| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: and rightly, that the place would be guarded. Several men in
civilian metal loitered near the front entrance and in the
rear were others. My only means of reaching, unseen, the
upper story where our apartments were situated was through
an adjoining building, and after considerable maneuvering I
managed to attain the roof of a shop several doors away.
Leaping from roof to roof, I soon reached an open window
in the building where I hoped to find the Heliumite, and in
another moment I stood in the room before him. He was
alone and showed no surprise at my coming, saying he had
expected me much earlier, as my tour of duty must have
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: by. He did not see a living thing in the water, not a crawfish, turtle, nor
even a frog. He peered round closely, then flipped in one of the bugs he had
brought along. A shiny yellow fish flared up from the depths of the deep hole
and disappeared with the cricket; but it was a bass or a pike, not a trout.
Wetzel had said there were a few trout living near the cool springs of these
streams. The lad tried again to coax one to the surface. This time the more
fortunate cricket swam and hopped across the stream to safety.
When Joe's eyes were thoroughly accustomed to the clear water, with its
deceiving lights and shades, he saw a fish lying snug under the side of a
stone. The lad thought he recognized the snub-nose, the hooked, wolfish jaw,
but he could not get sufficient of a view to classify him. He crawled to a
The Spirit of the Border |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Reason Discourse by Rene Descartes: I should doubtless have much to rob me of it, were I to publish the
principles of my physics: for although they are almost all so evident that
to assent to them no more is needed than simply to understand them, and
although there is not one of them of which I do not expect to be able to
give demonstration, yet, as it is impossible that they can be in
accordance with all the diverse opinions of others, I foresee that I
should frequently be turned aside from my grand design, on occasion of the
opposition which they would be sure to awaken.
It may be said, that these oppositions would be useful both in making me
aware of my errors, and, if my speculations contain anything of value, in
bringing others to a fuller understanding of it; and still farther, as
Reason Discourse |
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 Princess by Alfred Tennyson: choked, and her forehead sank upon her hands,
And her great heart through all the faultful Past
Went sorrowing in a pause I dared not break;
Till notice of a change in the dark world
Was lispt about the acacias, and a bird,
That early woke to feed her little ones,
Sent from a dewy breast a cry for light:
She moved, and at her feet the volume fell.
'Blame not thyself too much,' I said, 'nor blame
Too much the sons of men and barbarous laws;
These were the rough ways of the world till now.
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