| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte by Karl Marx: that moment on, so soon as any of the numerous parties, which had
marshaled themselves under this sign against the June insurgents, tries,
in turn, to take the revolutionary field in the interest of its own
class, it goes down in its turn before the cry: "Property, Family,
Religion, Order." Thus it happens that "society is saved" as often as
the circle of its ruling class is narrowed, as often as a more exclusive
interest asserts itself over the general. Every demand for the most
simple bourgeois financial reform, for the most ordinary liberalism, for
the most commonplace republicanism, for the flattest democracy, is
forthwith punished as an "assault upon society," and is branded as
"Socialism." Finally the High Priests of "Religion and Order"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Honore de Balzac: up at night, taxing her ingenuity to find ways of increasing the
prosperity of the establishment, and displaying an innate commercial
talent. The masters of the house were obliged to check her ardor for
work; they rewarded her by presents, but she refused all articles of
dress and the jewels which they offered her. Money! money! was her
cry. Every month she carried her salary and her little earnings to her
uncle Pillerault. Cesar did the same; so did Madame Birotteau. All
three, feeling themselves incapable, dared not take upon themselves
the responsibility of managing their money, and they made over to
Pillerault the whole business of investing their savings. Returning
thus to business, the latter made the most of these funds by
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: lips. Then she knotted her small white brow in deep thought.
Jimmy regarded her with growing uneasiness. "What are you up to
now?" he asked.
"I don't know yet," mused Zoie, "BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TELL
AGGIE--that's ONE SURE thing." And she pinned him down with her
eyes.
"I certainly will tell her," asserted Jimmy, with a wag of his
very round head. "Aggie is just the one to get you out of this."
"She's just the one to make things worse," said Zoie decidedly.
Then seeing Jimmy's hurt look, she continued apologetically:
"Aggie MEANS all right, but she has an absolute mania for mixing
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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 A Second Home by Honore de Balzac: was legible in Caroline's eyes as she gave a sidelong look at Roger,
either to enjoy the effect she was producing on him, or to see what
the end of the evening was to be. He, understanding the meaning of
this cunning glance, said with assumed regret, "I must be going. I
have a serious case to be finished, and I am expected at home. Duty
before all things--don't you think so, my darling?"
Caroline looked him in the face with an expression at once sad and
sweet, with the resignation which does not, however, disguise the
pangs of a sacrifice.
"Good-bye, then," said she. "Go, for if you stay an hour longer I
cannot so lightly bear to set you free."
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