| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: amongst them, but the rest are struck all of a heap. Not
to-night. Give them time to get steady a bit if you want them to
fight."
He gave facts and opinions with a mixture of loyalty and
mistrust. His own state puzzled him exceedingly. He couldn't make
out anything, he did not know what to believe and yet he had an
impulsive desire, an inspired desire to help the man. At times it
appeared a necessity --at others policy; between whiles a great
folly, which perhaps did not matter because he suspected himself
of being helpless anyway. Then he had moments of anger. In those
moments he would feel in his pocket the butt of a loaded pistol.
The Rescue |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Complete Poems of Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: And nevermore, on sea or shore,
Should Sir Humphrey see the light.
He sat upon the deck,
The Book was in his hand
"Do not fear! Heaven is as near,"
He said, "by water as by land!"
In the first watch of the night,
Without a signal's sound,
Out of the sea, mysteriously,
The fleet of Death rose all around.
The moon and the evening star
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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 The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: He knew what he was talking of; for he had been born under
Kala Nag's shadow, had played with the end of his trunk before he
could walk, had taken him down to water as soon as he could walk,
and Kala Nag would no more have dreamed of disobeying his shrill
little orders than he would have dreamed of killing him on that
day when Big Toomai carried the little brown baby under Kala Nag's
tusks, and told him to salute his master that was to be.
"Yes," said Little Toomai, "he is afraid of me," and he took
long strides up to Kala Nag, called him a fat old pig, and made
him lift up his feet one after the other.
"Wah!" said Little Toomai, "thou art a big elephant," and he
The Jungle Book |
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 Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: Lowland troops under their command, they kept the southern side
of the Grampian ridge, moving along eastward into the county of
Angus, resolving from thence to proceed into Aberdeenshire, in
order to intercept Montrose, if he should attempt to escape in
that direction.
Argyle, with his own levies and other troops, undertook to follow
Montrose's march; so that, in case he should come to action
either with Seaforth, or with Baillie and Urrie, he might be
placed between two fires by this third army, which, at a secure
distance, was to hang upon his rear.
For this purpose, Argyle once more moved towards Inverary, having
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