| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: presence of the jeddak earlier in the day.
They had almost reached the threshold when a figure sprang
into the apartment through another entrance. It was Jav.
He, too, took in the scene within at a glance.
Carthoris turned to face him, his sword ready in his hand,
and his great body shielding the slender figure of the girl.
"Come, Jav of Lothar!" he cried. "Let us face the
issue at once, for only one of us may leave this chamber
alive with Thuvia of Ptarth." Then, seeing that the man
wore no sword, he exclaimed: "Bring on your bowmen,
then, or come with us as my prisoner until we have
Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: fascinated by the motherless child, and yet scorned herself for
even the doubting love she gave.
"Only think, auntie," said Kate, "how you kissed Emilia,
yesterday!"
"Of course I did," she remorsefully owned. "I have kissed her
a great many times too often. I never will kiss her again.
There is nothing but sorrow to be found in loving her, and her
heart is no larger than her feet. Today she was not even
pretty! If it were not for her voice, I think I should never
wish to see her again."
But when that soft, pleading voice came once more, and Emilia
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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 Last War: A World Set Free by H. G. Wells: at us, then the shelter of the wood seemed to draw them, and they
trotted. I fired rather mechanically and missed, then I fired
again, and then I became earnest to hit something, made sure of
my sighting, and aimed very carefully at a blue back that was
dodging about in the corn. At first I couldn't satisfy myself
and didn't shoot, his movements were so spasmodic and uncertain;
then I think he came to a ditch or some such obstacle and halted
for a moment. "GOT you," I whispered, and pulled the trigger.
'I had the strangest sensations about that man. In the first
instance, when I felt that I had hit him I was irradiated with
joy and pride....
The Last War: A World Set Free |
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 Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: retired to spend the rest of his days in a spiffy castle on top of
a hill, with his totally gorgeous wife and, later, seventeen children.
How the Noble Percival Won the Fair Arissa
Once upon a time in a kingdom by the sea, two knights stood talking
about the strategy of battle when their conversation was interrupted
by the sight of the beautiful Arissa as she walked upon the green.
"Forsooth, I think I'll ask her for a date," said Sir Wishful, one
of the knights. "Ditto," said Sir Percival, the other knight.
So Sir Wishful sauntered up to Arissa in his most elegant and
refined manner, and, twirling his mustache genteelly, said, "Arissa,
my dear, methinks I'd like to take you out to dinner."
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