| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: "doing unspeakable evil." To that special instinct of horsemanship,
which still distinguishes their descendants, we may attribute mainly
the Scandinavian settlement of the north and east of England. Some,
too, may recollect the sketch of the primeval Hun, as he first
appeared to the astonished and disgusted old Roman soldier Ammianus
Marcellinus; the visages "more like cakes than faces;" the "figures
like those which are hewn out with an axe on the poles at bridge-
ends;" the rat-skin coats, which they wore till they rotted off
their limbs; their steaks of meat cooked between the saddle and the
thigh; the little horses on which "they eat and drink, buy and sell,
and sleep lying forward along his narrow neck, and indulging in
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King James Bible: angels of God.
LUK 12:10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it
shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy
Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
LUK 12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto
magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall
answer, or what ye shall say:
LUK 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye
ought to say.
LUK 12:13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my
brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
King James Bible |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Island Nights' Entertainments by Robert Louis Stevenson: finding everywhere new clothes and carriages, and fine new houses
and men everywhere in great contentment, although, to be sure, when
he hinted at his business their faces would cloud over.
"No doubt I am upon the track," thought Keawe. "These new clothes
and carriages are all the gifts of the little imp, and these glad
faces are the faces of men who have taken their profit and got rid
of the accursed thing in safety. When I see pale cheeks and hear
sighing, I shall know that I am near the bottle."
So it befell at last that he was recommended to a Haole in
Beritania Street. When he came to the door, about the hour of the
evening meal, there were the usual marks of the new house, and the
|
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 Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: united in the holy bonds of matrimony. And all fell out as had
been arranged: the time being the month of March, 1667.
Now when the king discovered her flight, his anger knew no
bounds, though it sought relief in uttering many violent threats
against the duke, and in sending word to the duchess he would see
her no more. In answer to this message, she, with some show of
spirit, returned him the jewels he had given her, principal
amongst which were a necklace of pearls, valued at over a
thousand pounds, and a pair of diamond pendants of rare lustre.
Neither she nor her husband paid much heed to the royal menaces,
for before a year elapsed they both returned to town, and took up
|
