| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: "Do not rejoice too soon, countryman; these Muscovites are but an
odd sort of Christians; and but for the name of it you may see very
little of the substance for some months further of our journey." -
"Well," says I, "but still it is better than paganism, and
worshipping of devils." - "Why, I will tell you," says he; "except
the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and a few of the inhabitants
of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country, for
above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the worst and most
ignorant of pagans." And so, indeed, we found it.
We now launched into the greatest piece of solid earth that is to
be found in any part of the world; we had, at least, twelve
Robinson Crusoe |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: WARWICK.
Well, go to; we'll have no bastards live;
Especially since Charles must father it.
PUCELLE.
You are deceived; my child is none of his:
It was Alencon that enjoy'd my love.
YORK.
Alencon! that notorious Machiavel!
It dies, an if it had a thousand lives.
PUCELLE.
O, give me leave, I have deluded you:
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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 Ballads by Robert Louis Stevenson: Taheia cherished his head, and the aged priest stood by,
And gazed with eyes of ruby at Rua's darkening eye.
"Taheia, here is the end, I die a death for a man.
I have given the life of my soul to save an unsavable clan.
See them, the drooping of hams! behold me the blinking crew:
Fifty spears they cast, and one of fifty true!
And you, O priest, the foreteller, foretell for yourself if you can,
Foretell the hour of the day when the Vais shall burst on your clan!
By the head of the tapu cleft, with death and fire in their hand,
Thick and silent like ants, the warriors swarm in the land."
And they tell that when next the sun had climbed to the noonday skies,
Ballads |
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 Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: the epistles of an apostle.
"My friend," began Diane, "my mother, who still lives at Uxelles,
married me in 1814, when I was seventeen years old (you see how old I
am now!) to Monsieur de Maufrigneuse, not out of affection for me, but
out of regard for him. She discharged her debt to the only man she had
ever loved, for the happiness she had once received from him. Oh! you
need not be astonished at so horrible a conspiracy; it frequently
takes place. Many women are more lovers than mothers, though the
majority are more mothers than wives. The two sentiments, love and
motherhood, developed as they are by our manners and customs, often
struggle together in the hearts of women; one or other must succumb
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