| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Life in the Iron-Mills by Rebecca Davis: For other reasons, too, he was not popular. Not one of
themselves, they felt that, though outwardly as filthy and ash-
covered; silent, with foreign thoughts and longings breaking out
through his quietness in innumerable curious ways: this one,
for instance. In the neighboring furnace-buildings lay great
heaps of the refuse from the ore after the pig-metal is run.
Korl we call it here: a light, porous substance, of a delicate,
waxen, flesh-colored tinge. Out of the blocks of this korl,
Wolfe, in his off-hours from the furnace, had a habit of
chipping and moulding figures,--hideous, fantastic enough, but
sometimes strangely beautiful: even the mill-men saw that,
Life in the Iron-Mills |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: half inches or I can't get into any of my dresses."
"It'll bust de strings," said Lou. "Yo' wais' jes' done got
bigger, Miss Scarlett, an' dar ain' nuthin' ter do 'bout it."
"There is something to do about it," thought Scarlett as she ripped
savagely at the seams of her dress to let out the necessary inches.
"I just won't have any more babies."
Of course, Bonnie was pretty and a credit to her and Rhett adored
the child, but she would not have another baby. Just how she would
manage this she did not know, for she couldn't handle Rhett as she
had Frank. Rhett wasn't afraid of her. It would probably be
difficult with Rhett acting so foolishly about Bonnie and probably
Gone With the Wind |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: I wonder what he thought had come to me before he understood
and suddenly desisted. Our hands met gropingly,
lingered united in a steady, motionless clasp for a second.
. . . No word was breathed by either of us when they separated.
I was standing quietly by the pantry door when the steward returned.
"Sorry, sir. Kettle barely warm. Shall I light the spirit lamp?"
"Never mind."
I came out on deck slowly. It was now a matter of conscience
to shave the land as close as possible--for now he must go overboard
whenever the ship was put in stays. Must! There could be no going
back for him. After a moment I walked over to leeward and my
The Secret Sharer |
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 Soul of the Far East by Percival Lowell: This encases a second, more spiritual, but yet not wholly free from
earthly affinities. This contains another, still more refined; till
finally, inside of all is that immaterial something which they
conceive to constitute the soul. This eventual residuum exemplifies
the Franciscan notion of pure substance, for it is a thing
delightfully devoid of any attributes whatever.
We may, perhaps, not be aware of the existence of such an elaborate
set of encasings to our own heart of hearts, nor of a something so
very indefinite within, but the most casual glance at any religion
will reveal its truth as regards the soul of a belief. We recognize
the fact outwardly in the buildings erected to celebrate its worship.
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