| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Theaetetus by Plato: SOCRATES: When, therefore, perception is present to one of the seals or
impressions but not to the other, and the mind fits the seal of the absent
perception on the one which is present, in any case of this sort the mind
is deceived; in a word, if our view is sound, there can be no error or
deception about things which a man does not know and has never perceived,
but only in things which are known and perceived; in these alone opinion
turns and twists about, and becomes alternately true and false;--true when
the seals and impressions of sense meet straight and opposite--false when
they go awry and crooked.
THEAETETUS: And is not that, Socrates, nobly said?
SOCRATES: Nobly! yes; but wait a little and hear the explanation, and then
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Desert Gold by Zane Grey: far as Casita. There are no cavalrymen along the line beyond
Casita, and there can't be. It's practically waterless desert. But
these rebels are desert men. They could cross the line beyond the
Rio Forlorn and smuggle arms into Mexico. Of course, my job is to
keep tab on Chinese and Japs trying to get into the U.S. from
Magdalena Bay. But I'm supposed to patrol the border line. I'm
going to hire some rangers. Now, I'm not so afraid of being shot
up, though out in this lonely place there's danger of it; what I'm
afraid of most is losing that bunch of horses. If any rebels come
this far, or if they ever hear of my horses, they're going to raid
me. You know what those guerrilla Mexicans will do for horses.
 Desert Gold |