| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Reason Discourse by Rene Descartes: as soon as two drops of blood have thus passed, one into each of the
cavities, these drops which cannot but be very large, because the orifices
through which they pass are wide, and the vessels from which they come
full of blood, are immediately rarefied, and dilated by the heat they meet
with. In this way they cause the whole heart to expand, and at the same
time press home and shut the five small valves that are at the entrances
of the two vessels from which they flow, and thus prevent any more blood
from coming down into the heart, and becoming more and more rarefied, they
push open the six small valves that are in the orifices of the other two
vessels, through which they pass out, causing in this way all the branches
of the arterial vein and of the grand artery to expand almost
Reason Discourse |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Whirligigs by O. Henry: immediately hale the entire company to the calabosa,
though it would desolate his heart, indeed, to be com-
pelled to such an act. Birds in Macuto could be made
to sing.
The manager abandoned hope for the time of Mlle.
Giraud. A member of the chorus, who had dreamed
hopelessly for years of the blessed opportunity, quickly
Carmenized herself and the opera went on.
Afterward, when the lost cantatrice appeared not, the
aid of the authorities was invoked. The President at
once set the army, the police and all citizens to the search.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx: {Transcribed by allen lutins
with assistance from Jim Tarzia}
A spectre is haunting Europe -- the spectre of Communism.
All the Powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to
exorcise this spectre: Pope and Czar, Metternich and Guizot,
French Radicals and German police-spies.
Where is the party in opposition that has not been decried as
Communistic by its opponents in power? Where the Opposition
that has not hurled back the branding reproach of Communism,
against the more advanced opposition parties, as well as against
its reactionary adversaries?
The Communist Manifesto |
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 Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs: far away from them.
As they travelled they subsisted upon the fruits with
which they had become familiar upon the island of their
creation. They suffered greatly for lack of water,
but finally stumbled upon a small stream at which they
filled their parched stomachs. Here it occurred to Bulan
that it would be wise to follow the little river,
since they could be no more completely lost than
they now were no matter where it should lead them,
and it would at least insure them plenty of fresh water.
As they proceeded down the bank of the stream it grew
The Monster Men |
