| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Main Street by Sinclair Lewis: "No. I won't admit it. You do like to talk, but at a
show-down you'd prefer Sam Clark to any damn long-haired
artist."
"Oh--well----"
"Oh well!" mockingly. "My, we're just going to change
everything, aren't we! Going to tell fellows that have been
making movies for ten years how to direct 'em; and tell
architects how to build towns; and make the magazines publish
nothing but a lot of highbrow stories about old maids, and
about wives that don't know what they want. Oh, we're
a terror! . . . Come on now, Carrie; come out of it;
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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 Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: To whose sound chaste wings obey.
But thou, shrieking harbinger,
Foul pre-currer of the fiend,
Augur of the fever's end,
To this troop come thou not near.
From this session interdict
Every fowl of tyrant wing,
Save the eagle, feather'd king:
Keep the obsequy so strict.
Let the priest in surplice white,
That defunctive music can,
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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 Collected Articles by Frederick Douglass: He went on with his duty--examining several colored passengers
before reaching me. He was somewhat harsh in tome and peremptory
in manner until he reached me, when, strange enough, and to my surprise
and relief, his whole manner changed. Seeing that I did not readily
produce my free papers, as the other colored persons in the car had done,
he said to me, in friendly contrast with his bearing toward the others:
"I suppose you have your free papers?"
To which I answered:
"No sir; I never carry my free papers to sea with me."
"But you have something to show that you are a freeman, haven't you?"
"Yes, sir," I answered; "I have a paper with the American Eagle on it,
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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 Koran: from a spring, white and delicious to those who drink, wherein is no
insidious spirit, nor shall they be drunk therewith; and with them
damsels, restraining their looks, large eyed; as though they were a
sheltered egg; and some shall come forward to ask others; and a
speaker amongst them shall say, 'Verily, I had a mate, who used to
say, "Art thou verily of those who credit? What! when we are dead, and
have become earth and bones, shall we be surely judged?"' He will say,
'Are ye looking down?' and he shall look down and see him in the midst
of hell. He shall say, 'By God, thou didst nearly ruin me! And had
it not been for the favour of my Lord, I should have been among the
arraigned.'-'What! shall we not die save our first death? and shall we
The Koran |
