| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: Fri. Hold Daughter, I doe spie a kind of hope,
Which craues as desperate an execution,
As that is desperate which we would preuent.
If rather then to marrie Countie Paris
Thou hast the strength of will to slay thy selfe,
Then is it likely thou wilt vndertake
A thing like death to chide away this shame,
That coap'st with death himselfe, to scape fro it:
And if thou dar'st, Ile giue thee remedie
Iul. Oh bid me leape, rather then marrie Paris,
From of the Battlements of any Tower,
Romeo and Juliet |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: ninety cities in it: the people speak many different languages
which overlap one another, for there are Achaeans, brave
Eteocretans, Dorians of three-fold race, and noble Pelasgi.
There is a great town there, Cnossus, where Minos reigned who
every nine years had a conference with Jove himself. {152} Minos
was father to Deucalion, whose son I am, for Deucalion had two
sons Idomeneus and myself. Idomeneus sailed for Troy, and I, who
am the younger, am called Aethon; my brother, however, was at
once the older and the more valiant of the two; hence it was in
Crete that I saw Ulysses and showed him hospitality, for the
winds took him there as he was on his way to Troy, carrying him
The Odyssey |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: and falling upon the enemies, forced their shields out of their hands,
and, striking with their pikes at the breasts and faces of the
Persians, overthrew many of them; who, however, fell not either
unrevenged or without courage. For taking hold of the spears with
their bare hands, they broke many of them, and betook themselves not
without effect to the sword; and making use of their falchions and
scimitars, and wresting the Lacedaemonians' shields from them, and
grappling with them, it was a long time that they made resistance.
Meanwhile, for some time, the Athenians stood still, waiting for the
Lacedaemonians to come up. But when they heard much noise as of men
engaged in fight, and a messenger, they say, came from Pausanias, to
|
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 Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: Pat Hawe is with the posse that's trailing them, and you know Pat
has no use for us. I'm afraid it wouldn't be pleasant for you or
your guests to meet either the posse or the bandits."
"I fancy not," said Madeline, considerably relieved. "We'll hurry
back to the house."
They exchanged no more speech at the moment, and Madeline's
guests were silent. Perhaps Stewart's actions and looks belied
his calm words. His piercing eyes roved round the rim of the
mesa, and his face was as hard and stern as chiseled bronze.
Monty and Nick came galloping up, each leading several horses by
the bridles. Nels appeared behind them with Majesty, and he was
The Light of Western Stars |
