| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce: through the air to the fort and died in an explosion which
stirred the very river to its deeps! A rising sheet of water
curved over him, fell down upon him, blinded him, strangled
him! The cannon had taken an hand in the game. As he shook
his head free from the commotion of the smitten water he
heard the deflected shot humming through the air ahead, and
in an instant it was cracking and smashing the branches in
the forest beyond.
"They will not do that again," he thought; "the next time
they will use a charge of grape. I must keep my eye upon
the gun; the smoke will apprise me -- the report arrives too
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: Instead of looking for the meaning of these speeches, Etienne made a
jest of them at Malaga's, whither he went with his father-in-law
elect; for the notary and the journalist were the best of friends.
Lousteau had already given himself the airs of a person of importance;
his life at last was to have a purpose; he was in luck's way, and in a
few days would be the owner of a delightful little house in the Rue
Saint-Lazare; he was going to be married to a charming woman, he would
have about twenty thousand francs a year, and could give the reins to
his ambition; the young lady loved him, and he would be connected with
several respectable families. In short, he was in full sail on the
blue waters of hope.
The Muse of the Department |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: He led the way past the mill to the shallows below.
"There's a trifle of wading to do," he announced. Bring down two
logs--fairly big--and hold them by that old snag," he ordered.
"Whoa-up! Easy! Hold them end on--no, pointing up stream--fix 'em
about ten foot apart--that's it! George, drive a couple of stakes
each side of them to hold 'em. Correct! Now, run down a couple
dozen more and pile them across those two--side on to the stream, of
course. Roll 'em up--that's the ticket!"
Orde had been splashing about in the shallow water, showing where
each timber was to be placed. He drew back, eyeing the result with
satisfaction. It looked rather like a small and bristly pier.
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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 Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: fuller, to be clean'd and whitened:--but that the inferior people, to avoid
that expence, generally wore brown clothes, and of a something coarser
texture,--till towards the beginning of Augustus's reign, when the slave
dressed like his master, and almost every distinction of habiliment was
lost, but the Latus Clavus.
And what was the Latus Clavus? said my father.
Rubenius told him, that the point was still litigating amongst the
learned:--That Egnatius, Sigonius, Bossius Ticinensis, Bayfius Budaeus,
Salmasius, Lipsius, Lazius, Isaac Casaubon, and Joseph Scaliger, all
differed from each other,--and he from them: That some took it to be the
button,--some the coat itself,--others only the colour of it;--That the
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