| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from 1492 by Mary Johntson: upon it like a hurricane and seized Quibian, much
as long ago--long, long ago it seemed to us--Alonso de
Ojeda had seized Caonabo.
Juan Sanchez the pilot held Quibian in the long boat
while the Adelantado still wrought upon the land. Juan
Sanchez was strong and wary, and watchful; so they swore
were all the Spaniards in the boat. Yet when night was
fallen that Indian, bound as he was, broke with a shout
from them all and leaped from boat into black river.
They thought he perished, seeing him no more for all
their moving about and bringing the boat to the land. Juan
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Adventure by Jack London: in the landing boat, just to make sure that I wasn't the only white
man left alive.
"Of course there was a row. It had to come, and I knew it; but it
startled me just the same. I never heard such screeching and
yelling in my life. The niggers must have just dived for the bush
without looking to see what was up, while her Tahitians let loose,
shooting in the air and yelling to hurry 'em on. And then, just as
sudden, came the silence again--all except for some small kiddie
that had got dropped in the stampede and that kept crying in the
bush for its mother.
"And then I heard them coming through the mangroves, and an oar
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: spectators, rendered the view as gay as it was rich,
while the interior and lower space, filled with the
substantial burgesses and yeomen of merry England,
formed, in their more plain attire, a dark fringe, or
border, around this circle of brilliant embroidery,
relieving, and, at the same time, setting off its
splendour.
The heralds finished their proclamation with their
usual cry of ``Largesse, largesse, gallant knights!''
and gold and silver pieces were showered on them
from the galleries, it being a high point of chivalry
Ivanhoe |
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 Gentle Grafter by O. Henry: "'It's all right, Andy,' says I, 'to drink the health of our brother
monopolists, but don't overdo the wassail. You know our most eminent
and loathed multi-corruptionists live on weak tea and dog biscuits.'
"Andy went in the back room awhile and came out dressed in his best
clothes. There was a kind of murderous and soulful look of gentle
riotousness in his eye that I didn't like. I watched him to see what
turn the whiskey was going to take in him. There are two times when
you never can tell what is going to happen. One is when a man takes
his first drink; and the other is when a woman takes her latest.
"In less than an hour Andy's skate had turned to an ice yacht. He was
outwardly decent and managed to preserve his aquarium, but inside he
|
