| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis: nuisances that was ever invented--"
Three minutes later, after Babbitt had wailed, "Well, I don't know whether I'm
going to dress or NOT" in a manner which showed that he was going to dress,
the discussion moved on.
"Now, George, you mustn't forget to call in at Vecchia's on the way home and
get the ice cream. Their delivery-wagon is broken down, and I don't want to
trust them to send it by--"
"All right! You told me that before breakfast!"
"Well, I don't want you to forget. I'll be working my head off all day long,
training the girl that's to help with the dinner--"
"All nonsense, anyway, hiring an extra girl for the feed. Matilda could
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay: a dream conversation.
"And since how long, Krag, have I been required to do things by a
total stranger.... Besides, who is this individual?"
"Krag's chief," said Nightspore, turning his head away.
"The riddle is too elaborate for me. I give up."
"You are looking for mysteries," said Krag, "so naturally you are
finding them. Try and simplify your ideas, my friend. The affair is
plain and serious."
Maskull stared hard at him and smoked rapidly.
"Where have you come from now?" demanded Nightspore suddenly.
"From the old observatory at Starkness.... Have you heard of the
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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 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: besides which he was too heavy for her, and her back was strained.
"And so," she said, "here we are, ruined in the prime of our
youth and strength, you by a drunkard, and I by a fool; it is very hard."
We both felt in ourselves that we were not what we had been. However,
that did not spoil the pleasure we had in each other's company;
we did not gallop about as we once did, but we used to feed,
and lie down together, and stand for hours under one of the shady lime-trees
with our heads close to each other; and so we passed our time
till the family returned from town.
One day we saw the earl come into the meadow, and York was with him.
Seeing who it was, we stood still under our lime-tree,
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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 Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: replies; she was living, feeling, learning; happiness mocked at
her from behind a barred door, and the bar of that door seemed to
be an inexplicable pain. Then like lightning strokes shot the
questions: Why should pain hide her happiness? What was her
happiness? What relation had it to this man? Why should she
feel strangely about his departure? And the voices within her
were silenced, stunned, unanswered.
"I want to talk to you," said Stewart.
Madeline started, turned to him, and now she saw the earlier
Stewart, the man who reminded her of their first meeting at El
Cajon, of that memorable meeting at Chiricahua.
The Light of Western Stars |
