| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Two Poets by Honore de Balzac: leaded panes, and hung with the old-world tapestry that decorated
house fronts in provincial towns on Corpus Christi Day. For furniture
it boasted a vast four-post bedstead with canopy, valances and quilt
of crimson serge, a couple of worm-eaten armchairs, two tapestry-
covered chairs in walnut wood, an aged bureau, and a timepiece on the
mantel-shelf. The Seigneur Rouzeau, Jerome-Nicolas' master and
predecessor, had furnished the homely old-world room; it was just as
he had left it.
The sitting-room had been partly modernized by the late Mme. Sechard;
the walls were adorned with a wainscot, fearful to behold, painted the
color of powder blue. The panels were decorated with wall-paper--
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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 Aspern Papers by Henry James: Miss Tita gave me a glance of surprise, evidently not seeing a reason
for my impatience. "You mean that she always wears something?
She does it to preserve them."
"Because they are so fine?"
"Oh, today, today!" And Miss Tita shook her head, speaking very low.
"But they used to be magnificent!"
"Yes indeed, we have Aspern's word for that." And as I looked again
at the old woman's wrappings I could imagine that she had not wished
to allow people a reason to say that the great poet had overdone it.
But I did not waste my time in considering Miss Bordereau, in whom
the appearance of respiration was so slight as to suggest that no human
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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 The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum: girl she had always been.
As soon as they had breakfasted--the girls eating together in Ozma's
pretty boudoir--the Ruler of Oz said:
"Now, dear friend, we will use the Magic Belt to transport your uncle
and aunt from Kansas to the Emerald City. But I think it would be
fitting, in receiving such distinguished guests, for us to sit in my
Throne Room."
"Oh, they're not very 'stinguished, Ozma," said Dorothy. "They're
just plain people, like me."
"Being your friends and relatives, Princess Dorothy, they are
certainly distinguished," replied the Ruler, with a smile.
The Emerald City of Oz |
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, 'Go ye down, one of you to the other a foe; but for you in the
earth there is an abode, and a provision for a season.' He said,
'Therein shall ye live and therein shall ye die, from it shall ye be
brought forth.'
O sons of Adam! we have sent down to you garments wherewith to cover
your shame, and plumage; but the garment of piety, that is better.
That is one of the signs of God, haply ye may remember.
O sons of Adam! let not Satan infatuate you as he drove your parents
out of Paradise, stripping from them their garments, and showing
them their shame; verily, he sees you- he and his tribe, from whence
ye cannot see them. Verily, we have made the devils patrons of those
The Koran |
