| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Rinkitink In Oz by L. Frank Baum: "We have searched for you everywhere, sire, and all
the people of Gilgad have been in despair since you so
mysteriously disappeared. We could not appoint a new
King, because we did not know but that you still lived;
so we set out to find you, dead or alive. After
visiting many islands of the Nonestic Ocean we at last
thought of Pingaree, from where come the precious
pearls; and now our faithful quest has been rewarded."
"And what now?" asked Rinkitink.
"Now, Your Majesty, you must come home with us, like
a good and dutiful King, and rule over your people,"
Rinkitink In Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: none other than the Romans were acknowledged.
When these things are remembered no one will marvel at the ease with
which Alexander held the Empire of Asia, or at the difficulties which
others have had to keep an acquisition, such as Pyrrhus and many more;
this is not occasioned by the little or abundance of ability in the
conqueror, but by the want of uniformity in the subject state.
CHAPTER V
CONCERNING THE WAY TO GOVERN CITIES OR PRINCIPALITIES WHICH
LIVED UNDER THEIR OWN LAWS BEFORE THEY WERE ANNEXED
Whenever those states which have been acquired as stated have been
accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom, there are
The Prince |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy: those in which a man's fate is decided,--as mine was decided in
that moment,--why in these events is there neither a past nor a
future? My relations with Troukhatchevsky the first day, at the
first hour, were such as they might still have been after all
that has happened. I was conscious that some frightful
misfortune must result from the presence of this man, and, in
spite of that, I could not help being amiable to him. I
introduced him to my wife. She was pleased with him. In the
beginning, I suppose, because of the pleasure of the violin
playing, which she adored. She had even hired for that purpose a
violinist from the theatre. But when she cast a glance at me,
The Kreutzer Sonata |
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 Dracula by Bram Stoker: my friends, we have a duty here to do. We must sterilize this earth,
so sacred of holy memories, that he has brought from a far distant land
for such fell use. He has chosen this earth because it has been holy.
Thus we defeat him with his own weapon, for we make it more holy still.
It was sanctified to such use of man, now we sanctify it to God."
As he spoke he took from his bag a screwdriver and a wrench,
and very soon the top of one of the cases was thrown open.
The earth smelled musty and close, but we did not somehow seem
to mind, for our attention was concentrated on the Professor.
Taking from his box a piece of the Scared Wafer he laid it
reverently on the earth, and then shutting down the lid began
Dracula |
