| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: mock at him!
Have they not seen how many generations we have destroyed before
them? verily, they shall not return to them; but all of them shall
surely altogether be arraigned.
And a sign for them is the dead earth which we have quickened and
brought forth therefrom seed, and from it do they eat; and we made
therein gardens and palms and grapes, and we have caused fountains
to gush forth therein, that they may eat from the fruit thereof, and
of what their hands have made; will they not then give thanks?
Celebrated be the praises of Him who created all kinds, of what
the earth brings forth, and of themselves, and what they know not of!
The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Silas Marner by George Eliot: ask Mr. Macey to speak to the parson about it; and you must fix on a
name for it, because it must have a name giv' it when it's
christened."
"My mother's name was Hephzibah," said Silas, "and my little
sister was named after her."
"Eh, that's a hard name," said Dolly. "I partly think it isn't a
christened name."
"It's a Bible name," said Silas, old ideas recurring.
"Then I've no call to speak again' it," said Dolly, rather
startled by Silas's knowledge on this head; "but you see I'm no
scholard, and I'm slow at catching the words. My husband says I'm
Silas Marner |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: mother, and all the other good people here tonight. Ah,
here's May arriving, and you will want to hurry away
to her," she added, but without moving; and her eyes
turned back from the door to rest on the young man's
face.
The drawing-rooms were beginning to fill up with
after-dinner guests, and following Madame Olenska's
glance Archer saw May Welland entering with her
mother. In her dress of white and silver, with a wreath
of silver blossoms in her hair, the tall girl looked like a
Diana just alight from the chase.
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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 In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: "How is the Frau Lehmann?" the women would whisper.
"She feels rather low, but as well as can be expected," Sabina would
answer, nodding confidentially.
Frau Lehmann's bad time was approaching. Anna and her friends referred to
it as her "journey to Rome," and Sabina longed to ask questions, yet, being
ashamed of her ignorance, was silent, trying to puzzle it out for herself.
She knew practically nothing except that the Frau had a baby inside her,
which had to come out--very painful indeed. One could not have one without
a husband--that she also realised. But what had the man got to do with it?
So she wondered as she sat mending tea towels in the evening, head bent
over her work, light shining on her brown curls. Birth--what was it?
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