| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: Negroes, Chinamen - people from everywhere. You see a mixture like
that in the Grand Choir, the first day you land here, but you
hardly ever see it again. There were billions of people; when they
were singing or hosannahing, the noise was wonderful; and even when
their tongues were still the drumming of the wings was nearly
enough to burst your head, for all the sky was as thick as if it
was snowing angels. Although Adam was not there, it was a great
time anyway, because we had three archangels on the Grand Stand -
it is a seldom thing that even one comes out."
"What did they look like, Sandy?"
"Well, they had shining faces, and shining robes, and wonderful
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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 Rig Veda: the grass,
With offerings and all things prepared.
6 Let the swift steeds who carry thee, thought-yoked and dropping
holy
oil,
Bring the Gods to the Soma draught.
7 Adored, the strengtheners of Law, unite them, Agni, with
their
Dames:
Make them drink meath, O bright of tongue.
8 Let them, O Agni, who deserve worship and praise drink with
The Rig Veda |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Hermione's Little Group of Serious Thinkers by Don Marquis: of yellow, you know. So I quit.
Beauty, after all, is the chief thing. What, after
all, do all our reforms come to, if the world is not
to be made more beautiful because of them?
And I simply CANNOT wear yellow.
HERMIONE'S BOSWELL EXPLAINS
Believe me, 'tis not with elation
I dwell on Hermione's madness;
The result of my rapt contemplation
Is sadness, a terrible sadness!
I weep when I note how she drivels;
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: and whistled, and Johnson looked up and grinned. We said nothing. I
held up a handful of cigars, he extended his hat, and when I finally
went to sleep, it was to a soothing breeze that wafted in salt air
and a faint aroma of good tobacco. I was thoroughly tired, but I
slept restlessly, dreaming of two detectives with Pittsburg warrants
being held up by Hotchkiss at the point of a splint, while Alison
fastened their hands with a chain that was broken and much too short.
I was roused about dawn by a light rap at the door, and, opening it,
I found Forbes, in a pair of trousers and a pajama coat. He was as
pleasant as most fleshy people are when they have to get up at night,
and he said the telephone had been ringing for an hour, and he
The Man in Lower Ten |
