| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: by half the width of his body, breaking off both his right wings against the
sharp edge of the rock and then tumbling over and over down the cliff.
Our friends held on to the sofas as long as they could, but when the Gump
caught on a proJecting rock the Thing stopped suddenly -- bottom side up --
and all were immediately dumped out.
By good fortune they fell only a few feet; for underneath them was a monster
nest, built by a colony of Jackdaws in a hollow ledge of rock; so none of
them -- not even the Pumpkinhead -- was injured by the fall. For Jack found
his precious head resting on the soft breast of the Scarecrow, which made an
excellent cushion; and Tip fell on a mass of leaves and papers, which saved
him from injury. The Woggle-Bug had bumped his round head against
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: and then the sense of being in his arms, hearing his voice, meeting
his eye, touching his hand and cheek, loving him, being loved by
him--the hope of passing a lifetime at his side, would be renewed,
with all its first force and fire. Then I awoke. Then I recalled
where I was, and how situated. Then I rose up on my curtainless
bed, trembling and quivering; and then the still, dark night
witnessed the convulsion of despair, and heard the burst of passion.
By nine o'clock the next morning I was punctually opening the
school; tranquil, settled, prepared for the steady duties of the
day.
Rosamond Oliver kept her word in coming to visit me. Her call at
Jane Eyre |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Koran: evildoers. Then their prophet said to them, 'Verily, God has raised up
for you Talut as a king;' they said, How can the kingdom be his over
us; we have more right to the kingdom than he, for he has not an
amplitude of wealth?' He said, 'Verily, God has chosen him over you,
and has provided him with an extent of knowledge and of form. God
gives the kingdom unto whom He will; God comprehends and knows.'
Then said to them their prophet, 'The sign of his kingdom is that
there shall come to you the ark with the shechina in it from your
Lord, and the relics of what the family of Moses and the family of
Aaron left; the angels shall bear it.' In that is surely a sign to you
if ye believe.
The Koran |
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 Red Inn by Honore de Balzac: his testimony, Prosper Magnan suddenly felt his hand pressed by a man,
and he raised his eyes to see who his protector could be in that crowd
of enemies. He recognized by his uniform the surgeon-major of the
demi-brigade then stationed at Andernach. The glance of that man was
so piercing, so stern, that the poor young fellow shuddered, and
suffered his head to fall on the back of his chair. A soldier put
vinegar to his nostrils and he recovered consciousness. Nevertheless
his haggard eyes were so devoid of life and intelligence that the
surgeon said to the officer after feeling Prosper's pulse,--
"Captain, it is impossible to question the man at this moment."
"Very well! Take him away," replied the captain, interrupting the
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