| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley: moved their good old lips, and sang their morning hymn amid their
dreams. But among all the songs one came across the water more
sweet and clear than all; for it was the song of a young girl's
voice.
And what was the song which she sang? Ah, my little man, I am too
old to sing that song, and you too young to understand it. But
have patience, and keep your eye single, and your hands clean, and
you will learn some day to sing it yourself, without needing any
man to teach you.
And as Tom neared the island, there sat upon a rock the most
graceful creature that ever was seen, looking down, with her chin
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: these splendid streets was turned into day, every window was filled
with lamps, dim torches were tossing in the crowd . . . for Guizot
has late this night given in his resignation, and this was an
improvised illumination.
'I and my father had turned with the crowd, and were close behind
the second troop of vagabonds. Joy was on every face. I remarked
to papa that "I would not have missed the scene for anything, I
might never see such a splendid one," when PLONG went one shot -
every face went pale - R-R-R-R-R went the whole detachment, [and]
the whole crowd of gentlemen and ladies turned and cut. Such a
scene! - ladies, gentlemen, and vagabonds went sprawling in the
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: about her to Miss Fancourt; though he reflected that a hundred
other people, on a hundred occasions, would have been sure to make
it. He got on with Ms. St. George, in short, better than he
expected; but this didn't prevent her suddenly becoming aware that
she was faint with fatigue and must take her way back to the house
by the shortest cut. She professed that she hadn't the strength of
a kitten and was a miserable wreck; a character he had been too
preoccupied to discern in her while he wondered in what sense she
could be held to have been the making of her husband. He had
arrived at a glimmering of the answer when she announced that she
must leave him, though this perception was of course provisional.
|
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 Coxon Fund by Henry James: dusky porch of the hall, in front of which the lamps of a quiet
brougham were almost the only thing Saltram's treachery hadn't
extinguished. I went with her to the door of her carriage, out of
which she leaned a moment after she had thanked me and taken her
seat. Her smile even in the darkness was pretty. "I do want to
see that crystal!"
"You've only to come to the next lecture."
"I go abroad in a day or two with my aunt."
"Wait over till next week," I suggested. "It's quite worth it."
She became grave. "Not unless he really comes!" At which the
brougham started off, carrying her away too fast, fortunately for
|
