| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac: sometimes on foot, and in a little back street, running down to the
harbor, close to the Town Hall, I find wretched, half-putrid oranges,
two for a sou, which I devour eagerly. The bluish, greenish shades on
the mouldy parts sparkle like diamonds in my eyes, they are flowers to
me; I forget the putrid odor, and find them delicious, with a piquant
flavor, and stimulating as wine. My dear, they are the first love of
my life! Your passion for Felipe is nothing to this! Sometimes I can
slip out secretly and fly to Marseilles, full of passionate longings,
which grow more intense as I draw near the street. I tremble lest the
woman should be sold out of rotten oranges; I pounce on them and
devour them as I stand. It seems to me an ambrosial food, and yet I
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens: for my own. I hope I may have done no harm, or led to none. I
can't help the suspicions you have forced upon me, and I am loth, I
tell you plainly, to leave Mr Edward here. Take care he comes to
no hurt. I doubt the safety of this roof, and am glad he leaves it
so soon. Now, let me go.'
For a moment she hid her face in her hands and wept; but resisting
the strong impulse which evidently moved her to reply, opened the
door--no wider than was sufficient for the passage of his body--
and motioned him away. As the locksmith stood upon the step, it
was chained and locked behind him, and the raven, in furtherance of
these precautions, barked like a lusty house-dog.
Barnaby Rudge |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Republic by Plato: government; all of them he regarded as 'states of faction' (Laws); none
attained to his ideal of a voluntary rule over voluntary subjects, which
seems indeed more nearly to describe democracy than any other; and the
worst of them is tyranny. The truth is, that the question has hardly any
meaning when applied to a great philosopher whose writings are not meant
for a particular age and country, but for all time and all mankind. The
decline of Athenian politics was probably the motive which led Plato to
frame an ideal State, and the Republic may be regarded as reflecting the
departing glory of Hellas. As well might we complain of St. Augustine,
whose great work 'The City of God' originated in a similar motive, for not
being loyal to the Roman Empire. Even a nearer parallel might be afforded
The Republic |
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 Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Bronte Sisters: away, and replied, - 'It is nothing to you, Mr. Huntingdon.'
'Are you sure it is nothing to me?' he returned; 'can you swear
that you were not thinking of me while you wept?' This was
unendurable. I made an effort to rise, but he was kneeling on my
dress.
'Tell me,' continued he - 'I want to know, - because if you were, I
have something to say to you, - and if not, I'll go.'
'Go then!' I cried; but, fearing he would obey too well, and never
come again, I hastily added - 'Or say what you have to say, and
have done with it!'
'But which?' said he - 'for I shall only say it if you really were
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall |
