| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: money?
Grandet unquestionably "had something on his mind," to use his wife's
expression. There was in him, as in all misers, a persistent craving
to play a commercial game with other men and win their money legally.
To impose upon other people was to him a sign of power, a perpetual
proof that he had won the right to despise those feeble beings who
suffer themselves to be preyed upon in this world. Oh! who has ever
truly understood the lamb lying peacefully at the feet of God?--
touching emblem of all terrestrial victims, myth of their future,
suffering and weakness glorified! This lamb it is which the miser
fattens, puts in his fold, slaughters, cooks, eats, and then despises.
Eugenie Grandet |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Drama on the Seashore by Honore de Balzac: suppose the best dressmaker in the place can earn?--five sous a day!"
adding, after a pause, "and her food."
"But see," I said, "how the winds from the sea bend or destroy
everything. There are no trees. Fragments of wreckage or old vessels
that are broken up are sold to those who can afford to buy; for costs
of transportation are too heavy to allow them to use the firewood with
which Brittany abounds. This region is fine for none but noble souls;
persons without sentiments could never live here; poets and barnacles
alone should inhabit it. All that ever brought a population to this
rock were the salt-marshes and the factory which prepares the salt. On
one side the sea; on the other, sand; above, illimitable space."
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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 Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: but the friends of Aramis were not at all convinced by his
denial, and one of them addressed the young Musketeer with
affected seriousness. "If it were as you pretend it is," said
he, "I should be forced, my dear Aramis, to reclaim it myself;
for, as you very well know, Bois-Tracy is an intimate friend of
mine, and I cannot allow the property of his wife to be sported
as a trophy."
"You make the demand badly," replied Aramis; "and while
acknowledging the justice of your reclamation, I refuse it on
account of the form."
"The fact is," hazarded D'Artagnan, timidly, "I did not see the
The Three Musketeers |
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 Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: cottages were evidently those of poor people, and quite
empty. Nicholas visited one, Nadia entered another, and
even Michael went here and there and felt about, hoping
to light upon some article that might be useful.
Nicholas and the girl had each fruitlessly rummaged these
cottages and were about to give up the search, when they
heard themselves called. Both ran to the bank and saw
Michael standing on the threshold of a door.
"Come!" he exclaimed. Nicholas and Nadia went
towards him and followed him into the cottage.
"What are these?" asked Michael, touching several ob-
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