| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: exhibited unutterable mittens on a puffy pair of hands; the plumes of
a first-class funeral floated on an over-flowing bonnet; laces adorned
her shoulders, as round behind as they were before; consequently, the
spherical form of the cocoa-nut was perfect. Her feet, of a kind that
painters call abatis, rose above the varnished leather of the shoes in
a swelling that was some inches high. How the feet were ever got into
the shoes, no one knows.
Following these vegetable parents was a young asparagus, who presented
a tiny head with smoothly banded hair of the yellow-carroty tone that
a Roman adores, long, stringy arms, a fairly white skin with reddish
spots upon it, large innocent eyes, and white lashes, scarcely any
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: The minx! Was love then a question of manicure?
"How I should adore to kiss you," murmured the student. "But you know I am
suffering from severe nasal catarrh, and I dare not risk giving it to you.
Sixteen times last night did I count myself sneezing. And three different
handkerchiefs."
I threw Morike into the lilac bush, and went back to the house. A great
automobile snorted at the front door. In the salon great commotion. The
Baroness was paying a surprise visit to her little daughter. Clad in a
yellow mackintosh she stood in the middle of the room questioning the
manager. And every guest the pension contained was grouped about her, even
the Frau Doktor, presumably examining a timetable, as near to the august
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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 Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: when too late for interference. Sir Rowland, as it happened, was
slow in..."
"Silence!" blazed the Frenchman. "Now t'at I know who you are, t'at
make a so great difference. Where is t'e guard, Wentwort'?"
"I hear them," answered the captain, and from the street came the
tramp of their marching feet.
Feversham turned again to Blake. "T'e affaire `as `appen' so," he said,
between question and assertion, summing up the situation as he
understood it. "T'is rogue," and he pointed to Richard, "`ave betray
your plan to `is sister, who betray it to `er `usband, who save t'e
Duc de Monmoot'. N'est-ce pas?"
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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 King James Bible: EXO 31:9 And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and
the laver and his foot,
EXO 31:10 And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron
the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's
office,
EXO 31:11 And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place:
according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.
EXO 31:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
EXO 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily
my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you
throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that
King James Bible |
