| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: flash in the light of the equatorial sun as it filtered,
dappling, through the foliage above. She saw a heavy
hunting spear hurtle through the air to meet the lion
in midleap.
Numa brought up upon his haunches, roaring terribly and striking
at the spear which protruded from his breast. His great blows
bent and twisted the weapon. Tarzan, crouching and with
hunting knife in hand, circled warily about the frenzied cat.
Momaya, wide-eyed, stood rooted to the spot, watching,
fascinated.
In sudden fury Numa hurled himself toward the ape-man,
The Jungle Tales of Tarzan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: heard Mrs. Wilson's voice, loud and scolding, down-stairs in the garage.
"Beat me!" he heard her cry. "Throw me down and beat me, you dirty
little coward!"
A moment later she rushed out into the dusk, waving her hands and
shouting--before he could move from his door the business was over.
The "death car." as the newspapers called it, didn't stop; it came out
of the gathering darkness, wavered tragically for a moment, and then
disappeared around the next bend. Michaelis wasn't even sure of its
color--he told the first policeman that it was light green. The other
car, the one going toward New York, came to rest a hundred yards
beyond, and its driver hurried back to where Myrtle Wilson, her life
The Great Gatsby |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Damaged Goods by Upton Sinclair: kept her proper."
"I am not saying anything to the contrary," said Madame Dupont,
"but the child is sick, the doctors have said it."
The nurse was not to be persuaded; she thought they were getting
ready to scold her. "Humph," she said, "that's a fine thing--the
doctors! If they couldn't always find something wrong you'd say
they didn't know their business."
"But our doctor is a great doctor; and you have seen yourself
that our child has some little pimples."
"Ah, ma'am," said the nurse, "that's the heat--it's nothing but
the heat of the blood breaking out. You don't need to bother
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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 Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso: Asia her freedom, you shall praise obtain."
Thus he inflamed his soldiers to the fight,
And led them on through silence of the night.
XX
The sentinel by starlight, lo, descried
This mighty Soldan and his host draw near,
Who found not as he hoped the Christians' guide
Unware, ne yet unready was his gear:
The scouts, when this huge army they descried,
Ran back, and gan with shouts the 'larum rear;
The watch stert up and drew their weapons bright,
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