| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll: interchanging that last word "which never was the last":
and it occurred to me, as an experiment with the Magic Watch, to wait
till the little scene was over, and then to 'encore' it.
"Well, good night t'ye! And ye winna forget to send us word when your
Martha writes?"
"Nay, ah winna forget. An' if she isn't suited, she can but coom back.
Good night t'ye!"
A casual observer might have thought "and there ends the dialogue!"
That casual observer would have been mistaken.
"Ah, she'll like 'em, I war'n' ye! They'll not treat her bad, yer may
depend. They're varry canny fowk. Good night!"
Sylvie and Bruno |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King James Bible: SA2 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse
said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of
Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
SA2 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my
tongue.
SA2 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He
that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
SA2 23:4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun
riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out
of the earth by clear shining after rain.
SA2 23:5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me
King James Bible |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: degree alarmed, believing that the time had now arrived when Fortune
would deliver the empire of Tuscany into his hands, for he had no
reason to think that his enemy would make a better fight, or had
better prospects of success, than at Pisa or Serravalle. He assembled
twenty thousand foot soldiers and four thousand horsemen, and with
this army went to Fucecchio, whilst he sent Pagolo Guinigi to Pisa
with five thousand infantry. Fucecchio has a stronger position than
any other town in the Pisan district, owing to its situation between
the rivers Arno and Gusciana and its slight elevation above the
surrounding plain. Moreover, the enemy could not hinder its being
victualled unless they divided their forces, nor could they approach
The Prince |
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 Street of Seven Stars by Mary Roberts Rinehart: Karntnerstrasse, looking with his steady eyes for her.
No part of the city was safe for a young girl after night, she
knew; the sixteenth district was no better than the rest, rather
worse in places. But the longing to see the house on the
Siebensternstrasse grew on her, became from an ache a sharp and
insistent pain. She must go, must see once again the comfortable
glow of Peter's lamp, the flicker that was the fire.
She ate no supper. She was too tired to eat, and there was the
pain. She put on her wraps and crept down the whitewashed
staircase.
The paved courtyard below was to be crossed and it was poorly
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