| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: that she might share my death with me. Then, as the banths were about
to close upon me, she turned and buried her dear face in her arms.
Suddenly my attention was drawn toward Thuvia of Ptarth.
The beautiful girl was leaning far over the edge of the balcony,
her eyes bright with excitement.
In another instant the banths would be upon me, but I could
not force my gaze from the features of the red girl, for I knew
that her expression meant anything but the enjoyment of the grim
tragedy that would so soon be enacted below her; there was some
The Warlord of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: I had done about half the length of the street when I heard a
door closed very softly, and naturally I looked up to see who
was abroad like myself at such an hour. As it happens, there
is a street lamp close to the house in question, and I saw a man
standing on the step. He had just shut the door and his face
was towards me, and I recognized Crashaw directly. I never knew
him to speak to, but I had often seen him, and I am positive
that I was not mistaken in my man. I looked into his face for a
moment, and then--I will confess the truth--I set off at a
good run, and kept it up till I was within my own door."
"Why?"
The Great God Pan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau: In the morning, our breakfasts were put through the hole
in the door, in small oblong-square tin pans, made to fit,
and holding a pint of chocolate, with brown bread, and
an iron spoon. When they called for the vessels again,
I was green enough to return what bread I had left, but my
comrade seized it, and said that I should lay that up for
lunch or dinner. Soon after he was let out to work at
haying in a neighboring field, whither he went every day,
and would not be back till noon; so he bade me good day,
saying that he doubted if he should see me again.
When I came out of prison--for some one interfered, and
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience |
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 A Treatise on Parents and Children by George Bernard Shaw: parties. When they are sitting indoors they cannot endure the same
degrees of temperature and the same supplies of fresh air. Even if
the main factors of noise, restlessness, and inquisitiveness are left
out of account, children can stand with indifference sights, sounds,
smells, and disorders that would make an adult of fifty utterly
miserable; whilst on the other hand such adults find a tranquil
happiness in conditions which to children mean unspeakable boredom.
And since our system is nevertheless to pack them all into the same
house and pretend that they are happy, and that this particular sort
of happiness is the foundation of virtue, it is found that in
discussing family life we never speak of actual adults or actual
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