| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: pocket into the sea as he clambered over the ship's side into the
waiting canoe that bore him to shore.
Now he turned toward Akut. "Come!" he said, in the language of
the great apes.
Forgetful of the fact that he wore only a thin pajama suit he
led the way to the open window. Thrusting his head out he
listened attentively. A single tree grew a few feet from
the window. Nimbly the lad sprang to its bole, clinging
cat-like for an instant before he clambered quietly to the
ground below. Close behind him came the great ape. Two hundred
yards away a spur of the jungle ran close to the straggling town.
The Son of Tarzan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Poems of William Blake by William Blake: Descend O little cloud & hover before the eyes of Thel.
The Cloud descended and the Lily bowd her modest head:
And went to mind her numerous charge among the verdant grass.
II.
O little Cloud the virgin said, I charge thee to tell me
Why thou complainest now when in one hour thou fade away:
Then we shall seek thee but not find: ah Thel is like to thee.
I pass away, yet I complain, and no one hears my voice.
The Cloud then shewd his golden head & his bright form emerg'd.
Hovering and glittering on the air before the face of Thel.
O virgin know'st thou not our steeds drink of the golden springs
Poems of William Blake |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories by Alice Dunbar: every one knows, ply between New Orleans and Central and South
American ports, doing the major part of the fruit trade; and many
were the baskets of forgotten fruit that Mr. Baptiste took away
with him unmolested. Sometimes, you know, bananas and mangoes
and oranges and citrons will half spoil, particularly if it has
been a bad voyage over the stormy Gulf, and the officers of the
ships will give away stacks of fruit, too good to go into the
river, too bad to sell to the fruit-dealers.
You could see Mr. Baptiste trudging up the street with his quaint
one-sided walk, bearing his dilapidated basket on one shoulder, a
nondescript head-cover pulled over his eyes, whistling cheerily.
The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories |
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 Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: some of its mineralogical wealth."
"Certainly," replied my uncle; "but I am rather late; or have not
others been here before me?"
"Yes, Herr Liedenbrock; the labours of MM. Olafsen and Povelsen,
pursued by order of the king, the researches of Troïl the scientific
mission of MM. Gaimard and Robert on the French corvette _La
Recherche,_ [1] and lately the observations of scientific men who
came in the _Reine Hortense,_ have added materially to our knowledge
of Iceland. But I assure you there is plenty left."
"Do you think so?" said my uncle, pretending to look very modest, and
trying to hide the curiosity was flashing out of his eyes.
Journey to the Center of the Earth |
