| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Common Sense by Thomas Paine: of a man of honor, and is the true characteristic of a narrow heart
and a peddling politician.
The debt we may contract doth not deserve our regard, if the work
be but accomplished. No nation ought to be without a debt.
A national debt is a national bond; and when it bears no interest,
is in no case a grievance. Britain is oppressed with a debt of upwards
of one hundred and forty millions sterling, for which she pays upwards
of four millions interest. And as a compensation for her debt,
she has a large navy; America is without a debt, and without a navy;
yet for the twentieth part of the English national debt,
could have a navy as large again. The navy of England is not worth,
Common Sense |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Case of the Golden Bullet by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: "The ring, the ring on your watch chain," murmured Muller.
"It belonged to my dead wife. I have worn it since she left me,"
answered the unhappy man with the same iron calm with which he had,
all these past days, been emphasizing his love for the woman he
had lost. Yet the question touched him unpleasantly and he looked
more sharply at the strange man over in the corner. He saw the
latter's face turn pale and a shiver run through his form. A
feeling of sympathy came over Kniepp and he asked warmly: "Won't
you take a glass of this wine? If you have been out in the cold
it will be good for you." His tone was gentle, almost cordial,
but the man to whom he offered the refreshment turned from him with
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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 The Mucker by Edgar Rice Burroughs: erstwhile crony had he suddenly appeared in their midst in
the alley back of the feed-store on Grand Avenue.
With the new life Billy found himself taking on a new
character. He surprised himself singing at his work--he
whose whole life up to now bad been devoted to dodging
honest labor--whose motto bad been: The world owes me
a living, and it's up to me to collect it. Also, he was
surprised to discover that he liked to work, that he took keen
pride in striving to outdo the men who worked with him, and
this spirit, despite the suspicion which the captain entertained
of Billy since the episode of the forecastle, went far
The Mucker |
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 Myths and Myth-Makers by John Fiske: entered the world than he begins to outwit other people and
get possession of their property. He works bitter ruin for the
cannibals, who, with all their strength and fleetness, are no
better endowed with quick wit than the Trolls, whom Boots
invariably victimizes. On one of his journeys, Uthlakanyana
fell in with a cannibal. Their greetings were cordial enough,
and they ate a bit of leopard together, and began to build a
house, and killed a couple of cows, but the cannibal's cow was
lean, while Uthlakanyana's was fat. Then the crafty traveller,
fearing that his companion might insist upon having the fat
cow, turned and said, " 'Let the house be thatched now then we
Myths and Myth-Makers |
