| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: She gave a contented little sigh, and let her head rest
against his shoulder. He knew that he was forgiven.
That night Tarzan built a snug little bower high among
the swaying branches of a giant tree, and there the tired
girl slept, while in a crotch beneath her the ape-man curled,
ready, even in sleep, to protect her.
It took them many days to make the long journey to
the coast. Where the way was easy they walked hand in hand
beneath the arching boughs of the mighty forest, as might
in a far-gone past have walked their primeval forbears.
When the underbrush was tangled he took her in his great arms,
The Return of Tarzan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Crowd by Gustave le Bon: consequence man's two great concerns since he has existed have
been to create a network of traditions which he afterwards
endeavours to destroy when their beneficial effects have worn
themselves out. Civilisation is impossible without traditions,
and progress impossible without the destruction of those
traditions. The difficulty, and it is an immense difficulty, is
to find a proper equilibrium between stability and variability.
Should a people allow its customs to become too firmly rooted, it
can no longer change, and becomes, like China, incapable of
improvement. Violent revolutions are in this case of no avail;
for what happens is that either the broken fragments of the chain
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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 In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: days."
"Oh no"--he smiled broadly--"that's very good! By Jove! no. I drive a
good bit--are you keen on horses?"
She nodded. "Love them."
"You must come driving with me--I've got a fine pair of greys. Will you?"
"Pretty I'd look perched behind greys in my one and only hat," thought she.
Aloud: "I'd love to." Her easy acceptance pleased him.
"How about to-morrow?" he suggested. "Suppose you have lunch with me to-
morrow and I take you driving."
After all--this was just a game. "Yes, I'm not busy to-morrow," she said.
A little pause--then the strange man patted his leg. "Why don't you come
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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 Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens: and were as wild as he, they crowded about him, while two of their
number who had torches, held them up, one on either side of him,
that his banquet might not be despatched in the dark. Mr Dennis,
having by this time succeeded in extricating from his hat a great
mass of pasty, which had been wedged in so tightly that it was not
easily got out, put it before him; and Hugh, having borrowed a
notched and jagged knife from one of the company, fell to work upon
it vigorously.
'I should recommend you to swallow a little fire every day, about
an hour afore dinner, brother,' said Dennis, after a pause. 'It
seems to agree with you, and to stimulate your appetite.'
Barnaby Rudge |
