| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: she pleased when he was sober, she feared him like fire when he
was drunk. Once when he had got drunk at home, Nikita,
probably to make up for his submissiveness when sober, broke
open her box, took out her best clothes, snatched up an axe,
and chopped all her undergarments and dresses to bits. All the
wages Nikita earned went to his wife, and he raised no
objection to that. So now, two days before the holiday, Martha
had been twice to see Vasili Andreevich and had got from him
wheat flour, tea, sugar, and a quart of vodka, the lot costing
three rubles, and also five rubles in cash, for which she
thanked him as for a special favour, though he owed Nikita at
Master and Man |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Reef by Edith Wharton: from its present beauty. The colour rose to her face.
"Between you and me everything matters."
"Of course!" She felt the unperceiving sweetness of his
smile. "That's why," he went on, "'everything,' for me, is
here and now: on this bench, between you and me."
She caught at the phrase. "That's what I meant: it's here
and now; we can't get away from it."
"Get away from it? Do you want to? AGAIN?"
Her heart was beating unsteadily. Something in her,
fitfully and with reluctance, struggled to free itself, but
the warmth of his nearness penetrated every sense as the
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Vision Splendid by William MacLeod Raine: As their lips met the lark throbbed a betrothal song.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
They went slowly through the wet ferns, hand in hand. It was
amazingly true that he had won her, but Jeff could scarce believe
the miracle. More than once he recurred to it.
"You saw what no other young woman of your set in Verden did, the
human in me through my vagabondage. But why? There's nothing in my
appearance to attract."
"Valiant in velvet, light in ragged luck," she laughed. "And I
won't have you questioning my taste, sir. I've always thought you
very good-looking, if you must have it."
|
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 Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: quoad potuit, fortissime restitit; cum circumventus multis vulneribus
acceptis cecidisset atque id frater, qui iam proelio excesserat, procul
animadvertisset, incitato equo se hostibus obtulit atque interfectus est.
Hoc facto proelio Caesar neque iam sibi legatos audiendos neque
condiciones accipiendas arbitrabatur ab iis qui per dolum atque insidias
petita pace ultro bellum intulissent; expectare vero dum hostium copiae
augerentur equitatus reverteretur summae dementiae esse iudicabat, et
cognita Gallorum infirmitate quantum iam apud eos hostes uno proelio
auctoritatis essent consecuti sentiebat; quibus ad consilia capienda nihil
spatii dandum existimabat. His constitutis rebus et consilio cum legatis
et quaestore communicato, ne quem diem pugnae praetermitteret,
|
