| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum: drum and knocked his knees against it-- first one knee and then the
other--so that the drum said: "Boom-boom."
"You must all do exactly what I do," ordered the captain; so the
shaggy man pounded the drum with his knees, and so did Dorothy and so
did Button-Bright. The boy wanted to keep on pounding it with his
little fat knees, because he liked the sound of it; but the captain
stopped him. Toto couldn't pound the drum with his knees and he
didn't know enough to wag his tail against it, so Dorothy pounded the
drum for him and that made him bark, and when the little dog barked
the fox-captain scowled.
The golden curtains drew back far enough to make an opening, through
The Road to Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: the lorette.
"The same. Under the Restoration, between 1823 and 1827, Cerizet's
occupation consisted in first putting his name intrepidly to various
paragraphs, on which the public prosecutor fastened with avidity, and
subsequently marching off to prison. A man could make a name for
himself with small expense in those days. The Liberal party called
their provincial champion 'the courageous Cerizet,' and towards 1828
so much zeal received its reward in 'general interest.'
" 'General interest' is a kind of civic crown bestowed on the
deserving by the daily press. Cerizet tried to discount the 'general
interest' taken in him. He came to Paris, and, with some help from
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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 Chronicles of the Canongate by Walter Scott: I by this time suspected the purpose of my friend's
procrastination; and it saddened my heart to reflect that I was
not to get the information which I desired, excepting in the
shape of a legacy. I found accordingly, in the packet
transmitted to me after the excellent lady's death, several
anecdotes respecting the Highlands, from which I have selected
that which follows, chiefly on account of its possessing great
power over the feelings of my critical housekeeper, Janet M'Evoy,
who wept most bitterly when I read it to her.
It is, however, but a very simple tale, and may have no interest
for persons beyond Janet's rank of life or understanding.
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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 Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: She turned back and restored the silver; for she now understood that
countess' poverty--it was plated ware!"
"And she forked it over," said Leon, in whom the former Mistigris
occasionally reappeared.
"Ah! my dear monsieur," said Madame Nourrisson, enlightened by the
slang, "you are an artist, you write plays, you live in the rue du
Helder and are friends with Madame Anatolia; you have habits that I
know all about. Come, do you want some rarity in the grand style,--
Carabine or Mousqueton, Malaga or Jenny Cadine?"
"Malaga, Carabine! nonsense!" cried Leon de Lora. "It was we who
invented them."
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