| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: trembling. She pulled up the sleeve of her gown--great red marks on her
arms. "My ribs will be blue. I'll be blue all over," she reflected. "If
only that beloved Casimir could have seen us." And the feeling of rage and
disgust against Casimir had totally disappeared. How could the poor
darling help not having any money? It was her fault as much as his, and
he, just like her, was apart from the world, fighting it, just as she had
done. If only three o'clock would come. She saw herself running towards
him and putting her arms round his neck. "My blessed one! Of course we
are bound to win. Do you love me still? Oh, I have been horrible lately."
13. A BLAZE.
"Max, you silly devil, you'll break your neck if you go careering down the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: going of my second self. I had soon dressed, as well as I was
able, in clothes of my own size: had soon passed through the
house, where Bradshaw stared and drew back at seeing Mr. Hyde at
such an hour and in such a strange array; and ten minutes later,
Dr. Jekyll had returned to his own shape and was sitting down,
with a darkened brow, to make a feint of breakfasting.
Small indeed was my appetite. This inexplicable incident,
this reversal of my previous experience, seemed, like the
Babylonian finger on the wall, to be spelling out the letters of
my judgment; and I began to reflect more seriously than ever
before on the issues and possibilities of my double existence.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: heart with the same love, considered well how they might present
soul and body without blemish unto God, by cutting off all the
workings of sinful lusts and purifying themselves of every
defilement of flesh and spirit. But, as they perceived that this
could only be accomplished by the keeping of the commandments of
Christ, and that the keeping of his commandments and the practice
of the virtues was difficult to attain in the midst of the
turmoils of the world, they adopted for themselves a strange and
changed manner of life, and, obedient to the voice divine,
forsook all, parents, children, friends, kinsfolk, riches and
luxury, and, hating everything in the world, withdrew, as exiles,
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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 Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart: She opened the door quietly and went in. Micky, the Irish terrier,
lay asleep at the foot of the stairs, and her father's voice,
reading aloud, came pleasantly from the living room. Suddenly her
sense of resentment died. With the closing of the front door the
peace of the house enveloped her. What did it matter if, beyond
that door, there were unrequited love and petty gossip, and even
tragedy? Not that she put all that into conscious thought; she had
merely a sensation of sanctuary and peace. Here, within these four
walls, were all that one should need, love and security and quiet
happiness. Walter Wheeler, pausing to turn a page, heard her singing
as she went up the stairs. In the moment of the turning he too had
The Breaking Point |
