| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from American Notes by Rudyard Kipling: was confined to the constitutionally improvident classes, he said
"No" very quickly. He said it was a general custom, and nobody
saw anything wrong with it.
"I guess, perhaps, very early marriage may account for a good
deal of the divorce," said he, reflectively.
Whereat I was silent. Their marriages and their divorces only
concern these people; and neither I travelling, nor you, who may
come after, have any right to make rude remarks about them.
Only--only coming from a land where a man begins to lightly turn
to thoughts of love not before he is thirty, I own that playing
at house-keeping before that age rather surprised me. Out in the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: issuing forth at dawn, through the heedlessness of her keepers,
to herd with her wild companions. When these removed, to graze
further afield, she followed them. But the rich man's servants,
when they learned thereof, mounted on horseback, and gave chase,
and caught the pet fawn, and brought her home again, and set her
in captivity for the time to come. But of the residue of the
herd, some they killed, and roughly handled others. Even so I
fear that it may happen unto us also if thou follow me; that I
may be deprived of thy fellowship, and bring many ills to my
comrades, and everlasting damnation to thy father. But this is
the will of the Lord concerning time; thou now indeed must be
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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 Koran: grace, mad! and, verily, thine is a hire that is not grudged! and,
verily, thou art of a grand nature!
But thou shalt see and they shall see which of you is the
infatuated.
Verily, thy Lord He knows best who errs from His way; and He knows
best those who are guided.
Then obey not those who call thee liar; they would fain that thou
shouldst be smooth with them, then would they be smooth with thee!
And obey not any mean swearer, a back-biter, a walker about with
slander; a forbidder of good, a transgressor, a sinner; rude, and
base-born too; though he have wealth and sons!
The Koran |
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 Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: "That's right, miss," said the tallest of the men, a lanky, freckled
fellow, and he shifted his tool-bag, knocked back his straw hat and smiled
down at her. "That's about it."
His smile was so easy, so friendly that Laura recovered. What nice eyes he
had, small, but such a dark blue! And now she looked at the others, they
were smiling too. "Cheer up, we won't bite," their smile seemed to say.
How very nice workmen were! And what a beautiful morning! She mustn't
mention the morning; she must be business-like. The marquee.
"Well, what about the lily-lawn? Would that do?"
And she pointed to the lily-lawn with the hand that didn't hold the bread-
and-butter. They turned, they stared in the direction. A little fat chap
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