| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: pupils died. She, however, did not die: but I said she did--I wish
she had died!"
"A strange wish, Mrs. Reed; why do you hate her so?"
"I had a dislike to her mother always; for she was my husband's only
sister, and a great favourite with him: he opposed the family's
disowning her when she made her low marriage; and when news came of
her death, he wept like a simpleton. He would send for the baby;
though I entreated him rather to put it out to nurse and pay for its
maintenance. I hated it the first time I set my eyes on it--a
sickly, whining, pining thing! It would wail in its cradle all
night long--not screaming heartily like any other child, but
Jane Eyre |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: Cross. But after three days he came to life again, and ascended
into the heavens, the glory of whose coming thou mayest learn, O
king, by the reading of the holy Scripture, which the Christians
call the Gospel, shouldst thou meet therewith. This Jesus had
twelve disciples, who, after his ascent into the heavens, went
out into all the kingdoms of the world, telling of his greatness.
Even so one of them visited our coasts, preaching the doctrine of
truth; whence they who still serve the righteousness of his
preaching are called Christians. And these are they who, above
all the nations of the earth, have found the truth: for they
acknowledge God the Creator and Maker of all things in the only
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Young Forester by Zane Grey: and I rolled off the ledge. The bank there was pretty steep, and, unable to
stop, I kept on like a barrel going down-bill. The thought of rolling into
the spring filled me with horror. Suddenly I bumped hard into something
that checked me. It was a log of firewood, and in one end stuck the big
knife which Herky-Jerky used to cut meat.
Instantly I conceived the idea of cutting my bonds with this knife. But how
was I to set about it?
"Dick, here's a knife. How'll I get to it so as to free myself?"
"Easy as pie," replied he, eagerly. "The sharp edge points down. You hitch
yourself this way--That's it---good!"
What Dick called easy as pie was the hardest work I ever did. I lay flat on
The Young Forester |
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 Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates by Howard Pyle: with a snap, reaching the jingling baubles to Harry, who took
them in his nerveless hand and fingers that he could hardly close
upon what they held.
The papers Captain Morgan found in a wallet in an inner breast
pocket of the Spaniard's waistcoat. These he examined one by
one, and finding them to his satisfaction, tied them up again,
and slipped the wallet and its contents into his own pocket.
Then for the first time he appeared to observe Master Harry, who,
indeed, must have been standing, the perfect picture of horror
and dismay. Whereupon, bursting out a-laughing, and slipping the
pistol he had used back into its sling again, he fetched poor
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates |
