| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from My Antonia by Willa Cather: stood looking down at me; I knew that she must be my grandmother.
She had been crying, I could see, but when I opened my eyes
she smiled, peered at me anxiously, and sat down on the foot
of my bed.
`Had a good sleep, Jimmy?' she asked briskly. Then in a very different
tone she said, as if to herself, `My, how you do look like your father!'
I remembered that my father had been her little boy; she must often have come
to wake him like this when he overslept. `Here are your clean clothes,'
she went on, stroking my coverlid with her brown hand as she talked.
`But first you come down to the kitchen with me, and have a nice warm
bath behind the stove. Bring your things; there's nobody about.'
My Antonia |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: sought one who is little grateful for such honour. He seeks no
one, and only gives responses to those who invite and call upon
him. After all, you have but learned a little sooner the evil
which you must still be doomed to endure. I hear your servant's
step at the door, and will detain your ladyship and Lady Forester
no longer. The next packet from the Continent will explain what
you have already partly witnessed. Let it not, if I may advise,
pass too suddenly into your sister's hands."
So saying, he bid Lady Bothwell good-night. She went, lighted by
the adept, to the vestibule, where he hastily threw a black cloak
over his singular dress, and opening the door, entrusted his
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: kicking up their heels delightedly at every step.
"When is Christmas Eve?" Claus asked the Master.
"In about ten days," he replied.
"Then I can not use the deer this year," said Claus, thoughtfully,
"for I shall not have time enough to make my sackful of toys."
"The shrewd Prince foresaw that," responded Ak, "and therefore named
Christmas Eve as the day you might use the deer, knowing it would
cause you to lose an entire year."
"If I only had the toys the Awgwas stole from me," said Claus, sadly,
"I could easily fill my sack for the children."
"Where are they?" asked the Master.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
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 Chouans by Honore de Balzac: with a rather unceremonious bow that betrayed her annoyance at the
beauty of the new-comer. Then she said, in a low voice, to her son:
"'Perilous times,' 'devotion,' 'madame,' 'servant'! that is not
Mademoiselle de Verneuil; it is some girl sent here by Fouche."
The guests were about to sit down when Mademoiselle de Verneuil
noticed Corentin, who was still employed in a close scrutiny of the
mother and son, who were showing some annoyance at his glances.
"Citizen," she said to him, "you are no doubt too well bred to dog my
steps. The Republic, when it sent my parents to the scaffold, did not
magnanimously provide me with a guardian. Though you have, from
extreme and chivalric gallantry accompanied me against my will to this
The Chouans |
