| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: which from the lower regions rose to the ears of the masters. The
attention of society, and of the town in general, became so fixed on
the marriage of two persons equally rich and well-born, that every
one, great and small, busied themselves about the matter, and in less
than a week the strangest rumors were bruited about.
"Madame Evangelista sells her house; she must be ruined. She offered
her diamonds to Elie Magus. Nothing is really settled between herself
and the Comte de Manerville. Is it probable that the marriage will
ever take place?"
To this question some answered yes, and others said no. The two
notaries, when questioned, denied these calumnies, and declared that
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King James Bible: JDG 21:23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives,
according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and
they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities,
and dwelt in them.
JDG 21:24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time,
every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence
every man to his inheritance.
JDG 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that
which was right in his own eyes. RTH 1:1 Now it came to pass in the
days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a
certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab,
King James Bible |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Alcibiades II by Platonic Imitator: really do such a thing; but there is nothing, you think, to prevent a man
who is ignorant of the best, having occasionally the whim that what is
worst is best?
ALCIBIADES: No.)
SOCRATES:--If, then, you went indoors, and seeing him, did not know him,
but thought that he was some one else, would you venture to slay him?
ALCIBIADES: Most decidedly not (it seems to me). (These words are omitted
in several MSS.)
SOCRATES: For you designed to kill, not the first who offered, but
Pericles himself?
ALCIBIADES: Certainly.
|
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 St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson: this damnable position. Without doubt, Alain was this moment at
the door. He hoped to enter and get a view of you, as if by
accident. Baffled in this, has he stayed himself, or has he
planted Dawson here by way of sentinel?'
'Himself, beyond a doubt,' said I. 'And yet to what end? He
cannot think to pass the night there!'
'If it were only possible to pay no heed!' said Mr. Romaine. 'But
this is the accursed drawback of your position. We can do nothing
openly. I must smuggle you out of this room and out of this house
like seizable goods; and how am I to set about it with a sentinel
planted at your very door?'
|
