| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: spreading out her aesthetic cleanliness," he said, and looked
with a smile at Rintzeva, "and now she will make the tea."
The whole presence of this man--his motion, his voice, his
look--seemed to breathe vigour and merriment. The other newcomer
was just the reverse of the first. He looked despondent and sad.
He was short, bony, had very prominent cheek bones, a sallow
complexion, thin lips and beautiful, greenish eyes, rather far
apart. He wore an old wadded coat, top-boots and goloshes, and
was carrying two pots of milk and two round boxes made of birch
bark, which he placed in front of Rintzeva. He bowed to
Nekhludoff, bending only his neck, and with his eyes fixed on
Resurrection |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from One Basket by Edna Ferber: color. Old Red Front Huckins used to chase her away, but she
always turned up again, somehow, with a dish for the lunch
counter or with an armful of clean towels.
Ben Westerveld never said clearly to himself, "I want to marry
Bella." He never dared meet the thought. He intended honestly
to marry Emma Byers. But this thing was too strong for him. As
for Bella, she laughed at him, but she was scared, too. They
both fought the thing, she selfishly, he unselfishly, for the
Byers girl, with her clear, calm eyes and her dependable ways,
was heavy on his heart. Ben's appeal for Bella was merely that
of the magnetic male. She never once thought of his finer
One Basket |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: known and the least known to the modern scholar. From the
dogmatic point of view he is the best known, from the historic
point of view he is the least known. The Christ of dogma is in
every lineament familiar to us from early childhood; but
concerning the Jesus of history we possess but few facts resting
upon trustworthy evidence, and in order to form a picture of him
at once consistent, probable, and distinct in its outlines, it is
necessary to enter upon a long and difficult investigation, in
the course of which some of the most delicate apparatus of modern
criticism is required. This circumstance is sufficiently singular
to require especial explanation. The case of Sakyamuni, the
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
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 Phantasmagoria and Other Poems by Lewis Carroll: As I heavily slip into every pool
That skirts the cold cold Sea.
Ye Carpette Knyghte
I have a horse - a ryghte good horse -
Ne doe Y envye those
Who scoure ye playne yn headye course
Tyll soddayne on theyre nose
They lyghte wyth unexpected force
Yt ys - a horse of clothes.
I have a saddel - "Say'st thou soe?
Wyth styrruppes, Knyghte, to boote?"
|
