| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Georgics by Virgil: Wet with the south-wind, thickens what was rare,
And what was gross releases, then, too, change
Their spirits' fleeting phases, and their breasts
Feel other motions now, than when the wind
Was driving up the cloud-rack. Hence proceeds
That blending of the feathered choirs afield,
The cattle's exultation, and the rooks'
Deep-throated triumph.
But if the headlong sun
And moons in order following thou regard,
Ne'er will to-morrow's hour deceive thee, ne'er
Georgics |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: for this the groom beat me, and one day, as they had just buckled us
into the carriage, and were straining my head up with that rein,
I began to plunge and kick with all my might. I soon broke a lot of harness,
and kicked myself clear; so that was an end of that place.
"After this I was sent to Tattersall's to be sold; of course I could not be
warranted free from vice, so nothing was said about that.
My handsome appearance and good paces soon brought a gentleman to bid for me,
and I was bought by another dealer; he tried me in all kinds of ways
and with different bits, and he soon found out what I could not bear.
At last he drove me quite without a check-rein, and then sold me
as a perfectly quiet horse to a gentleman in the country;
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: stood among them full of honor, and your word was wise, your
tongue true. And I grew proud of you, till it came that you
filled all my heart, and all my thought was of you. You were as
the midsummer sun, when its golden trail runs in a circle and
never leaves the sky. And whatever way I cast my eyes I beheld
the sun. But your heart was ever cold, Charley, and there was no
room.'
"And I said: 'It is so. It was cold, and there was no room. But
that is past. Now my heart is like the snowfall in the spring,
when the sun has come back. There is a great thaw and a bending,
a sound of running waters, and a budding and sprouting of green
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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 The Underground City by Jules Verne: he sought for lay concealed at the bottom of the pit into which he was
going to descend. It did not seem likely that such was the case, however.
"Why in the world," repeated Jack Ryan, "should he take all this
trouble to account for a set of facts so very
easily and simply explained by the supernatural intervention
of the spirits of the mine?"
But, notwithstanding his objections to the scheme, Jack Ryan and
three miners of his gang arrived next morning with Harry at the mouth
of the opening of the suspicious shaft. Harry had not mentioned
his intentions either to James Starr or to the old overman.
Jack had been discreet enough to say nothing.
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