| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: of his artificial civilization, and sink happy and contented
into the deep sleep of the wild beast that has fed to repletion.
Yet a woman's "yes" would have bound him to that other life
forever, and made the thought of this savage existence repulsive.
Tarzan slept late into the following forenoon, for he had
been very tired from the labors and exertion of the long
night and day upon the ocean, and the jungle jaunt that had
brought into play muscles that he had scarce used for nearly
two years. When he awoke he ran to the brook first to drink.
Then he took a plunge into the sea, swimming about for
a quarter of an hour. Afterward he returned to his cabin,
The Return of Tarzan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King James Bible: for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.
LEV 24:23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should
bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with
stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
LEV 25:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
LEV 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye
come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath
unto the LORD.
LEV 25:3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt
prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
LEV 25:4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the
King James Bible |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Island Nights' Entertainments by Robert Louis Stevenson: (like the dollar he took from Mr. Tarleton's head) were plain
enough to me, but others I could make nothing of; and the thing
that most surprised the Kanakas was what surprised me least -
namely, that he would go in the desert among all the AITUS. Some
of the boldest, however, had accompanied him, and had heard him
speak with the dead and give them orders, and, safe in his
protection, had returned unscathed. Some said he had a church
there, where he worshipped Tiapolo, and Tiapolo appeared to him;
others swore that there was no sorcery at all, that he performed
his miracles by the power of prayer, and the church was no church,
but a prison, in which he had confined a dangerous AITU. Namu had
|
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 Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas: play next morning -- of the impudent fellow who insults the
queen, as they say -- so much the worse for her -- and who
is going in three months to make war upon us, in order that
he may retain his pensions; is that the master whom you
propose to me? I thank you, D'Artagnan."
"You are more impetuous than you were," returned D'Artagnan.
"Age has warmed, not chilled your blood. Who informed you
this was the master I propose to you? Devil take it," he
muttered to himself, "don't let me betray my secrets to a
man not inclined to entertain them."
"Well, then," said Athos, "what are your schemes? what do
Twenty Years After |
