| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Under the Andes by Rex Stout: Desiree could tell us nothing, except that she had felt
herself drawn forward by some strange power that had seemed to come
from the baneful, glittering eyes. She was bewildered and stunned
and unable to talk coherently. We assisted her to the wall, and
she sat there with her back propped against it, breathing heavily
from the exhaustion of terror.
"We must find water," I said, and Harry nodded, hesitating.
I understood him. Danger could not have stayed him nor fear,
but the horror of the thing which roamed about the cavern, dark as
darkness itself and possessed of some strange power that could not
be withstood, was enough to make him pause. For myself it was
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: heart began to beat uncomfortably fast as she thought what she had
said. For a minute a wild desire to run away possessed her, but
that was cowardly, and the girls would laugh at her, so she resolved
to stay and get out of the scrape as she could. A second look showed
her that the living eyes, under the bushy eyebrows, were kinder even
than the painted ones, and there was a sly twinkle in them, which
lessened her fear a good deal. The gruff voice was gruffer than ever,
as the old gentleman said abruptly, after the dreadful pause, "So
you're not afraid of me, hey?"
"Not much, sir."
"And you don't think me as handsome as your grandfather?"
Little Women |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: 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,
Be the death-defying swan,
Lest the requiem lack his right.
And thou, treble-dated crow,
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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 Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes: semi-asphyxia. One wakes up from it about the beginning of the
last week in September. This is what I remember of his poem:-
AESTIVATION.
AN UNPUBLISHED POEM, BY MY LATE LATIN TUTOR
IN candent ire the solar splendor flames;
The foles, languescent, pend from arid rames;
His humid front the cive, anheling, wipes,
And dreams of erring on ventiferous ripes.
How dulce to vive occult to mortal eyes,
Dorm on the herb with none to supervise,
Carp the suave berries from the crescent vine,
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table |
