| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: are, monsieur; your head is dressed as that of a man of talent ought
to be. Ossian," he said to the lacquey in livery, "dress monsieur and
show him out. Whose turn next?" he added proudly, gazing round upon
the persons who awaited him.
"Don't laugh, Gazonal," said Leon as they reached the foot of the
staircase, whence his eye could take in the whole of the Place de la
Bourse. "I see over there one of our great men, and you shall compare
his language with that of the barber, and tell me which of the two you
think the most original."
"Don't laugh, Gazonal," said Bixiou, mimicking Leon's intonation.
"What do you suppose is Marius's business?"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: the same of another proposition--that not life, but a good life, is to be
chiefly valued?
CRITO: Yes, that also remains unshaken.
SOCRATES: And a good life is equivalent to a just and honorable one--that
holds also?
CRITO: Yes, it does.
SOCRATES: From these premisses I proceed to argue the question whether I
ought or ought not to try and escape without the consent of the Athenians:
and if I am clearly right in escaping, then I will make the attempt; but if
not, I will abstain. The other considerations which you mention, of money
and loss of character and the duty of educating one's children, are, I
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: sunburned, dusty face; a nervous walking skeleton, looking at the
numbers, and trying to recognize a house.
"/Ecco la Marianna/!" exclaimed the cook.
Marianna recognized Giardini, the erewhile cook, in the poor fellow
she saw, without wondering by what series of disasters he had sunk to
keep a miserable shop for secondhand food. She went in and sat down,
for she had come from Fontainebleau. She had walked fourteen leagues
that day, after begging her bread from Turin to Paris.
She frightened that terrible trio! Of all her wondrous beauty nothing
remained but her fine eyes, dimmed and sunken. The only thing faithful
to her was misfortune.
Gambara |
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 King James Bible: blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his
tabernacle.
JOB 20:27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall
rise up against him.
JOB 20:28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall
flow away in the day of his wrath.
JOB 20:29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the
heritage appointed unto him by God.
JOB 21:1 But Job answered and said,
JOB 21:2 Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.
JOB 21:3 Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock
King James Bible |
