| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: devoid of all the finer sentiments of friendship, love, or
affection, these people fairly worship physical prowess and
bravery, and nothing is too good for the object of their
adoration as long as he maintains his position by repeated
examples of his skill, strength, and courage.
Sola, who had accompanied the searching party of her own
volition, was the only one of the Martians whose face had not
been twisted in laughter as I battled for my life. She, on the
contrary, was sober with apparent solicitude and, as soon as I
had finished the monster, rushed to me and carefully examined
my body for possible wounds or injuries. Satisfying herself
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: was the fourth day after that they had seen the star, when they met
in that city, and thus they were in nine days from that city at
Bethlehem, and that was great miracle.
Also, under the cloister of the church, by eighteen degrees at the
right side, is the charnel of the Innocents, where their bones lie.
And before the place where our Lord was born is the tomb of Saint
Jerome, that was a priest and a cardinal, that translated the Bible
and the Psalter from Hebrew into Latin: and without the minster is
the chair that he sat in when he translated it. And fast beside
that church, a sixty fathom, is a church of Saint Nicholas, where
our Lady rested her after she was lighted of our Lord; and
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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 Alcibiades I by Plato: ALCIBIADES: Why is that?
SOCRATES: Why, because they have the qualities which good teachers ought
to have.
ALCIBIADES: What qualities?
SOCRATES: Why, you know that knowledge is the first qualification of any
teacher?
ALCIBIADES: Certainly.
SOCRATES: And if they know, they must agree together and not differ?
ALCIBIADES: Yes.
SOCRATES: And would you say that they knew the things about which they
differ?
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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 A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde: know?'
He said to the Linnet, 'Thou canst fly over the tops of the tall
trees, and canst see the whole world. Tell me, canst thou see my
mother?'
And the Linnet answered, 'Thou hast clipt my wings for thy
pleasure. How should I fly?'
And to the little Squirrel who lived in the fir-tree, and was
lonely, he said, 'Where is my mother?'
And the Squirrel answered, 'Thou hast slain mine. Dost thou seek
to slay thine also?'
And the Star-Child wept and bowed his head, and prayed forgiveness
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