The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce: in order to be near my worshippers when they are driven from among
their fellows. They all come, sooner or later."
"Well," said the Man, looking about, "the country doesn't seem to
be very thickly settled here."
The Wolf and the Lamb
A LAMB, pursued by a Wolf, fled into the temple.
"The priest will catch you and sacrifice you," said the Wolf, "if
you remain there."
"It is just as well to be sacrificed by the priest as to be eaten
by you," said the Lamb.
"My friend," said the Wolf, "it pains me to see you considering so
 Fantastic Fables |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Research Magnificent by H. G. Wells: cattle, that White's confidence in their friend was partially
restored. . . .
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"Fear, the First Limitation"--his title indicated the spirit of
Benham's opening book very clearly. His struggle with fear was the
very beginning of his soul's history. It continued to the end. He
had hardly decided to lead the noble life before he came bump
against the fact that he was a physical coward. He felt fear
acutely. "Fear," he wrote, "is the foremost and most persistent of
the shepherding powers that keep us in the safe fold, that drive us
back to the beaten track and comfort and--futility. The beginning
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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 Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: of his companion.
'He is immense,' said Somerset.
Just then the door of the divan was opened, and a third young
fellow made his appearance, and rather bashfully requested
some tobacco. He was younger than the others; and, in a
somewhat meaningless and altogether English way, he was a
handsome lad. When he had been served, and had lighted his
pipe and taken his place upon the sofa, he recalled himself
to Challoner by the name of Desborough.
'Desborough, to be sure,' cried Challoner. 'Well,
Desborough, and what do you do?'
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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 Dream Life and Real Life by Olive Schreiner: head. She sang aloud. All the songs she knew were sad, so she could not
sing them now, she was glad, she was so free; but she sang the notes
without the words, as the cock-o-veets do. Singing and jumping all the
way, she went back, and took a sharp stone, and cut at the root of a
kippersol, and got out a large piece, as long as her arm, and sat to chew
it. Two conies came out on the rock above her head and peeped at her. She
held them out a piece, but they did not want it, and ran away.
It was very delicious to her. Kippersol is like raw quince, when it is
very green; but she liked it. When good food is thrown at you by other
people, strange to say, it is very bitter; but whatever you find yourself
is sweet!
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