| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Passionate Pilgrim by William Shakespeare: For why thou left'st me nothing in thy will:
And yet thou left'st me more than I did crave;
For why I craved nothing of thee still:
O yes, dear friend, I pardon crave of thee,
Thy discontent thou didst bequeath to me.
XI.
Venus, with young Adonis sitting by her
Under a myrtle shade, began to woo him:
She told the youngling how god Mars did try her,
And as he fell to her, so fell she to him.
'Even thus,' quoth she, 'the warlike god embraced me,'
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: in the heavens and what is in the earth; and those who believe in
falsehood and misbelieve in God, they shall be the losers.' They
will wish thee to hasten on the torment; but were it not for a
stated and appointed time, the torment would have come upon them
suddenly, while yet they did not perceive.
They will wish thee to hurry on the torment, but, verily, hell
encompasses the misbelievers!
On the day when the torment shall cover them from above them and
from beneath their feet, and He shall say, 'Taste that which ye have
done!'
O my servants who believe! verily, my land is spacious enough; me
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Witch, et. al by Anton Chekhov: gentleman, a merchant, or a peasant. Judging from his expression
and his long hair he might have been a hermit or a lay brother in
a monastery -- but if one listened to what he said it seemed that
he could not be a monk. He was worn out by his cough and his
illness and by the stifling heat, and breathed with difficulty,
moving his parched lips. Noticing that Gusev was looking at him
he turned his face towards him and said:
"I begin to guess. . . . Yes. . . . I understand it all perfectly
now."
"What do you understand, Pavel Ivanitch?"
"I'll tell you. . . . It has always seemed to me strange that
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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 Nana, Miller's Daughter, Captain Burle, Death of Olivier Becaille by Emile Zola: broughtn the midst of
her rejoicing Nana's face, as she led the talk back to the subject
of Louiset, seemed to be overshadowed by a sudden recollection.
"Isn't it a bore I've got to go out at three o'clock?" she muttered.
"It IS a nuisance!"
Just then Zoe came in to say that lunch was on the table. They went
into the dining room, where an old lady was already seated at table.
She had not taken her hat off, and she wore a dark dress of an
indecisive color midway between puce and goose dripping. Nana did
not seem surprised at sight of her. She simply asked her why she
hadn't come into the bedroom.
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