| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Reminiscences of Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy: hour in the drawing-room, where Iván Sergéyevitch
read us his story of "The Dog."
I can remember his tall, stalwart figure, his gray, silky,
yellowish hair, his soft tread, rather waddling walk, and his
piping voice, quite out of keeping with his majestic exterior. He
had a chuckling kind of laugh, like a child's, and when he laughed
his voice was more piping than ever.
In the evening, after dinner, we all gathered in the
zala. At that time Uncle Seryózha, Prince
Leoníd Dmítryevitch Urúsof, Vice-Governor of
the Province of Tula; Uncle Sasha Behrs and his young wife, the
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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 Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: of lettuce for decorations instead of bows or buckles. Upon her silken waist
clover leaves were embroidered, and she wore a jaunty little jacket trimmed
with sparkling emeralds of a uniform size.
"Why, it's little Jellia Jamb!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, as the green maiden
bowed her pretty head before him. "Do you understand the language of the
Gillikins, my dear?"
"Yes, your Majesty, she answered, "for I was born in the North Country."
"Then you shall be our interpreter," said the Scarecrow, "and explain to
this Pumpkinhead all that I say, and also explain to me all that he says. Is
this arrangement satisfactory?" he asked, turning toward his guest.
"Very satisfactory indeed," was the reply.
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Little Britain by Washington Irving: St. Paul's churchyard. His family have been very urgent for
him to make an expedition to Margate, but he has great doubts
of those new gimcracks, the steamboats, and indeed thinks
himself too advanced in life to undertake sea-voyages.
Little Britain has occasionally its factions and divisions, and
party spirit ran very high at one time in consequence of two
rival "Burial Societies" being set up in the place. One held its
meeting at the Swan and Horse Shoe, and was patronized by the
cheesemonger; the other at the Cock and Crown, under the
auspices of the apothecary; it is needless to say that the latter
was the most flourishing. I have passed an evening or two at
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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 Pivot of Civilization by Margaret Sanger: creation of a real civilization, the task of freeing the spirit of
mankind from the bondage of ignorance, prejudice and mental passivity
which is more fettering now than ever in the history of humanity, will
be facilitated a thousand-fold. The great central problem, and one
which must be taken first is the abolition of the shame and fear of
sex. We must teach men the overwhelming power of this radiant force.
We must make them understand that uncontrolled, it is a cruel tyrant,
but that controlled and directed, it may be used to transmute and
sublimate the everyday world into a realm of beauty and joy. Through
sex, mankind may attain the great spiritual illumination which will
transform the world, which will light up the only path to an earthly
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