| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Charmides by Plato: for example as the prophet, who, as I was saying, knows the future. Is it
of him you are speaking or of some one else?
Yes, I mean him, but there are others as well.
Yes, I said, some one who knows the past and present as well as the future,
and is ignorant of nothing. Let us suppose that there is such a person,
and if there is, you will allow that he is the most knowing of all living
men.
Certainly he is.
Yet I should like to know one thing more: which of the different kinds of
knowledge makes him happy? or do all equally make him happy?
Not all equally, he replied.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: Aggie's first words were reassuring. "Awfully sorry to be so
late, dear," she said.
Jimmy felt her kiss upon his chubby cheek and her dear arms about
his neck. He decided forthwith to tell her everything, and
never, never again to run the risk of deceiving her; but before
he could open his lips, she continued gaily:
"I've brought Zoie home with me, dear. There's no sense in her
eating all alone, and she's going to have ALL her dinners with
us." Jimmy groaned. "After dinner," continued Aggie, "you and I
can take her to the theatre and all those places and keep her
cheered until Alfred comes home."
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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 Options by O. Henry: I'll find you, anyhow. I'm going to claim my rights of salvage.'
Then he gave money to the cab-driver and told him to take me where I
wanted to go, and walked away. What is 'salvage,' Hetty?"
"The edge of a piece of goods that ain't hemmed," said the shop-girl.
"You must have looked pretty well frazzled out to the little hero
boy."
"It's been three days," moaned the miniature-painter, "and he hasn't
found me yet."
"Extend the time," said Hetty. "This is a big town. Think of how
many girls he might have to see soaked in water with their hair down
before he would recognize you. The stew's getting on fine--but oh,
Options |
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 Shadow out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft: Naturally, no one paid the least attention to my new wishes -
not even my son, whose concern for my health was obvious.
The
next day I was up and around the camp, but took no part in the
excavations. Seeing that I could not stop the work, I decided
to return home as soon as possible for the sake of my nerves,
and made my son promise to fly me in the plane to Perth - a thousand
miles to the southwest - as soon as he had surveyed the region
I wished let alone.
If, I reflected, the thing I had seen was
still visible, I might decide to attempt a specific warning even
Shadow out of Time |
