| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: speaker than it would have been if it were fit for breeding
horses. I find little authority for such a translation; the most
equitable translation of the text as it stands is, "Ithaca is an
island fit for breeding goats, and delectable rather than fit
for breeding horses; for not one of the islands is good driving
ground, nor well meadowed." Surely the writer does not mean that
a pleasant or delectable island would not be fit for breeding
horses? The most equitable translation, therefore, of the
present text being thus halt and impotent, we may suspect
corruption, and I hazard the following emendation, though I have
not adopted it in my translation, as fearing that it would be
The Odyssey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Reef by Edith Wharton: which she would have liked to feel completely alien to her.
But what indeed was the girl really like? She seemed to have
no scruples and a thousand delicacies. She had given
herself to Darrow, and concealed the episode from Owen
Leath, with no more apparent sense of debasement than the
vulgarest of adventuresses; yet she had instantly obeyed the
voice of her heart when it bade her part from the one and
serve the other.
Anna tried to picture what the girl's life must have been:
what experiences, what initiations, had formed her. But her
own training had been too different: there were veils she
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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 Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: vehemence. "How could I think of anyone else?" Again he stooped
to embrace her and again his mind was directed otherwise. "I
wonder if Baby is warm enough," he said and attempted to rise.
"Wonder about ME for a while," snapped Zoie, clinging to him
determinedly.
Again Alfred looked at her in amazement. Was it possible there
was anything besides Baby worth wondering about? Whether there
was or not, Zoie was no longer to be resisted and with a last
regretful look at the crib, he resigned himself to giving his
entire attention to his spoiled young wife.
Gratified by her hard-won conquest, Zoie now settled herself in
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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 The Gentle Grafter by O. Henry: in the Allegheny River. He'll swamp you with cracked ice and back-
water if you don't get out of the way.
"'It's mighty lucky for us, Andy,' says I, 'that this cigar exponent
with the parsley dressing saw fit to bedeck us with his childlike
trust and altruism. For,' says I, 'this money of his is an eyesore to
my sense of rectitude and ethics. We can't take it, Andy; you know we
can't,' says I, 'for we haven't a shadow of a title to it--not a
shadow. If there was the least bit of a way we could put in a claim to
it I'd be willing to see him start in for another twenty years and
make another $5,000 for himself, but we haven't sold him anything, we
haven't been embroiled in a trade or anything commercial. He
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