| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: reports of the Russians still holding their ground- a terrible feeling
like a nightmare took possession of him, and all the unlucky accidents
that might destroy him occurred to his mind. The Russians might fall
on his left wing, might break through his center, he himself might
be killed by a stray cannon ball. All this was possible. In former
battles he had only considered the possibilities of success, but now
innumerable unlucky chances presented themselves, and he expected them
all. Yes, it was like a dream in which a man fancies that a ruffian is
coming to attack him, and raises his arm to strike that ruffian a
terrible blow which he knows should annihilate him, but then feels
that his arm drops powerless and limp like a rag, and the horror of
War and Peace |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Domestic Peace by Honore de Balzac: as elsewhere, amusement was but a blind. Calm and smiling faces and
placid brows covered sordid interests, expressions of friendship were
a lie, and more than one man was less distrustful of his enemies than
of his friends.
These remarks are necessary to explain the incidents of the little
imbroglio which is the subject of this study, and the picture,
softened as it is, of the tone then dominant in Paris drawing-rooms.
"Turn your eyes a little towards the pedestal supporting that
candelabrum--do you see a young lady with her hair drawn back a la
Chinoise!--There, in the corner to the left; she has bluebells in the
knot of chestnut curls which fall in clusters on her head. Do not you
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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 Tanach: 2_Chronicles 13: 10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and we have priests ministering unto the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work;
2_Chronicles 13: 11 and they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense; the showbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken Him.
2_Chronicles 13: 12 And, behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.'
2_Chronicles 13: 13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.
2_Chronicles 13: 14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.
2_Chronicles 13: 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
2_Chronicles 13: 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.
2_Chronicles 13: 17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
2_Chronicles 13: 18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD, the God of their fathers.
The Tanach |
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 Marie by H. Rider Haggard: someone who wants to harm me."
"There is that, Allan Quatermain. The indunas tell me that the
good-looking Portugee, whom they call 'Two-faces,' asks the king to kill
you every time he sees him. Indeed, I've heard him myself."
"That's kind of him," I answered, "but, then, Hernan Pereira and I never
got on. Tell me what is he talking about to the king when he isn't
asking him to kill me."
"Don't know," he said again. "Something dirty, I'll be bound. One may
be sure of that by the native name they have given him. I think,
however," he added in a whisper, "that he has had a lot to do with the
Boers being allowed to come here at all in order to get their treaty
Marie |
