| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: becoming accustomed to the dim light, one of them pointed
suddenly to the thing lying upon the floor with one foot tangled
in the coverings of the dais.
"Look!" he gasped. "It is the corpse of O-Mai! Ancestor of
ancestors! we are in the forbidden chamber." Simultaneously there
came from behind the hangings beyond the grewsome dead a hollow
moan followed by a piercing scream, and the hangings shook and
bellied before their eyes.
With one accord, chieftains and warriors, they turned and bolted
for the doorway; a narrow doorway, where they jammed, fighting
and screaming in an effort to escape. They threw away their
The Chessmen of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: her still standing in the door of the shop, as if to look whether I
went right or not, - I returned back to ask her, whether the first
turn was to my right or left, - for that I had absolutely forgot. -
Is it possible! said she, half laughing. 'Tis very possible,
replied I, when a man is thinking more of a woman than of her good
advice.
As this was the real truth - she took it, as every woman takes a
matter of right, with a slight curtsey.
- ATTENDEZ! said she, laying her hand upon my arm to detain me,
whilst she called a lad out of the back shop to get ready a parcel
of gloves. I am just going to send him, said she, with a packet
|
| 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: he sat down by a bank under a shady tree, and listened to the birds,
then he sang himself, and read out of the little brown book he is so fond of,
then wandered round the meadow, and down by a little brook,
where he picked the flowers and the hawthorn, and tied them up
with long sprays of ivy; then he gave me a good feed of the oats
which he had brought with him; but the time seemed all too short --
I had not been in a field since I left poor Ginger at Earlshall.
We came home gently, and Jerry's first words were, as we came into the yard,
"Well, Polly, I have not lost my Sunday after all, for the birds
were singing hymns in every bush, and I joined in the service;
and as for Jack, he was like a young colt."
|
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 Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: grandest expectations had not extended beyond the sale of one
stick at a time, and she was not prepared for such a rush of
trade. However, she tore off a piece from one of the white sheets
at the bottom of the tray, wrapped up the six sticks as nicely as
she could, and handed them to the gentleman, who then left her to
find another customer.
Katy, elated by her first success, ran home as fast as she could
to procure some more white paper, of which she had a dozen sheets
that had been given her by a friend. It was in the back room, so
that she did not disturb her mother, choosing to astonish her
with the whole story of her success at noon.
|
