| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from At the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs: scientist announced the fact that she had discovered
a method whereby eggs might be fertilized by chemical
means after they were laid--all true reptiles, you know,
are hatched from eggs.
"What happened? Immediately the necessity for males ceased
to exist--the race was no longer dependent upon them.
More ages elapsed until at the present time we find a race
consisting exclusively of females. But here is the point.
The secret of this chemical formula is kept by a single
race of Mahars. It is in the city of Phutra, and unless I
am greatly in error I judge from your description of the
At the Earth's Core |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates by Howard Pyle: old, old days, to the truculent Morgan of buccaneering times, the
Englishman did the boldest and wickedest deeds, and wrought the
most damage.
First of all upon the list of pirates stands the bold Captain
Avary, one of the institutors of marooning. Him we see but
dimly, half hidden by the glamouring mists of legends and
tradition. Others who came afterward outstripped him far enough
in their doings, but he stands pre-eminent as the first of
marooners of whom actual history has been handed down to us of
the present day.
When the English, Dutch, and Spanish entered into an alliance to
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson: of the good if the bad could at pleasure invade them from the sky?
Against an army sailing through the clouds neither walls,
mountains, nor seas could afford security. A flight of northern
savages might hover in the wind and light with irresistible
violence upon the capital of a fruitful reason. Even this valley,
the retreat of princes, the abode of happiness, might be violated
by the sudden descent of some of the naked nations that swarm on
the coast of the southern sea!"
The Prince promised secrecy, and waited for the performance, not
wholly hopeless of success. He visited the work from time to time,
observed its progress, and remarked many ingenious contrivances to
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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 The Coxon Fund by Henry James: much better. Then Mr. Anvoy suddenly began to totter, and now he
seems quite on his back. I'm afraid he's really in for some big
reverse. Lady Coxon's worse again, awfully upset by the news from
America, and she sends me word that she MUST have Ruth. How can I
supply her with Ruth? I haven't got Ruth myself!"
"Surely you haven't lost her?" I returned.
"She's everything to her wretched father. She writes me every
post--telling me to smooth her aunt's pillow. I've other things to
smooth; but the old lady, save for her servants, is really alone.
She won't receive her Coxon relations--she's angry at so much of
her money going to them. Besides, she's hopelessly mad," said
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