| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Oakdale Affair by Edgar Rice Burroughs: road.
The momentum of the bear carried him past the body
of his intended victim who, frightened but uninjured,
scrambled to his feet and dashed toward the rear of the
mill in the direction of the woods and distant swamp.
Beppo, recovering from his charge, wheeled in time to
catch a glimpse of his quarry after whom he made with
all the awkwardness that was his birthright and with
the speed of a race horse.
Columbus Blackie, casting a terrified glance rear-
ward, saw his Nemesis flashing toward him, and dodged
The Oakdale Affair |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Treatise on Parents and Children by George Bernard Shaw: obeys like a sheep, evades like a knave, or tries to murder his
oppressor. Merely criticized or opposed in committee, or invited to
consider anybody's views but his own, he feels personally insulted and
wants to resign or leave the room unless he is apologized to. And his
panic and bewilderment when he sees that the older hands at the work
have no patience with him and do not intend to treat him as
infallible, are pitiable as far as they are anything but ludicrous.
That is what comes of not being taught to consider other people's
wills, and left to submit to them or to over-ride them as if they were
the winds and the weather. Such a state of mind is incompatible not
only with the democratic introduction of high civilization, but with
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: her husband and therefore the next king.
King Cleon, however, was desirous of exercising his regal authority
in having a say in who would follow him on the throne. And faced
with what he clearly saw was an impossible number of choices, he
therefore sought the opinion of his favorite advisor, the young Sir
Philo. Now, persons of a cynical bent might begin to think that Sir
Philo, an eligible bachelor himself and not at all impervious to
feminine gorgeousness, would argue craftily that he himself was the
most suitable and worthy candidate. This might have been so but for
two equally powerful reasons. First, Sir Philo, brave, skilled, and
thoughtful, was a man of integrity who would never abuse his position
|
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 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: had him harnessed in as tight and strong as he could, with the martingale,
and the check-rein, a very sharp curb, and the reins put in
at the bottom bar. It is my belief that it made the horse mad,
being tender in the mouth and so full of spirit."
"Likely enough; I'll come and see him," said Jerry.
The next day Hotspur, that was his name, came home;
he was a fine brown horse, without a white hair in him, as tall as Captain,
with a very handsome head, and only five years old. I gave him
a friendly greeting by way of good fellowship, but did not ask him
any questions. The first night he was very restless. Instead of lying down,
he kept jerking his halter rope up and down through the ring,
|
