| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Moon-Face and Other Stories by Jack London: left side of the back, and from the point of impact felt a rush of flame
through his flesh. He sprang up in the air, but halfway to his feet collapsed.
His body crumpled in like a leaf withered in sudden heat, and he came down,
his chest across his pan of gold, his face in the dirt and rock, his legs
tangled and twisted because of the restricted space at the bottom of the hole.
His legs twitched convulsively several times. His body was shaken as with a
mighty ague. There was a slow expansion of the lungs, accompanied by a deep
sigh. Then the air was slowly, very slowly, exhaled, and his body as slowly
flattened itself down into inertness.
Above, revolver in hand, a man was peering down over the edge of the hole. He
peered for a long time at the prone and motionless body beneath him. After a
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Moran of the Lady Letty by Frank Norris: coast till you hit a town; but I wouldn't advise you to try it.
Now what have you got to say?"
Hoang was silent. His queue had become unbound for half its
length, and he plaited it anew, winking his eyes thoughtfully.
"Well, what do you say?" said Moran.
"I lose face," answered Hoang at length, calmly.
"You lose face? What do you mean?"
"I lose face," he insisted; then added: "I heap 'shamed. You
fightee my China boy, you catchee me. My boy no mo' hab me fo'
boss--savvy? I go back, him no likee me. Mebbe all same killee
me. I lose face--no mo' boss."
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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 The House of Dust by Conrad Aiken: Take my hand
And walk with me once more by crumbling walls;
Up mouldering stairs where grey-stemmed ivy clings,
To hear forgotten bells, as evening falls,
Rippling above us invisibly their slowly widening rings. . . .
Did you once love me? Did you bear a name?
Did you once stand before me without shame? . . .
Take my hand: your face is one I know,
I loved you, long ago:
You are like music, long forgotten, suddenly come to mind;
You are like spring returned through snow.
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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 Sanitary and Social Lectures by Charles Kingsley: from above, press them outward, press them southward toward the
sun once more; across the floes and round the icebergs, weeping
tears of snow and sleet, while men hate their wild harsh voices,
and shrink before their bitter breath. They know not that the
cold bleak snow-storms, as they hurtle from the black north-east,
bear back the ghosts of the soft air-mothers, as penitents, to
their father, the great sun.
But as they fly southwards, warm life thrills them, and they drop
their loads of sleet and snow; and meet their young live sisters
from the south, and greet them with flash and thunder-peal. And,
please God, before many weeks are over, as we run Westward-Ho, we
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