| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Witch, et. al by Anton Chekhov: were uneasy and did not sleep all night. Rodion did not sleep
either.
"It's a bad business," he said, sighing and turning from side to
side. "The gentleman will be angry, and then there will be
trouble. . . . They have insulted the gentleman. . . . Oh,
they've insulted him. It's a bad business. . ."
It happened that the peasants, Rodion amongst them, went into
their forest to divide the clearings for mowing, and as they were
returning home they were met by the engineer. He was wearing a
red cotton shirt and high boots; a setter dog with its long
tongue hanging out, followed behind him.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Reason Discourse by Rene Descartes: respecting the substance, the situation, the motions, and all the
different qualities of these heavens and stars; so that I thought I had
said enough respecting them to show that there is nothing observable in
the heavens or stars of our system that must not, or at least may not
appear precisely alike in those of the system which I described. I came
next to speak of the earth in particular, and to show how, even though I
had expressly supposed that God had given no weight to the matter of which
it is composed, this should not prevent all its parts from tending exactly
to its center; how with water and air on its surface, the disposition of
the heavens and heavenly bodies, more especially of the moon, must cause a
flow and ebb, like in all its circumstances to that observed in our seas,
Reason Discourse |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: clearing, where we will be completely hidden, and where our horses
may find pasture. Then, as soon as it is dark, we will go down to the
beach, at the edge of the rocks which shut in the mouth of the creek.
Thus if the 'Terror' is still there, we shall stand between her and
escape."
Eager as we all were for action, it was evidently best to do as Wells
suggested and wait for night. The intervening time could well be
occupied as he said. Leading the horses by the bridle, while they
dragged the empty carriage, we proceeded through the heavy woods. The
tall pines, the stalwart oaks, the cypress scattered here and there,
made the evening darker overhead. Beneath our feet spread a carpet of
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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 King James Bible: living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that
creepeth upon the earth:
LEV 11:47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and
between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.
LEV 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
LEV 12:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have
conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven
days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall
she be unclean.
LEV 12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be
circumcised.
King James Bible |
