| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Sportsman by Xenophon: he tears along he can interrogate the passer-by: "Hilloa there, have
you seen my hounds?" he shouts, and having at length ascertained their
whereabouts, if they are on the line, he will post himself close by,
and cheer them on, repeating turn and turn about the name of every
hound, and pitching the tone of his voice sharp or deep, soft or loud;
and besides all other familiar calls, if the chase be on a
hillside,[32] he can keep up their spirits with a constant "Well done,
good hounds! well done, good hounds! good hounds!" Or if any are at
fault, having overshot the line, he will call to them, "Back, hounds!
back, will you! try back!"
[32] Or, "if the chase sweeps over a mountain-side."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from At the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs: the agony of that fearful punishment the thag still stood
motionless pinning down his adversary, and then the man
leaped in, seeing that the blind bull would be the least
formidable enemy, and ran his spear through the tarag's heart.
As the animal's fierce clawing ceased, the bull raised
his gory, sightless head, and with a horrid roar ran
headlong across the arena. With great leaps and bounds
he came, straight toward the arena wall directly beneath
where we sat, and then accident carried him, in one
of his mighty springs, completely over the barrier into
the midst of the slaves and Sagoths just in front of us.
At the Earth's Core |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: kingdom was an obscure problem. He was concerned for Lingard's
safety. That the risk was incurred mostly for his sake--so that
the prospects of the great enterprise should not be ruined by a
quarrel over the lives of these whites--did not strike him so
much as may be imagined. There was that in him which made such an
action on Lingard's part appear all but unavoidable. Was he not
Rajah Hassim and was not the other a man of strong heart, of
strong arm, of proud courage, a man great enough to protect
highborn princes--a friend? Immada's words called out a smile
which, like the words, was lost in the darkness. "Forget your
weariness," he said, gently, "lest, O Sister, we should arrive
The Rescue |
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 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: "No," was the answer. "I'm here for disorderly conduct. They were
mad because they couldn't get any evidence.
"What's your name?" the young fellow continued after a pause.
"My name's Duane--Jack Duane. I've more than a dozen, but that's my
company one." He seated himself on the floor with his back to the wall
and his legs crossed, and went on talking easily; he soon put Jurgis
on a friendly footing--he was evidently a man of the world, used to
getting on, and not too proud to hold conversation with a mere
laboring man. He drew Jurgis out, and heard all about his life all
but the one unmentionable thing; and then he told stories about his
own life. He was a great one for stories, not always of the choicest.
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