| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King James Bible: the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and
the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
ZEC 11:8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul
lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
ZEC 11:9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die;
and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat
every one the flesh of another.
ZEC 11:10 And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I
might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
ZEC 11:11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock
that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: work. None of them would presume to address a worker,-- except, perhaps,
under extraordinary circumstances of common peril. And no worker would
think of talking to a male;-- for males, in this queer world, are inferior
beings, equally incapable of fighting or working, and tolerated only as
necessary evils. One special class of females,-- the Mothers-Elect of the
race,-- do condescend to consort with males, during a very brief period, at
particular seasons. But the Mothers-Elect do not work; and they most accept
husbands. A worker could not even dream of keeping company with a male,--
not merely because such association would signify the most frivolous waste
of time, nor yet because the worker necessarily regards all males with
unspeakable contempt; but because the worker is incapable of wedlock. Some
Kwaidan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: although it seemed certain that a moment's cessation of effort would
permit the enemy an irretrievable gain, he called a halt on the
whole work.
"Boys," said he, irrelevantly, "let's have a smoke?"
He set the example by throwing himself full length against a
slanting pile and most leisurely filling his pipe. The men stared a
moment; then followed his example. A great peace of evening filled
the sky. The horizon lay low and black against the afterglow.
Beneath it the river shone like silver. Only the groaning, the
heave and shrugging of the jam, and the low threatening gurgle of
hurrying waters reminded the toil-weary men of the enemy's continued
|
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 Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: that the women were so tired eating of their husbands' cooking that they
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all hailed the conquest of Jinjur with Joy. Certain it is that, rushing one
and all to the kitchens of their houses, the good wives prepared so
delicious a feast for the weary men that harmony was immediately restored in
every family.
Ozma's first act was to oblige the Army of Revolt to return to her every
emerald or other gem stolen from the public streets and buildings; and so
great was the number of precious stones picked from their settings by these
vain girls, that every one of the royal jewelers worked steadily for more
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
