| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: Commander of the Legion of Honor, was vain enough to wish to cut a
figure with a wife and handsomely appointed house.--"He wanted to
enjoy life," he said.
He therefore addressed a letter to his wife, dictated by Monsieur de
Clagny, begging her to live under his roof and to furnish the house,
giving play to the taste of which the evidences, he said, had charmed
him at the Chateau d'Anzy. The newly made Count pointed out to his
wife that while the interests of their property forbade his leaving
Sancerre, the education of their boys required her presence in Paris.
The accommodating husband desired Monsieur de Clagny to place sixty
thousand francs at the disposal of Madame la Comtesse for the interior
The Muse of the Department |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf: nasal voice:
Full fathom five thy father lies,
"A grand fellow, Shakespeare," he said, replacing the volume.
Clarissa was so glad to hear him say so.
"Which is your favourite play? I wonder if it's the same as mine?"
"_Henry the Fifth_," said Mr. Grice.
"Joy!" cried Clarissa. "It is!"
_Hamlet_ was what you might call too introspective for Mr. Grice,
the sonnets too passionate; Henry the Fifth was to him the model
of an English gentleman. But his favourite reading was Huxley,
Herbert Spencer, and Henry George; while Emerson and Thomas Hardy
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy: as to your movements, or even your address.... Now, what money do you want?
You must have some, you know."
"Oh, of course, Richard, I couldn't think of having any of your
money to go away from you with! I don't want any either.
I have enough of my own to last me for a long while, and Jude
will let me have----"
"I would rather not know anything about him, if you don't mind.
You are free, absolutely; and your course is your own."
"Very well. But I'll just say that I have packed only a change or two
of my own personal clothing, and one or two little things besides that are
my very own. I wish you would look into my trunk before it is closed.
Jude the Obscure |
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 Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: dim likeness of a smile. "We put bits of paper in on purpose,
which remained just as they had been placed. Writing is also not
forbidden," he continued. "A slate is provided, and a slate
pencil, so that they can write as a pastime. They can wipe the
slate and write again. But they don't write, either. Oh, they
very soon get quite tranquil. At first they seem restless, but
later on they even grow fat and become very quiet." Thus spoke
the General, never suspecting the terrible meaning of his words.
Nekhludoff listened to the hoarse old voice, looked at the stiff
limbs, the swollen eyelids under the grey brows, at the old,
clean-shaved, flabby jaw, supported by the collar of the military
Resurrection |
