Today's Stichomancy for T. E. Lawrence

The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The First Men In The Moon by H. G. Wells:

surrounded by all the circumstances of wealth, there is a luxury in admitting my extremity. I can admit, even, that to a certain extent my disasters were conceivably of my own making. It may be there are directions in which I have some capacity, but the conduct of business operations is not among these. But in those days I was young, and my youth among other objectionable forms took that of a pride in my capacity for affairs. I am young still in years, but the things that have happened to me have rubbed something of the youth from my mind. Whether they have brought any wisdom to light below it is a more doubtful matter.

It is scarcely necessary to go into the details of the speculations that landed me at Lympne, in Kent. Nowadays even about business transactions

The First Men In The Moon

The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H. B. Irving:

convict you--the fire was put out." Butler than{sic} said that he would ask Mallard a question, but, after a pause, decided not to do so. Mallard, after examining Butler's clothes, told him that those were not the clothes in which he had left the Scotia Hotel. Butler admitted it, and said he had thrown those away in the North East Valley. Mallard alluded to the disappearance of the prisoner's moustache. Butler replied that he had cut it off on the road. Mallard noticed then the backs of Butler's hands were scratched, as if by contact with bushes. Butler seemed often on the point of asking questions, but would then stop and say "No, I won't ask you anything." To the constables who had

A Book of Remarkable Criminals

The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Falk by Joseph Conrad:

shuffling of feet, the scraping of chairs. Schom- berg, after wondering in a low mutter who the devil could be there at this time of the day, got up napkin in hand to peep through the doorway cautiously. He retreated rapidly on tip-toe, and whispering be- hind his hand informed me that it was Falk, Falk himself who was in there, and, what's more, he had Captain Hermann with him.

The return of the tug from the outer Roads was unexpected but possible, for Falk had taken away the Diana at half-past five, and it was now two

Falk

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 Tanach:

Psalms 54: 2 (54:4) O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.

Psalms 54: 3 (54:5) For strangers are risen up against me, and violent men have sought after my soul; they have not set God before them. Selah

Psalms 54: 4 (54:6) Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is for me as the upholder of my soul.

Psalms 54: 5 (54:7) He will requite the evil unto them that lie in wait for me; destroy Thou them in Thy truth.

Psalms 54: 6 (54:8) With a freewill-offering will I sacrifice unto Thee; I will give thanks unto Thy name, O LORD, for it is good.

Psalms 54: 7 (54:9) For He hath delivered me out of all trouble; and mine eye hath gazed upon mine enemies.

Psalms 55: 1 (55:1) For the Leader; with string-music. Maschil of David. (55:2) Give ear, O God, to my prayer; and hide not Thyself from my supplication.

Psalms 55: 2 (55:3) Attend unto me, and hear me; I am distraught in my complaint, and will moan;

Psalms 55: 3 (55:4) Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they cast mischief upon me, and in anger they persecute me.

Psalms 55: 4 (55:5) My heart doth writhe within me; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

Psalms 55: 5 (55:6) Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

The Tanach