| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake: A flower was offered to me,
Such a flower as May never bore;
But I said, 'I've a pretty rose tree,'
And I passed the sweet flower o'er.
Then I went to my pretty rose tree,
To tend her by day and by night;
But my rose turned away with jealousy,
And her thorns were my only delight.
AH, SUNFLOWER
Ah, sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun;
Songs of Innocence and Experience |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pierrette by Honore de Balzac: became blind fury. She seized Pierrette's arm and struck the closed
fist upon the window-sill, and then upon the marble of the
mantelpiece, as we crack a nut to get the kernel.
"Help! help!" cried Pierrette, "they are murdering me!"
"Ha! you may well scream, when I catch you with a lover in the dead of
night."
And she beat the hand pitilessly.
"Help! help!" cried Pierrette, the blood flowing.
At that instant, loud knocks were heard at the front door. Exhausted,
the two women paused a moment.
Rogron, awakened and uneasy, not knowing what was happening, had got
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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 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: against me, forsooth! Art thou out of thy wits, man?
My name is Riccon Hazel, and I come from Holywell, in Flintshire,
over by the River Dee. I tell thee, knave, I have cracked
the head of many a better man than thou art, and even now I would
scald thy crown for thee but for the ale thou hast given me.
Now thou shalt not have so much as one tag-rag of my coat,
even could it save thee from hanging."
"Now, fellow," said Robin, "it would ill suit me to spoil thy pretty head
for thee, but I tell thee plainly, that but for this feast I would do
that to thee would stop thy traveling the country for many a day to come.
Keep thy lips shut, lad, or thy luck will tumble out of thy mouth
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
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 Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: man going out, and that you don't know who he was, but you
suppose it was alright. Only you thought Mr. Larel ought to
know."
"I've never met anyone like you before."
"My dear, you never will. I am unique. And remember you've
taken rather a fancy- Here he is. Yes, queens always have their
hands kissed. All real queens..."
I seized my hat, stick, and gloves, and faded behind the
curtains. She was really wonderful. "Mr. Larel, will you ever
forgive me? I'm most awfully sorry. D'you know I quite forgot.
I suppose you'd given me up? And now it's too late. Oh, yes. I
The Brother of Daphne |
