| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: things, it was owing to him; and that it now lay on me to reward
him, which I would do a hundred-fold: so I first returned to him
the hundred moidores I had received of him; then I sent for a
notary, and caused him to draw up a general release or discharge
from the four hundred and seventy moidores, which he had
acknowledged he owed me, in the fullest and firmest manner
possible. After which I caused a procuration to be drawn,
empowering him to be the receiver of the annual profits of my
plantation: and appointing my partner to account with him, and make
the returns, by the usual fleets, to him in my name; and by a
clause in the end, made a grant of one hundred moidores a year to
Robinson Crusoe |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: the winter months in the quality of reader and companion. She had
said to her with kindly jocularity: "We shall have a good time
together. I am not a grumpy old woman." But on their return to
London she sought Mrs. Fyne at once. She had discovered that Flora
was not naturally cheerful. When she made efforts to be it was
still worse. The old lady couldn't stand the strain of that. And
then, to have the whole thing out, she could not bear to have for a
companion anyone who did not love her. She was certain that Flora
did not love her. Why? She couldn't say. Moreover, she had caught
the girl looking at her in a peculiar way at times. Oh no!--it was
not an evil look--it was an unusual expression which one could not
Chance |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: completely out in their reckoning. But if only one district,
Sviazhsky's, did not call upon him to stand, Snetkov would let
himself be balloted for. They were even, some of them, going to
vote for him, and purposely to let him get a good many votes, so
that the enemy might be thrown off the scent, and when a
candidate of the other side was put up, they too might give him
some votes. Levin understood to some extent, but not fully, and
would have put a few more questions, when suddenly every one
began talking and making a noise and they moved towards the big
room.
"What is it? eh? whom?" "No guarantee? whose? what?" "They won't
Anna Karenina |
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 Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "Why not?" asked the boy, drawing back.
"Because those monkeys are to be our army--the army which will
conquer Oz," said the Nome. "Sit down here with me, Kiki, and keep
quiet, and I will explain to you my plan."
Now, neither Kiki Aru nor Ruggedo had noticed that a sly Fox had
followed them all the way from the tree where the Goose had been
transformed to the Li-Mon-Eag. Indeed, this Fox, who was none other
than the Wizard of Oz, had witnessed the transformation of the Goose
and now decided he would keep watch on the conspirators and see what
they would do next.
A Fox can move through a forest very softly, without making any
The Magic of Oz |
