| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence: I never wanted to.'
'God help him! But he looks down-trodden enough for anything.'
'Still, you wouldn't mind so much the talk about him?'
'My God, Connie, all the bloody contriving!'
'I know! It's sickening! But what can I do?'
'Contriving, conniving; conniving, contriving! Makes a man think he's
lived too long.'
'Come, Father, if you haven't done a good deal of contriving and
conniving in your time, you may talk.'
'But it was different, I assure you.'
'It's ALWAYS different.'
Lady Chatterley's Lover |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: commissioned him to take Castruccio prisoner at a banquet and put him
to death. Castruccio, fearing no evil, went to the governor in a
friendly way, was entertained at supper, and then thrown into prison.
But Neri, fearing to put him to death lest the people should be
incensed, kept him alive, in order to hear further from his father
concerning his intentions. Ugucionne cursed the hesitation and
cowardice of his son, and at once set out from Pisa to Lucca with four
hundred horsemen to finish the business in his own way; but he had not
yet reached the baths when the Pisans rebelled and put his deputy to
death and created Count Gaddo della Gherardesca their lord. Before
Uguccione reached Lucca he heard of the occurrences at Pisa, but it
The Prince |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Beauty and The Beast by Bayard Taylor: inner peace.
But the crown of the benignant day was yet to come. A quick
footstep followed her, and ere long a voice, near at hand, called
her by name.
She stopped, turned, and for a moment they stood silent, face to
face.
"I knew thee, Richard!" at last she said, in a trembling voice;
"may the Lord bless thee!"
Tears were in the eyes of both.
"He has blessed me," Richard answered, in a reverent tone; "and
this is His last and sweetest mercy. Asenath, let me hear that
|
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 Lady Susan by Jane Austen: help thinking his pressing invitation to her to visit us at Churchhill
perfectly unnecessary. Disposed, however, as he always is to think the
best of everyone, her display of grief, and professions of regret, and
general resolutions of prudence, were sufficient to soften his heart and
make him really confide in her sincerity; but, as for myself, I am still
unconvinced, and plausibly as her ladyship has now written, I cannot make
up my mind till I better understand her real meaning in coming to us. You
may guess, therefore, my dear madam, with what feelings I look forward to
her arrival. She will have occasion for all those attractive powers for
which she is celebrated to gain any share of my regard; and I shall
certainly endeavour to guard myself against their influence, if not
Lady Susan |
