| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: to be moved, he rose fairly to the heights of what might be called
destructive prophecy.
The packing began before the men had finished breakfast. Shortly
after daylight the wanigan, pushed strongly from shore by the pike-
poles, was drifting toward the chute. When the heavy scow
threatened to turn side-on, the sweeps at either end churned the
water frantically in an endeavour to straighten her out. Sometimes,
by a misunderstanding, they worked against each other. Then
Charlie, raging from one to the other of his satellites, frothed and
roared commands and vituperations. His voice rose to a shriek. The
cookees, bewildered by so much violence, lost their heads
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from When the Sleeper Wakes by H. G. Wells: There were moments when his feet did not touch the
ground. Then he was staggering and shoving. He
heard shouts of "They are coming!" and a muffled
cry close to him. His foot blundered against
something soft, he heard a hoarse scream under foot. He
heard shouts of "The Sleeper!" but he was too
confused to speak. He heard the green weapons
crackling. For a space he lost his individual will,
became an atom in a panic, blind, unthinking, mechanical.
He thrust and pressed back and writhed in the
pressure, kicked presently against a step, and found
When the Sleeper Wakes |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: D'Artagnan related to Athos all that had passed at the
church between Porthos and the procurator's wife, and how
their comrade was probably by that time in a fair way to be
equipped.
"As for me," replied Athos to this recital, "I am quite at
my ease; it will not be women that will defray the expense
of my outfit."
"Handsome, well-bred, noble lord as you are, my dear Athos,
neither princesses nor queens would be secure from your
amorous solicitations."
"How young this D'Artagnan is!" said Athos, shrugging his
The Three Musketeers |
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 Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: man-servant or maid-servant, or takes another's servants from him in
any way.
Therefore (I say) they thus interpreted these commandments, and that
rightly (although their scope reaches somewhat farther and higher),
that no one think or purpose to obtain what belongs to another, such as
his wife, servants, house and estate, land meadows, cattle, even with a
show of right or by a subterfuge, yet with injury to his neighbor. For
above, in the Seventh Commandment, the vice is forbidden where one
wrests to himself the possessions of others, or withholds them from his
neighbor, which he cannot do by right. But here it is also forbidden to
alienate anything from your neighbor, even though you could do so with
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