| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner: time, I am willing to marry you, if not, well. I want nothing more than
your name. That is a clear proposal, is it not?"
He looked up. Was it contempt, loathing, pity, that moved in the eyes
above! He could not tell; but he stooped over the little foot and kissed
it.
She smiled.
"Do you really mean it?" he whispered.
"Yes. You wish to serve me, and to have nothing in return!--you shall have
what you wish." She held out her fingers for Doss to lick. "Do you see
this dog? He licks my hand because I love him; and I allow him to. Where
I do not love I do not allow it. I believe you love me; I too could love
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Village Rector by Honore de Balzac: power.
By one of those strange freaks of circumstance which are never
accounted for, the other vicar-general, the Abbe de Grancour, a stout
little man with a rosy complexion and blue eyes, whose opinions were
diametrically opposed to those of the Abbe Dutheil, liked to be in the
latter's company, although he never testified this liking enough to
put himself out of the good graces of the bishop, to whom he would
have sacrificed everything. The Abbe de Grancour believed in the merit
of his colleague, recognized his talents, secretly accepted his
doctrines, and condemned them openly; for the little priest was one of
those men whom superiority attracts and intimidates,--who dislike it
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey: need your help."
"All right. When I get my pinto from Larsen."
"Never mind Larsen. If he got the better of you let the matter drop."
"Jeff got my pinto for a mustang with three legs. If I hadn't been drunk
I'd never have traded. So I'm looking for Jeff." He bit out the last
words with a peculiar snap of his long teeth, a circumstance which caused
Hare instantly to associate the savage clicking with the name he had
heard given this man. August Naab looked at him with gloomy eyes and
stern shut mouth, an expression of righteous anger, helplessness and
grief combined, the look of a man to whom obstacles had been nothing, at
last confronted with crowning defeat. Hare realized that this son was
The Heritage of the Desert |
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 Meno by Plato: in a previous state, they must have always had them, and their souls
therefore must have always existed. For they must always have been either
men or not men. The fallacy of the latter words is transparent. And
Socrates himself appears to be conscious of their weakness; for he adds
immediately afterwards, 'I have said some things of which I am not
altogether confident.' (Compare Phaedo.) It may be observed, however,
that the fanciful notion of pre-existence is combined with a true but
partial view of the origin and unity of knowledge, and of the association
of ideas. Knowledge is prior to any particular knowledge, and exists not
in the previous state of the individual, but of the race. It is potential,
not actual, and can only be appropriated by strenuous exertion.
|
