsteps echoed against the sides
of the houses. At the top, near the park gate, I came upon
a strange sight--a bus overturned, and the skeleton of a
horse picked clean. I puzzled over this for a time, and then
went on to the bridge over the Serpentine. The voice grew
stronger and stronger, though I could see nothing above the
housetops on the north side of the park, save a haze of smoke
to the northwest.
"Ulla, ulla, ulla, ulla," cried the voice, coming, as it
seemed to me, from the district about Regent's Park. The
desolating cry worked upon my mind. The mood that had
War of the Worlds |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: brought the hair straight up on his head. True to her promise,
and ignorant of Jimmy's return with the first baby, Aggie had
chosen this ill-fated moment to appear on the threshold with one
babe on each arm.
"Here they are," she said graciously, then stopped in amazement
at sight of the horrified Alfred, clasping a third infant to his
breast.
"Good God!" exclaimed Alfred, stroking his forehead with his
unoccupied hand, and gazing at what he firmly believed must be an
apparition, "THOSE aren't MINE," he pointed to the two red mites
in Aggie's arms.
|
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 Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: though to put himself out of temptation. Then he spoke, always in the
same terrible voice, asking:
"Have you more to say about this business, Umbezi? I would hear all
before I answer you."
"Only this, Saduko," replied Umbezi, who had risen to his feet and was
shaking like a reed. "I did no more than any other father would have
done. Masapo is a very powerful chief, one who will be a good stick for
me to lean on in my old age. Mameena declared that she wished to marry
him--"
"He lies!" screeched the "Old Cow." "What Mameena said was that she had
no will towards marriage with any Zulu in the land, so I suppose she is
Child of Storm |
