| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Flame and Shadow by Sara Teasdale: From the immense blue circle of the sea,
And the soft thunder where long waves whiten --
These were the same for Sappho as for me.
Two thousand years -- much has gone by forever,
Change takes the gods and ships and speech of men --
But here on the beaches that time passes over
The heart aches now as then.
June Night
Oh Earth, you are too dear to-night,
How can I sleep while all around
Floats rainy fragrance and the far
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: from where they are made. The King of the Sound Imps had an anxious
and careworn face, for most people have no consideration for his Imps
and, especially the boys and girls, make a great many unnecessary sounds
which the Imps are obliged to carry when they might be better employed.
The next in the circle of immortals was the King of the Wind Demons,
slender of frame, restless and uneasy at being confined to one place
for even an hour. Once in a while he would leave his place and circle
around the glade, and each time he did this the Fairy Queen was
obliged to untangle the flowing locks of her golden hair and tuck
them back of her pink ears. But she did not complain, for it was not
often that the King of the Wind Demons came into the heart of the
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: He had brought his telescope down from the observatory into
the common hall, and there at frequent intervals, by night
and by day, he would endeavor to continue his observations;
but the intense cold perpetually compelled him to desist,
or he would literally have been frozen to death.
No sooner, however, did he find himself obliged to retreat
from his study of the heavens, than he would begin overwhelming
everybody about him with bitter complaints, pouring out his
regrets that he had ever quitted his quarters at Formentera.
On the 4th of January, by persevering industry, the process
of boring was completed, and the lieutenant could hear that
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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 Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs: readiness for the attack of an enemy, but a moment later he
recognized me, and was coming rapidly to meet us. Behind
him was Snider. They both were astounded to see me upon the
north bank of the river, and much more so at the sight of my
companion.
Then I introduced them to Victory, and told them that she
was queen of England. They thought, at first, that I was
joking. But when I had recounted my adventures and they
realized that I was in earnest, they believed me.
They told me that they had followed me inshore when I had
not returned from the hunt, that they had met the men of the
Lost Continent |
