| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Aesop's Fables by Aesop: for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying
hearty meals.
Appearances are deceptive.
The Dog in the Manger
A Dog looking out for its afternoon nap jumped into the Manger
of an Ox and lay there cosily upon the straw. But soon the Ox,
returning from its afternoon work, came up to the Manger and
wanted to eat some of the straw. The Dog in a rage, being
awakened from its slumber, stood up and barked at the Ox, and
whenever it came near attempted to bite it. At last the Ox had to
give up the hope of getting at the straw, and went away muttering:
Aesop's Fables |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: cried the woman.
"Quick, then," he replied, "for we gotta go it if we're goin'
to catch the Kincaid afore she sails. She's had steam up
for three hours an' jest been a-waitin' fer that one passenger.
I was a-talkin' to one of her crew 'arf an hour ago."
As he spoke he led the way to the end of the wharf where
he knew another boat lay moored, and, lowering the woman
into it, he jumped in after and pushed off. The two were
soon scudding over the water.
At the steamer's side the man demanded his pay and,
without waiting to count out the exact amount, the woman
The Beasts of Tarzan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Illustrious Gaudissart by Honore de Balzac: who like fine wines, high-class wines, who furnish their table with
qualities that can't be bought in the regular trade,--and there are
many persons in Paris who have that vanity,--well, such people send
direct to us for this wine. Do you know any one who--?"
"Let us go on with what we were saying," interposed Gaudissart.
"We are going on," said the fool. "My wine is capital; you are
capital, capitalist, intellectual capital, capital wine,--all the same
etymology, don't you see? hein? Capital, 'caput,' head, Head of
Vouvray, that's my wine,--it's all one thing."
"So that you have realized your intellectual capital through your
wines? Ah, I see!" said Gaudissart.
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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 Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf: have said against them. If they were properly educated I don't see
why they shouldn't be much the same as men--as satisfactory I mean;
though, of course, very different. The question is, how should
one educate them. The present method seems to me abominable.
This girl, though twenty-four, had never heard that men desired women,
and, until I explained it, did not know how children were born.
Her ignorance upon other matters as important" (here Mrs. Ambrose's
letter may not be quoted) . . ."was complete. It seems to me not
merely foolish but criminal to bring people up like that. Let alone
the suffering to them, it explains why women are what they are--
the wonder is they're no worse. I have taken it upon myself
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