| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton: intervals? She did not know; though she fancied Strefford's
newly-developed pride would prevent his revealing to any one
what had passed between them. For several days after her abrupt
flight he had made no sign; and though she longed to write and
ask his forgiveness she could not find the words. Finally it
was he who wrote: a short note, from Altringham, typical of all
that was best in the old Strefford. He had gone down to
Altringham, he told her, to think quietly over their last talk,
and try to understand what she had been driving at. He had to
own that he couldn't; but that, he supposed, was the very head
and front of his offending. Whatever he had done to displease
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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 Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe: upon her, my glance sought instinctively and eagerly the
countenance of the brother--but he had buried his face in his
hands, and I could only perceive that a far more than ordinary
wanness had overspread the emaciated fingers through which
trickled many passionate tears.
The disease of the lady Madeline had long baffled the skill
of her physicians. A settled apathy, a gradual wasting away of
the person, and frequent although transient affections of a
partially cataleptical character, were the unusual diagnosis.
Hitherto she had steadily borne up against the pressure of her
malady, and had not betaken herself finally to bed; but, on the
The Fall of the House of Usher |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: father and tutor, in all obedience and lowliness, exercising
himself in every kind of virtue, and learning well from practice
how to wrestle with the invisible spirits of evil. From that
time forward he mortified all his sinful passions, and made the
will of the flesh as subject to the spirit as slave is to his
master. He was altogether forgetful of comforts or repose, and
tyrannized over sleep as over a wicked servant. And, in brief,
such was his practice of the religious life, that Barlaam, who
had spent many years therein, marvelled at him, and failed to
equal the earnestness of his life. For he took only so much of
that coarse and cheerless food as would keep him alive; else had
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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 Peter Pan by James M. Barrie: his voice. "Smee," he said huskily, "that crocodile would have
had me before this, but by a lucky chance it swallowed a clock
which goes tick tick inside it, and so before it can reach me I
hear the tick and bolt." He laughed, but in a hollow way.
"Some day," said Smee, "the clock will run down, and then he'll
get you."
Hook wetted his dry lips. "Ay," he said, "that's the fear that
haunts me."
Since sitting down he had felt curiously warm. "Smee," he
said, "this seat is hot." He jumped up. "Odds bobs, hammer and
tongs I'm burning."
Peter Pan |
