Today's Stichomancy for Uma Thurman
| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: Himself, as He has promised, write His law in our hearts;
otherwise there is no hope for us. For unless He himself teach us
inwardly this wisdom hidden in a mystery, nature cannot but
condemn it and judge it to be heretical. She takes offence at it,
and it seems folly to her, just as we see that it happened of old
in the case of the prophets and Apostles, and just as blind and
impious pontiffs, with their flatterers, do now in my case and
that of those who are like me, upon whom, together with
ourselves, may God at length have mercy, and lift up the light of
His countenance upon them, that we may know His way upon earth
and His saving health among all nations, who is blessed for
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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 Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: 'Am I to speak before him?' asked Morris, disregarding these
severe expressions.
'He has been present throughout,' said Pitman. 'He opened the
barrel; your guilty secret is already known to him, as well as to
your Maker and myself.'
'Well, then,' said Morris, 'what have you done with the money?'
'I know nothing about any money,' said Pitman.
'You needn't try that on,' said Morris. 'I have tracked you down;
you came to the station sacrilegiously disguised as a clergyman,
procured my barrel, opened it, rifled the body, and cashed the
bill. I have been to the bank, I tell you! I have followed you
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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 The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: very little who he is, or even whether he is at all. "The truth
of the matter can be put," says Leuba, "in this way: GOD IS NOT
KNOWN, HE IS NOT UNDERSTOOD; HE IS USED--sometimes as
meat-purveyor, sometimes as moral support, sometimes as friend,
sometimes as an object of love. If he proves himself useful, the
religious consciousness asks for no more than that. Does God
really exist? How does he exist? What is he? are so many
irrelevant questions. Not God, but life, more life, a larger,
richer, more satisfying life, is, in the last analysis, the end
of religion. The love of life, at any and every level of
development, is the religious impulse."[348]
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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 The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories by Alice Dunbar: John was Tony's brother, huge and bluff too, but fair and blond,
with the beauty of Northern Italy. With the same lack of race
pride which Tony had displayed in selecting his German spouse,
John had taken unto himself Betty, a daughter of Erin,
aggressive, powerful, and cross-eyed. He turned up now, having
heard of this illness, and assumed an air of remarkable authority
at once.
A hunted look stole into the dull eyes, and after John had
departed with blustering directions as to Tony's welfare, she
crept to his bedside timidly.
"Tony," she said,--"Tony, you are very sick."
The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories |
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