| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: will honour him as though he were one of ourselves. They will
send him in a ship to his own country, and will give him more
bronze and gold and raiment than he would have brought back from
Troy, if he had had all his prize money and had got home without
disaster. This is how we have settled that he shall return to
his country and his friends."
Thus he spoke, and Mercury, guide and guardian, slayer of Argus,
did as he was told. Forthwith he bound on his glittering golden
sandals with which he could fly like the wind over land and sea.
He took the wand with which he seals men's eyes in sleep or
wakes them just as he pleases, and flew holding it in his hand
The Odyssey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Court Life in China by Isaac Taylor Headland: three by the Taoists, after which the Buddhists take their turn
again. Everything else remains much as I have described it. The
family, servants, everybody in mourning, and all business put
aside to make way for this ceremony of mourning, mourning,
mourning, when they ought to be rejoicing, for the poor old
Princess had been a paralytic for years and was far better out of
her misery.
The Princess frequently sent her cart for me during these days.
Once when I was going through the court where there were vast
quantities of things to be burned for the spirit, all made of
paper, I noticed some that were so natural that I was unable to
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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 The Deserted Woman by Honore de Balzac: intensity to a woman's strength; pain which women alone know. And
while the unhappy Marquise awaited her doom, M. de Nueil, reading her
letter, felt that he was "in a very difficult position," to use the
expression that young men apply to a crisis of this kind.
By this time he had all but yielded to his mother's importunities and
to the attractions of Mlle. de la Rodiere, a somewhat insignificant,
pink-and-white young person, as straight as a poplar. It is true that,
in accordance with the rules laid down for marriageable young ladies,
she scarcely opened her mouth, but her rent-roll of forty thousand
livres spoke quite sufficiently for her. Mme. de Nueil, with a
mother's sincere affection, tried to entangle her son in virtuous
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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 Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: Ye gods!
He is now asleep, and I am writing this at 2 A. M.
I, and I alone, know that there is a Criminal in this house,
serving our meals and quareling with the cook as if a regular
Butler, but really a Spy. And although I cry aloud in my anguish,
those who hear me but maintain that I am having a nightmare.
I am a Voice crying in the Wilderness.
APRIL 15TH: 9 A. M. William is going about as usual, but looks as
though he had not had enough sleep.
Father has told mother about last night, and I am not to have
coffee in the evenings. This is not surprizing, as they have always
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