| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson: deserted mine. He was a handy, thrifty fellow, and looked
right and left for plunder, but all he could lay his hands on
was a can of oil. After dark he had to see to the horses
with a lantern; and not to miss an opportunity, filled up his
lamp from the oil can. Thus equipped, he set forth into the
forest. A little while after, his friends heard a loud
explosion; the mountain echoes bellowed, and then all was
still. On examination, the can proved to contain oil, with
the trifling addition of nitro-glycerine; but no research
disclosed a trace of either man or lantern.
It was a pretty sight, after this anecdote, to see us
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from U. S. Project Trinity Report by Carl Maag and Steve Rohrer: Operation PLUMBBOB, the series of atmospheric nuclear weapons tests
conducted in 1957. Since that initial report by the Centers for
Disease Control, the Veterans Administration has received a number of
claims for medical benefits from former military personnel who believe
their health may have been affected by their participation in the
weapons testing program.
** The Centers for Disease Control are part of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (formerly the U.S. Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare).
In late 1977, DOD began a study to provide data to both the Centers
for Disease Control and the Veterans Administration on potential
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: "Cow, cow, cow!" cried Cadmus. "Hey, Brindle, hey! Stop, my
good cow!"
He wanted to come up with the cow, so as to examine her, and
see if she would appear to know him, or whether there were any
peculiarities to distinguish her from a thousand other cows,
whose only business is to fill the milk-pail, and sometimes
kick it over. But still the brindled cow trudged on, whisking
her tail to keep the flies away, and taking as little notice of
Cadmus as she well could. If he walked slowly, so did the cow,
and seized the opportunity to graze. If he quickened his pace,
the cow went just so much the faster; and once, when Cadmus
Tanglewood Tales |
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 Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy: accustomed to look back upon as the true and only period of merry
England--in the rural districts more especially--and onward down
to the third decade of the nineteenth century, this model had
borne the palm, and had been most usually followed when the
orchards and estates required new ones.
There had been the toothless variety used by the softer-hearted
landlords--quite contemptible in their clemency. The jaws of
these resembled the jaws of an old woman to whom time has left
nothing but gums. There were also the intermediate or half-
toothed sorts, probably devised by the middle-natured squires, or
those under the influence of their wives: two inches of mercy, two
The Woodlanders |
