| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "Villain! Scoundrel!" croaked the Diamond Swan. "You
will be punished for this. Oh, what a fool I was to let
you enchant me!
"A fool you were, and a fool you are!" laughed the
Su-dic, dancing madly in his delight. And then he
carelessly tipped over the other copper vessel with his
heel and its contents spilled on the sands and were
lost to the last drop.
The Su-dic stopped short and looked at the overturned
vessel with a rueful countenance.
"That's too bad -- too bad!" he exclaimed
Glinda of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Hero of Our Time by M.Y. Lermontov: mistaken in regard to me" . . .
"You will find that a rather difficult task" . . .
"But why?" . . .
"Because you never visit us and, most
likely, there will not be many more of these
balls."
"That means," I thought, "that their doors
are closed to me for ever."
"You know, Princess," I said to her, with a
certain amount of vexation, "one should never
spurn a penitent criminal: in his despair he may
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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 Symposium by Plato: walk in his ways, and exhort others to do the same, and praise the power
and spirit of love according to the measure of my ability now and ever.
The words which I have spoken, you, Phaedrus, may call an encomium of love,
or anything else which you please.
When Socrates had done speaking, the company applauded, and Aristophanes
was beginning to say something in answer to the allusion which Socrates had
made to his own speech, when suddenly there was a great knocking at the
door of the house, as of revellers, and the sound of a flute-girl was
heard. Agathon told the attendants to go and see who were the intruders.
'If they are friends of ours,' he said, 'invite them in, but if not, say
that the drinking is over.' A little while afterwards they heard the voice
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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 Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: Mynheer van Baerle died, to the intense grief of his son
Cornelius, who cared very little for the guilders, and very
much for his father.
Cornelius then remained alone in his large house. In vain
his godfather offered to him a place in the public service,
-- in vain did he try to give him a taste for glory, --
although Cornelius, to gratify his godfather, did embark
with De Ruyter upon "The Seven Provinces," the flagship of a
fleet of one hundred and thirty-nine sail, with which the
famous admiral set out to contend singlehanded against the
combined forces of France and England. When, guided by the
The Black Tulip |
