| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe: me or any one else, but held on his dismal cries continually.
These things terrified the people to the last degree, and especially
when two or three times, as I have mentioned already, they found one
or two in the bills dead of the plague at St Giles's.
Next to these public things were the dreams of old women, or, I
should say, the interpretation of old women upon other people's
dreams; and these put abundance of people even out of their wits.
Some heard voices warning them to be gone, for that there would be
such a plague in London, so that the living would not be able to bury
the dead. Others saw apparitions in the air; and I must be allowed to
say of both, I hope without breach of charity, that they heard voices
A Journal of the Plague Year |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: As he spoke we saw smoke pouring from a dozen windows
looking out upon the courtyard of the Temple of the Sun,
and far above the highest minaret of Issus hung an
ever-growing pall of smoke.
"Go back! Go back!" I cried to those who had accompanied me.
"The way! Xodar; point the way and leave me.
I shall reach my Princess yet."
"Follow me, John Carter," replied Xodar, and without
waiting for my reply he dashed down into the tunnel at our
feet. At his heels I ran down through a half-dozen tiers of
galleries, until at last he led me along a level floor at the
The Gods of Mars |
