| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Moral Emblems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Ben moralised and shook his head:
'You wanderers earn and eat your bread.
The foe is found, beats or is beaten,
And, either how, the wage is eaten.
And after all your pully-hauly
Your proceeds look uncommon small-ly.
You had done better here to tarry
Apprentice to the Apothecary.
The silent pirates of the shore
Eat and sleep soft, and pocket more
Than any red, robustious ranger
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey: voice. Fer when you come up you looked like the corpse of a dead
rider with fire fer eyes. You hed thet crowd too stiff fer
throwin' guns. Come, we've got to hev a talk. Let's go up the
lane. We ain't much safe here."
Judkins mounted Bells and rode with Venters up to the cottonwood
grove. Here they dismounted and went among the trees.
"Let's hear from you first," said Judkins. "You fetched back them
hosses. Thet is the trick. An', of course, you got Jerry the same
as you got Horne."
"Horne!"
"Sure. He was found dead yesterday all chewed by coyotes, en'
Riders of the Purple Sage |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Master Key by L. Frank Baum: he took from his pocket the Automatic Record of Events, and watched
with breathless interest the incidents occurring in different parts of
the world. A big battle was being fought in the Philippines, and so
fiercely was it contested that Rob watched its progress for hours,
with rapt attention. Finally a brave rally by the Americans sent
their foes to the cover of the woods, where they scattered in every
direction, only to form again in a deep valley hidden by high hills.
"If only I was there," thought Rob, "I could show that captain where
to find the rebels and capture them. But I guess the Philippines are
rather out of my way, so our soldiers will never know how near they
are to a complete victory."
The Master Key |
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 Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: the microscopes were of no use at all in themselves, but only, if
they could be exchanged for nail-heads. And at last they began to
fight for nail-heads, as the others fought for the bits of garden.
Only here and there, a despised one shrank away into a corner, and
tried to get a little quiet with a book, in the midst of the noise;
but all the practical ones thought of nothing else but counting
nail-heads all the afternoon--even though they knew they would not
be allowed to carry so much as one brass knob away with them. But
no--it was--"Who has most nails? I have a hundred, and you have
fifty; or, I have a thousand, and you have two. I must have as many
as you before I leave the house, or I cannot possibly go home in
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