| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: "Is this your deal, my friend?" inquired Balaam. And he slanted
his bullet head at the Virginian.
"Give him away, Shorty," drawled the Southerner. "His laig is
busted. Mr. Balaam says so."
Balaam's face grew evil with baffled fury. But the Virginian was
gravely considering Pedro. He, too, was not pleased. But he could
not interfere. Already he had overstepped the code in these
matters. He would have dearly liked--for reasons good and bad,
spite and mercy mingled--to have spoiled Balaam's market, to have
offered a reasonable or even an unreasonable price for Pedro, and
taken possession of the horse himself. But this might not be. In
The Virginian |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: therein for aye-pleasant is the hire of those who work! those who
are patient and rely upon their Lord!
How many a beast cannot carry its own provision! God provides for it
and for you; He both hears and knows!
And if thou shouldst ask them, 'Who created the heavens and the
earth, and subjected the sun and the moon?' they will surely say,
'God!' how then can they lie?
God extends provision to whomsoever He will of His servants, or
doles it out to him; verily, God all things doth know.
And if thou shouldst ask them, 'Who sends down from the heavens
water and quickens therewith the earth in its death?' they will surely
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from American Notes by Rudyard Kipling: exodus to their friends, and a hundred pens skirl responsive.
It was to the pigs I first addressed myself. Selecting a viaduct
which was full of them, as I could hear, though I could not see,
I marked a sombre building whereto it ran, and went there, not
unalarmed by stray cattle who had managed to escape from their
proper quarters. A pleasant smell of brine warned me of what was
coming. I entered the factory and found it full of pork in
barrels, and on another story more pork un-barrelled, and in a
huge room the halves of swine, for whose behoof great lumps of
ice were being pitched in at the window. That room was the
mortuary chamber where the pigs lay for a little while in state
|
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: 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
surgeon, and addressing a corporal who stood behind the prisoner. "You
cursed coward!" he went on, speaking to Prosper in a low voice, "try
|
