| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: "The woman was Passuk. I got her in fair trade from her people,
who were of the Coast and whose Chilcat totem stood at the head of
a salt arm of the sea. My heart did not go out to the woman, nor
did I take stock of her looks. For she scarce took her eyes from
the ground, and she was timid and afraid, as girls will be when
cast into a stranger's arms whom they have never seen before. As
I say, there was no place in my heart for her to creep, for I had
a great journey in mind, and stood in need of one to feed my dogs
and to lift a paddle with me through the long river days. One
blanket would cover the twain; so I chose Passuk.
"Have I not said I was a servant to the Government? If not, it is
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: other Bideford ships have been right busy for two hours, knocking
holes in a huge galleon, which carries on her poop a maiden with a
wheel, and bears the name of Sta. Catharina. She had a coat of
arms on the flag at her sprit, probably those of the commandant of
soldiers; but they were shot away early in the fight, so Amyas
cannot tell whether they were De Soto' s or not. Nevertheless,
there is plenty of time for private revenge; and Amyas, called off
at last by the admiral's signal, goes to bed and sleeps soundly.
But ere he has been in his hammock an hour, he is awakened by
Cary's coming down to ask for orders.
"We were to follow Drake's lantern, Amyas; but where it is, I can't
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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 Burning Daylight by Jack London: women in this world that make their living in similar fashion to
yours, because they're not able to do anything better.
Somebody's got to do the dirty work, and it might as well be you.
You're paid for it, and you ain't got the backbone to rustle
cleaner jobs."
The socialist press of the city jubilantly exploited this
utterance, scattering it broadcast over San Francisco in tens of
thousands of paper dodgers. And the journalists, stung to the
quick, retaliated with the only means in their power-printer's
ink abuse. The attack became bitterer than ever. The whole
affair sank to the deeper deeps of rancor and savageness. The
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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 Ann Veronica by H. G. Wells: Peter?' I asked. He was standing up with the telegram crumpled
in his hand. He used a most awful word! Then he said, 'It's Ann
Veronica gone to join her sister!' 'Gone!' I said. 'Gone!' he
said. 'Read that,' and threw the telegram at me, so that it went
into the tureen. He swore when I tried to get it out with the
ladle, and told me what it said. Then he sat down again in a
chair and said that people who wrote novels ought to be strung
up. It was as much as I could do to prevent him flying out of
the house there and then and coming after you. Never since I was
a girl have I seen your father so moved. 'Oh! little Vee!' he
cried, 'little Vee!' and put his face between his hands and sat
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