| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Democracy In America, Volume 1 by Alexis de Toqueville: Anglo-American Union is more truly a state of society than that
of certain nations of Europe which live under the same
legislation and the same prince.
Although the Anglo-Americans have several religious sects,
they all regard religion in the same manner. They are not always
agreed upon the measures which are most conducive to good
government, and they vary upon some of the forms of government
which it is expedient to adopt; but they are unanimous upon the
general principles which ought to rule human society. From Maine
to the Floridas, and from the Missouri to the Atlantic Ocean, the
people is held to be the legitimate source of all power. The
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: grass, and is ordinarily found by the mower of it. In August, and in the
cooler months, a yellow paste, made of the strongest cheese, and
pounded in a mortar, with a little butter and saffron, so much of it as,
being beaten small, will turn it to a lemon colour. And some make a
paste for the winter months, at which time the Chub is accounted best,
for then it is observed, that the forked bones are lost, or turned into a
kind of gristle, especially if he be baked, of cheese and turpentine. He
will bite also at a minnow, or peek, as a Trout will: of which I shall tell
you more hereafter, and of divers other baits. But take this for a rule,
that, in hot weather, he is to be fished for towards the mid-water, or
near the top; and in colder weather, nearer the bottom; and if you fish
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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 Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey: knew she couldn't have done that. I stayed at home awhile, tryin'
to make Frank Erne talk. But if he knowed anythin' then he
wouldn't tell it. So I set out to find Milly. An' I tried to get
on the trail of that proselyter. I knew if I ever struck a town
he'd visited that I'd get a trail. I knew, too, that nothin'
short of hell would stop his proselytin'. An' I rode from town to
town. I had a blind faith that somethin' was guidin' me. An' as
the weeks an' months went by I growed into a strange sort of a
man, I guess. Anyway, people were afraid of me. Two years after
that, way over in a corner of Texas, I struck a town where my man
had been. He'd jest left. People said he came to that town
Riders of the Purple Sage |
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 King James Bible: JOS 15:17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it:
and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
JOS 15:18 And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him
to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb
said unto her, What wouldest thou?
JOS 15:19 Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a
south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper
springs, and the nether springs.
JOS 15:20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah
according to their families.
JOS 15:21 And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of
King James Bible |
