| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Study of a Woman by Honore de Balzac: In addition, M. Bianchon narrated the following:
Another Study of Woman
Joseph
The Magic Skin
Listomere, Marquis de
The Lily of the Valley
A Distinguished Provincial at Paris
Listomere, Marquise de
The Lily of the Valley
Lost Illusions
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Faraday as a Discoverer by John Tyndall: heated air-currents, produced by platinum spirals placed in the
magnetic field, and raised to incandescence by electricity. He then
examined the magnetic deportment of gases generally. Almost all of
these gases are invisible; but he must, nevertheless, track them in
their unseen courses. He could not effect this by mingling smoke
with his gases, for the action of his magnet upon the smoke would
have troubled his conclusions. He, therefore, 'caught' his gases in
tubes, carried them out of the magnetic field, and made them reveal
themselves at a distance from the magnet.
Immersing one gas in another, he determined their differential
action; results of the utmost beauty being thus arrived at. Perhaps
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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 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: So many instances within my small circle of friends is
remarkable! At this rate, I shall not pity the writers
of history any longer. If people like to read their books,
it is all very well, but to be at so much trouble in filling
great volumes, which, as I used to think, nobody would
willingly ever look into, to be labouring only for the torment
of little boys and girls, always struck me as a hard fate;
and though I know it is all very right and necessary,
I have often wondered at the person's courage that could
sit down on purpose to do it."
"That little boys and girls should be tormented,"
Northanger Abbey |
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 War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: and not dressed. His eyes, prominent from the emaciation of his
face, gazed inquiringly at his comrades who were paying no attention
to him, and he moaned regularly and quietly. It was evidently not so
much his sufferings that caused him to moan (he had dysentery) as
his fear and grief at being left alone.
Pierre, girt with a rope round his waist and wearing shoes
Karataev had made for him from some leather a French soldier had
torn off a tea chest and brought to have his boots mended with, went
up to the sick man and squatted down beside him.
"You know, Sokolov, they are not all going away! They have a
hospital here. You may be better off than we others," said Pierre.
War and Peace |
