| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Research Magnificent by H. G. Wells: followed every accessible detail of her toilette with great
interest. They were quite helpful about breakfast when the trouble
was put to them; two vanished over a crest and reappeared with some
sour milk, a slabby kind of bread, goat's cheese young but hardened,
and coffee and the means of making coffee, and they joined
spiritedly in the ensuing meal. It ought to have been
extraordinarily good fun, this camp under the vast heavens and these
wild visitors, but it was not such fun as it ought to have been
because both Amanda and Benham were extremely cold, stiff, sleepy,
grubby and cross, and when at last they were back in the way to
Podgoritza and had parted, after some present-giving from their
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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 Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey: "No."
"Or across that Painted Desert to find some place you seem to know, or
see?"
"No."
"I don't know why, but, Mescal, sometimes I have the queerest ideas when
I catch your eyes watching, watching. You look at once happy and sad.
You see something out there that I can't see. Your eyes are haunted.
I've a feeling that if I'd look into them I'd see the sun setting, the
clouds coloring, the twilight shadows changing; and then back of that the
secret of it all--of you--Oh! I can't explain, but it seems so."
"I never had a secret, except the one you know," she answered." You ask
The Heritage of the Desert |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Main Street by Sinclair Lewis: The conversation was at last relieved of the plague of Carol's
intrusions and they settled down to the question of whether
the justice of the peace had sent that hobo drunk to jail for
ten days or twelve. It was a matter not readily determined.
Then Dave Dyer communicated his carefree adventures on the
gipsy trail:
"Yep. I get good time out of the flivver. 'Bout a week
ago I motored down to New Wurttemberg. That's forty-
three---- No, let's see: It's seventeen miles to Belldale, and
'bout six and three-quarters, call it seven, to Torgenquist, and
it's a good nineteen miles from there to New Wurttemberg--
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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 Emma by Jane Austen: in return; but then, you would have no habits of early obedience
and long observance to break through. To him who has, it might
not be so easy to burst forth at once into perfect independence,
and set all their claims on his gratitude and regard at nought.
He may have as strong a sense of what would be right, as you can have,
without being so equal, under particular circumstances, to act up
to it."
"Then it would not be so strong a sense. If it failed to produce
equal exertion, it could not be an equal conviction."
"Oh, the difference of situation and habit! I wish you would try
to understand what an amiable young man may be likely to feel
Emma |
