| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad: the breathless silence, he felt himself insignificant and powerless
before her, like a prisoner in chains. The fury of his impotence
called out sinister images, that faculty of tormenting vision, which
in a moment of anguishing sense of wrong induces a man to mutter
threats or make a menacing gesture in the solitude of an empty room.
But the gust of passion passed at once, left him trembling a little,
with the wondering, reflective fear of a man who has paused on the
very verge of suicide. The serenity of truth and the peace of death
can be only secured through a largeness of contempt embracing all the
profitable servitudes of life. He found he did not want to know.
Better not. It was all over. It was as if it hadn't been. And it was
Tales of Unrest |
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 Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: There sat the Red Ryl, the Black Ryl, the Green Ryl, the Blue Ryl and
the Yellow Ryl in a circle on the floor, while Claus whittled and
whistled and the wooden cat grew into shape.
"If it could be made the same color as the real cat, no one would know
the difference," said the Yellow Ryl, thoughtfully.
"The little ones, maybe, would not know the difference," replied
Claus, pleased with the idea.
"I will bring you some of the red that I color my roses and tulips
with," cried the Red Ryl; "and then you can make the cat's lips and
tongue red."
"I will bring some of the green that I color my grasses and leaves with,"
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
