The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dream Life and Real Life by Olive Schreiner: While she lay thus dreaming, one of the little kids came and licked her on
her cheek, because of the salt from her dried-up tears. And in her dream
she was not a poor indentured child any more, living with Boers. It was
her father who kissed her. He said he had only been asleep--that day when
he lay down under the thorn-bush; he had not really died. He felt her
hair, and said it was grown long and silky, and he said they would go back
to Denmark now. He asked her why her feet were bare, and what the marks on
her back were. Then he put her head on his shoulder, and picked her up,
and carried her away, away! She laughed--she could feel her face against
his brown beard. His arms were so strong.
As she lay there dreaming, with the ants running over her naked feet, and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Paz by Honore de Balzac: which is noble, grand, and generous to the core. I thought he might
not like to be bound by benefits to a friend who was six years younger
than himself, unless he could repay them. I was careless and
frivolous, just as a young fellow is, and I knew I was certain to ruin
myself at play, or get inveigled by some woman, and Paz and I might
then be parted; and though I had every intention of always looking out
for him, I knew I might sometime or other forget to provide for him.
In short, my dear angel, I wanted to spare him the pain and
mortification of having to ask me for money, or of having to hunt me
up if he got into distress. SO, one morning, after breakfast, when we
were sitting with our feet on the andirons smoking pipes, I produced,
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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 King Lear by William Shakespeare: <>
ACT V. Scene I.
The British camp near Dover.
Enter, with Drum and Colours, Edmund, Regan, Gentleman, and
King Lear |
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 Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott: roundly in on him. It is all use and wont, madam; and I'll tell
you, madam, for all that, it must be done with good heed and
caution; and you will do well, madam, to have your hunting-sword
right sharp and double-edged, that you may strike either fore-
handed or back-handed, as you see reason, for a hurt with a
buck's horn is a perilous ad somewhat venomous matter."
"I am afraid, sir," said the young lady, and her smile was
scarce concealed by her vizard, "I shall have little use for such
careful preparation."
"But the gentleman says very right for all that, my lady," said
an old huntsman, who had listened to Bucklaw's harangue with no
The Bride of Lammermoor |