| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce: defined lines of ramification and to beat with an
inconceivably rapid periodicity. They seemed like streams of
pulsating fire heating him to an intolerable temperature. As
to his head, he was conscious of nothing but a feeling of
fullness -- of congestion. These sensations were
unaccompanied by thought. The intellectual part of his
nature was already effaced; he had power only to feel, and
feeling was torment. He was conscious of motion.
Encompassed in a luminous cloud, of which he was now merely
the fiery heart, without material substance, he swung
through unthinkable arcs of oscillation, like a vast
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Whirligigs by O. Henry: follies. Of late, old friends of the family had seen to it
that he had whereof to eat and a place to sleep -- but whiskey
they would not buy for him, and he must have whiskey.
His law business was extinct; no case had been intrusted
to him in two years. He had been a borrower and a
sponge, and it seemed that if he fell no lower it would be
from lack of opportunity. One more chance -- he was
saying to himself -- if he had one more stake at the game,
he thought he could win; but he had nothing left to sell,
and his credit was more than exhausted.
He could not help smiling, even in his misery, as he
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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 Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: have none to love them,--and is "for all who are desolate and
oppressed."
Thus far, I think, I have had your concurrence; perhaps you will not
be with me in what I believe is most needful for me to say. There
IS one dangerous science for women--one which they must indeed
beware how they profanely touch--that of theology. Strange, and
miserably strange, that while they are modest enough to doubt their
powers, and pause at the threshold of sciences where every step is
demonstrable and sure, they will plunge headlong, and without one
thought of incompetency, into that science in which the greatest men
have trembled, and the wisest erred. Strange, that they will
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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 The Koran: we will not believe you.'
And Pharaoh said, 'Bring me every knowing sorcerer;' and when the
sorcerers came, Moses said to them, 'Throw down what ye have to
throw!' and when they threw down, Moses said, 'What ye have brought is
sorcery! verily, God will make it vain; verily, God rights not the
work of evildoers!'
But God verifies the truth by His words, although the sinners are
averse therefrom.
But none believed in Moses, save a race of his own people, through
fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs; lest he should afflict them, for
verily, Pharaoh was lofty in the earth, and verily, he was
The Koran |
