| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: should be b, i.e., Joan of Arc ought to say that the souls will
know each other by being cleansed of all that is earthly, or
something of the kind, clashing with the opinion of the artist,
who thought the next letter should be l, i.e., that the souls
should know each other by light emanating from their astral
bodies. The General, with his bushy grey eyebrows gravely
contracted, sat gazing at the hands on the saucer, and, imagining
that it was moving of its own accord, kept pulling the saucer
towards b. The pale-faced young artist, with his thin hair combed
back behind his cars, was looking with his lifeless blue eyes
into a dark corner of the drawing-room, nervously moving his lips
Resurrection |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: needlework, and the photographs which they had taken pinned up on
the wooden walls, among Japanese fans and bits of bright-coloured
stuff in which the soul of woman delights, and, in a passive,
silent way, the soul of man also. Then, after we had discussed the
year's fishing, and the mysteries of the camera, and the deep
question of what makes some negatives too thin and others too
thick, we must go out to see the big salmon which one of the ladies
had caught a few days before, and the large trout swimming about in
their cold spring. It seemed to me, as we went on our way, that
there could hardly be a more wholesome and pleasant summer-life for
well-bred young women than this, or two amusements more innocent
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from 1492 by Mary Johntson: Pedro now heard a sound that he knew well enough. Coming
back to here and now, he looked and saw breakers upon a
long sand bar. The making tide was at half, and that and
the changed wind carried us toward the lines of foam. The
boy cried, ``Steersman! Steersman!'' Ruiz sat up, holding
his head in his hands. ``Such a roaring in my ears!''
But ``Breakers! Breakers!'' cried the boy. ``Take the
helm!''
Ruiz sprang to it, but as he touched it the _Santa Maria_
grounded. The shock woke most on board, the immediate
outcry and running feet the rest.
|
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 Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: we know of. Poor Mr. Boldwood, it will, be hard upon
en. I wish Troy was in -- -- Well, God forgive me
for such a wish! A scoundrel to play a poor wife such
tricks. Nothing has prospered in Weatherbury since he
came here. And now I've no heart to go in. Let's
look into Warren's for a few minutes first, shall us,
neighbours?"
Samway, Tall, and Smallbury agreed to go to Warren's,
and went out at the gate, the remaining ones entering
the house. The three soon drew near the malt-house,
approaching it from the adjoining orchard, and not by
Far From the Madding Crowd |
