| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: When he opened his eyes once more he found, much to
his surprise, that he was not dead. He lay, securely bound,
in the bottom of his own canoe. A great panther sat upon its
haunches, looking down upon him.
Kaviri shuddered and closed his eyes again, waiting for
the ferocious creature to spring upon him and put him out of
his misery of terror.
After a moment, no rending fangs having buried themselves
in his trembling body, he again ventured to open his eyes.
Beyond the panther kneeled the white giant who had
overcome him.
The Beasts of Tarzan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: one caught above; and as that weighty question could only be
decided by practical experiment, Mr. St. Leger vowed that as the
bridge had given him a good dinner, he would give the bridge one;
offered a bet of five pounds that he would find them, out of the
pool below Annery, as firm and flaky a salmon as the Appledore one
which they had just eaten; and then, in the fulness of his heart,
invited the whole company present to dine with him at Annery three
days after, and bring with them each a wife or daughter; and Don
Guzman being at table, he was invited too.
So there was a mighty feast in the great hall at Annery, such as
had seldom been since Judge Hankford feasted Edward the Fourth
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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 Sarrasine by Honore de Balzac: feeling. This weakness delighted the Frenchman. There is so much of
the element of protection in a man's love!
" 'You may make use of my power as a shield!'
"Is not that sentence written at the root of all declarations of love?
Sarrasine, who was too passionately in love to make fine speeches to
the fair Italian, was, like all lovers, grave, jovial, meditative, by
turns. Although he seemed to listen to the guests, he did not hear a
word that they said, he was so wrapped up in the pleasure of sitting
by her side, of touching her hand, of waiting on her. He was swimming
in a sea of concealed joy. Despite the eloquence of divers glances
they exchanged, he was amazed at La Zambinella's continued reserve
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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 Adieu by Honore de Balzac: and giving forth a murmuring sound that rose at times to frightful
outbursts. Driven by famine and despair, these poor wretches must have
rifled the carriage before de Sucy reached it. The old general and his
young wife, whom he had left lying in piles of clothes and wrapped in
mantles and pelisses, were now on the snow, crouching before the fire.
One door of the carriage was already torn off.
No sooner did the men about the fire hear the tread of the major's
horse than a hoarse cry, the cry of famine, arose,--
"A horse! a horse!"
Those voices formed but one voice.
"Back! back! look out for yourself!" cried two or three soldiers,
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