| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: compelled him to fly from Rome without a passport--a circumstance he
does not talk about. After purchasing the good-will of a popular
restaurant he was trusted to prepare a banquet given by a lately made
Cardinal, whose household was not yet complete. Giardini fancied he
had an opportunity for distinguishing himself--and he succeeded! for
that same evening he was accused of trying to poison the whole
conclave, and was obliged to leave Rome and Italy without waiting to
pack up. This disaster was the last straw. Now," and Gambara put his
finger to his forehead and shook his head.
"He is a good fellow, all the same," he added. "My wife will tell you
that we owe him many a good turn."
Gambara |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum: had brown skins, horns on their foreheads and
threecolored hair.
"These," said the Chief, "are my sweet
daughters. My dears, I introduce to you Miss
Scraps Patchwork, a lady who is traveling in
foreign parts to increase her store of wisdom."
The nineteen Horner girls all arose and made
a polite curtsey, after which they resumed their
seats and rearranged their robes properly.
"Why do they sit so still, and all in a row?"
asked Scraps.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed by Edna Ferber: we will seat ourselves at one of the tables, and I will
wave my hand, and one of the stout waiters will come
flying. `Will you have coffee, _Fraulein_, or beer?' It
sounds prosaic, but it is very, very good, as you will
see. Pathways in Germany always end in coffee and Kuchen
and waiters in white aprons."
But, "Oh, no!" I exclaimed, for his mood was
infectious. "This is France. Please! The golden
pathway will end in a picturesque little French farm,
with a dairy. And in the doorway of the farmhouse there
will be a red-skirted peasant woman, with a white cap!
|
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 Koran: Said he, 'O my people! did not your Lord promise you a good promise?
Has the time seemed too long for you, or do you desire that wrath
should light on you from your Lord, that ye have broken your promise
to me?'
They said, 'We have not broken our promise to thee of our own
accord. But we were made to carry loads of the ornaments of the
people, and we hurled them down, and so did es Samariy cast; and he
brought forth for the people a corporeal calf which lowed.' And they
said, 'This is your god and the god of Moses, but he has forgotten!'
What! do they not see that it does not return them any speech, and
cannot control for them harm or profit? Aaron too told them before, 'O
The Koran |
