| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Walden by Henry David Thoreau: and then, following blindly the principles of a division of labor to
its extreme -- a principle which should never be followed but with
circumspection -- to call in a contractor who makes this a subject
of speculation, and he employs Irishmen or other operatives actually
to lay the foundations, while the students that are to be are said
to be fitting themselves for it; and for these oversights successive
generations have to pay. I think that it would be better than this,
for the students, or those who desire to be benefited by it, even to
lay the foundation themselves. The student who secures his coveted
leisure and retirement by systematically shirking any labor
necessary to man obtains but an ignoble and unprofitable leisure,
Walden |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: keen to come together in the fight. Cliges strikes him so that
he crushes the shield against his arm, and the arm against his
body, whereupon Sagremor falls full length. Cliges goes
unerringly and bids him declare himself his prisoner, which
Sagremor does at once. Now the tourney is fairly begun, and
adversaries meet in rivalry. Cliges rushes about the field,
seeking adversaries with whom to joust, but not a knight presents
himself whom he does not cast down or take prisoner. He excels
in glory, all the knights on either side, for wherever he goes to
battle, there the fight is quickly ended. That man may be
considered brave who holds his ground to joust with him, for it
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The People That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs: charge ferociously upon me, and but for my third shot would
doubtless have slain me before it finally expired--or as Bowen
Tyler so quaintly puts it, before it knew that it was dead.
With the panther quite evidently conscious of the fact that
dissolution had overtaken it, I turned toward the girl, who was
regarding me with evident admiration and not a little awe,
though I must admit that my rifle claimed quite as much of her
attention as did I. She was quite the most wonderful animal
that I have ever looked upon, and what few of her charms her
apparel hid, it quite effectively succeeded in accentuating.
A bit of soft, undressed leather was caught over her left
The People That Time Forgot |
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 Lady Susan by Jane Austen: chance of obtaining her sister-in-law's consent to it. Her anxiety on the
subject made her press for an early visit to London; and Mr. Vernon, who,
as it must already have appeared, lived only to do whatever he was desired,
soon found some accommodating business to call him thither. With a heart
full of the matter, Mrs. Vernon waited on Lady Susan shortly after her
arrival in town, and was met with such an easy and cheerful affection, as
made her almost turn from her with horror. No remembrance of Reginald, no
consciousness of guilt, gave one look of embarrassment; she was in
excellent spirits, and seemed eager to show at once by ever possible
attention to her brother and sister her sense of their kindness, and her
pleasure in their society. Frederica was no more altered than Lady Susan;
Lady Susan |
