| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain: Chapter 59
Legends and Scenery
WE added several passengers to our list, at La Crosse; among others
an old gentleman who had come to this north-western region
with the early settlers, and was familiar with every part of it.
Pardonably proud of it, too. He said--
'You'll find scenery between here and St. Paul that can give
the Hudson points. You'll have the Queen's Bluff--seven hundred
feet high, and just as imposing a spectacle as you can find anywheres;
and Trempeleau Island, which isn't like any other island in America,
I believe, for it is a gigantic mountain, with precipitous sides,
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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 Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: the pass to watch the red day walking along the peaks of the
snows, he would find Sona shuffling and grunting at his heels,
thrusting, a curious fore-paw under fallen trunks, and bringing
it away with a WHOOF of impatience; or his early steps would
wake Sona where he lay curled up, and the great brute, rising
erect, would think to fight, till he heard the Bhagat's voice
and knew his best friend.
Nearly all hermits and holy men who live apart from the big
cities have the reputation of being able to work miracles with
the wild things, but all the miracle lies in keeping still, in
never making a hasty movement, and, for a long time, at least,
The Second Jungle Book |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ann Veronica by H. G. Wells: the window, and a bookcase surmounted by a pig's skull, a
dissected frog in a sealed bottle, and a pile of shiny,
black-covered note-books. In the corner of the room were two
hockey-sticks and a tennis-racket, and upon the walls Ann
Veronica, by means of autotypes, had indicated her proclivities
in art. But Miss Stanley took no notice of these things. She
walked straight across to the wardrobe and opened it. There,
hanging among Ann Veronica's more normal clothing, was a skimpy
dress of red canvas, trimmed with cheap and tawdry braid, and
short--it could hardly reach below the knee. On the same peg and
evidently belonging to it was a black velvet Zouave jacket. And
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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 Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: "It seems to me," said D'Artagnan, "with a thousand livres each--
I do not speak as a Spartan, but as a procurator--"
This word PROCURATOR roused Porthos. "Stop," said he, "I have an
idea."
"Well, that's something, for I have not the shadow of one," said
Athos cooly; "but as to D'Artagnan, gentlemen, the idea of
belonging to OURS has driven him out of his senses. A thousand
livres! For my part, I declare I want two thousand."
"Four times two makes eight," then said Aramis; "it is eight
thousand that we want to complete our outfits, toward which, it
is true, we have already the saddles."
The Three Musketeers |
