| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Egmont by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: Timidly the burgher razes from his window, night leaves behind an ebon
speck; he looks, and the scaffold looms fearfully in the morning light.
With re-awakened anguish the desecrated image of the Saviour lifts to the
Father its imploring eyes. The sun veils his beams, he will not mark the
hero's death-hour. Slowly the fingers go their round--one hour strikes after
another--hold! Now is the time. The thought of the morning scares me into
the grave.
(She goes to the window as if to look out, and drinks secretly.)
Brackenburg. Clara! Clara!
Clara (goes to the table, and drinks water). Here is the remainder. I invite
thee not to follow me. Do as thou wilt; farewell. Extinguish this lamp
Egmont |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Burning Daylight by Jack London: make a mistake, and he would make an equal mistake, though his
would not be so hard on him because he would still have his
business."
"Business!" Daylight gasped. "What's wrong with my business? I
play fair and square. There's nothing under hand about it, which
can't be said of most businesses, whether of the big corporations
or of the cheating, lying, little corner-grocerymen. I play the
straight rules of the game, and I don't have to lie or cheat or
break my word."
Dede hailed with relief the change in the conversation and at the
same time the opportunity to speak her mind.
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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 Snow Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne: as the warmth of the parlor was proper enough for children of
flesh and blood, like Violet and Peony,--though by no means very
wholesome, even for them,--but involved nothing short of
annihilation to the unfortunate snow-image.
But, after all, there is no teaching anything to wise men of good
Mr. Lindsey's stamp. They know everything,--oh, to be
sure!--everything that has been, and everything that is, and
everything that, by any future possibility, can be. And, should
some phenomenon of nature or providence transcend their system,
they will not recognize it, even if it come to pass under their
very noses.
The Snow Image |
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 King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: 1 PETITIONER.
Mine is, an 't please your grace, against John
Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house and lands,
and wife and all, from me.
SUFFOLK.
Thy wife too! that's some wrong, indeed.--What's
yours?--What's here! [Reads] 'Against the Duke of Suffolk for
enclosing
the commons of Melford.'--How now, sir knave!
2 PETITIONER.
Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our
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