| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Inland Voyage by Robert Louis Stevenson: picturesque vicissitudes of war, they stir up something proud in
the heart. But in a shadow of a town like Landrecies, with little
else moving, these points of war made a proportionate commotion.
Indeed, they were the only things to remember. It was just the
place to hear the round going by at night in the darkness, with the
solid tramp of men marching, and the startling reverberations of
the drum. It reminded you, that even this place was a point in the
great warfaring system of Europe, and might on some future day be
ringed about with cannon smoke and thunder, and make itself a name
among strong towns.
The drum, at any rate, from its martial voice and notable
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: courtesans. A broker had brought there, about the year 1827, Suzanne
du Val-Noble, afterwards Madame Gaillard. In that house the famous
Esther caused the Baron de Nucingen to commit the only follies of his
life. Florine, and subsequently, a person now called in jest "the late
Madame Schontz," had scintillated there in turn. Bored by his wife, du
Tillet bought this modern little house, and there installed the
celebrated Carabine, whose lively wit and cavalier manners and
shameless brilliancy were a counterpoise to the dulness of domestic
life, and the toils of finance and politics.
Whether du Tillet or Carabine were at home or not at home, supper was
served, and splendidly served, for ten persons every day. Artists, men
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: natu adhibitis, ad eum in castra venerunt, simul, ut dicebatur, sui
purgandi causa, quod contra atque esset dictum et ipsi petissent, proelium
pridie commisissent, simul ut, si quid possent, de indutiis fallendo
impetrarent. Quos sibi Caesar oblatos gavisus illos retineri iussit; ipse
omnes copias castris D eduxit equitatumque, quod recenti proelio
perterritum esse existimabat, agmen subsequi iussit.
Acie triplici instituta et celeriter VIII milium itinere confecto,
prius ad hostium castra pervenit quam quid ageretur Germani sentire
possent. Qui omnibus rebus subito perterriti et celeritate adventus
nostri et discessu suorum, neque consilii habendi neque arma capiendi
spatio dato perturbantur, copiasne adversus hostem ducere an castra
|
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 Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce: A Treaty of Peace
THROUGH massacres of each other's citizens China and the United
States had been four times plunged into devastating wars, when, in
the year 1994, arose a Philosopher in Madagascar, who laid before
the Governments of the two distracted countries the following MODUS
VIVENDI:
"Massacres are to be sternly forbidden as heretofore; but any
citizen or subject of either country disobeying the injunction is
to detach the scalps of all persons massacred and deposit them with
a local officer designated to receive and preserve them and sworn
to keep and render a true account thereof. At the conclusion of
Fantastic Fables |
