| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Tanach: Daniel 8: 3 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the stream a ram which had two horns; and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
Daniel 8: 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
Daniel 8: 5 And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.
Daniel 8: 6 And he came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the stream, and ran at him in the fury of his power.
Daniel 8: 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
Daniel 8: 8 And the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly; and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up the appearance of four horns toward the four winds of heaven.
Daniel 8: 9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the beauteous land.
The Tanach |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson: is it not so? Well, if I were in France, I should have a good soup
with a crust in it, an omelette, a fowl in rice, a partridge in
cabbages - things to tempt me, thunder of God! But here - day of
God! - what a country! And cold, too! They talk about Russia -
this is all the cold I want! And the people - look at them! What
a race! Never any handsome men; never any fine officers!' - and he
looked down complacently for a moment at his waist - 'And the women
- what faggots! No, that is one point clear, I cannot stomach the
English!'
There was something in this man so antipathetic to me, as sent the
mustard into my nose. I can never bear your bucks and dandies,
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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 In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: "Let me send you some flowers," said the strange man. "I'll send you a
roomful if you'd like them."
His voice frightened her slightly. "Oh no, thanks--this one is quite
enough for me."
"No, it isn't"--in a teasing voice.
"What a stupid remark!" thought Viola, and looking at him again he did not
seem quite so jolly. She noticed that his eyes were set too closely
together--and they were too small. Horrible thought, that he should prove
stupid.
"What do you do all day?" she asked hastily.
"Nothing."
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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 Where There's A Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart: around for a while, and it was amazing how much tobacco I sold
that evening. Men who usually bought tobies bought the best
cigars, and when Mr. Jennings came up, scowling, and I handed him
the brand he'd smoked for years, she took one, clipped the end of
it as neat as a finger nail and gave it to him, holding up the
lighter.
"I'm not going to smoke yet, young woman," he said, glaring at
her. But she only smiled.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I've been waiting hungrily until some
discriminating smoker would buy one of those and light it. I
love the aroma."
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