| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum: showed their ugly yellow fangs.
The woman now raised her arms, even as the man-bear had done, and in
a twinkling the wolves became crawling lizards, while she herself
changed into a huge butterfly.
Guph had only time to cry out in fear and take a step backward to
avoid the lizards when another transformation occurred, and all
returned instantly to the forms they had originally worn.
Then the First and Foremost, who had resumed his hairy body and
bear head, turned to the Nome and asked
"Do you still demand our assistance?"
"More than ever," answered the General, firmly.
The Emerald City of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Market-Place by Harold Frederic: There were even now whole minutes to wait before Lord
Plowden appeared. He came down the stairs then with
the brisk, rather impatient air of a busy man whose plans
are embarrassed by the unpunctuality of others. He was
fully attired, hob-nailed shoes, leggings, leather coat
and cap, gloves, scarf round his throat and all--and he
behaved as if there was not a minute to lose. He had barely
time to shake perfunctorily the hand Thorpe offered him,
and utter an absent-minded "How are you this morning?"
To the valet, who hurried forward to open the outer door,
bearing his master's gun and a camp-stool, he said reproachfully,
The Market-Place |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: "An' it's a pretty mess as you'll make o' this 'ere cabin floor."
Cardegee was fighting for time. "Now, look 'ere, I'll tell you
wot we do; we'll lay our 'eads 'longside an' reason together.
You've lost some dust. You say as 'ow I know, an' I say as 'ow I
don't. Let's get a hobservation an' shape a course--"
"Vast heavin'!" Kent dashed in, maliciously imitating the other's
enunciation. "I'm going to shape all the courses of this shebang,
and you observe; and if you do anything more, I'll bore you as
sure as Moses!"
"For the sake of my mother--"
"Whom God have mercy upon if she loves you. Ah! Would you?" He
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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 Soul of a Bishop by H. G. Wells: super-sensuous.
(And nevertheless and all the time it seemed that very faintly
he was still in his room.)
It was he who was the first to speak. The great Angel whom he
felt rather than saw seemed to be waiting for him to speak.
"I have come," he said, "because once more I desire to see
God."
"But you have seen God."
"I saw God. God was light, God was truth. And I went back to my
life, and God was hidden. God seemed to call me. He called. I
heard him, I sought him and I touched his hand. When I went back
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