| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: them; till the mountain blew up, and destroyed them miserably.
Then I think that they ought to have expected an earthquake.
Well--it is not for us to judge any one, especially if they live
in a part of the world in which we have not been ourselves. But I
think that we know, and that they ought to have known, enough
about earthquakes to have been more prudent than they have been
for many a year. At least we will hope that, though they would
not learn their lesson till this year, they will learn it now, and
will listen to the message which I think Madam How has brought
them, spoken in a voice of thunder, and written in letters of
flame.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Alexandria and her Schools by Charles Kingsley: They were clothed with hair garments, they knew not good from evil, and
made no distinction between that which was lawful and unlawful. Such
was our state; but God in his mercy has sent us, by a holy prophet, a
sacred volume, which teaches us the true faith."
These words, I think, show us the secret of Islam. They are a just
comment on that short and rugged chapter of the Koran which is said to
have been Mohammed's first attempt either at prophecy or writing; when,
after long fasting and meditation among the desert hills, under the
glorious eastern stars, he came down and told his good Kadijah that he
had found a great thing, and that she must help him to write it down.
And what was this which seemed to the unlettered camel-driver so
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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 Arizona Nights by Stewart Edward White: Glass Brand, or a half dozen others. The Soda Springs Valley
acquired a reputation for good order.
Senor Johnson at this stage of his career found himself dropping
into a routine. In March began the spring branding, then the
corralling and breaking of the wild horses, the summer
range-riding, the great fall round-up, the shipping of cattle,
and the riding of the winter range. This happened over and over
again.
You and I would not have suffered from ennui. The roping and
throwing and branding, the wild swing and dash of handling stock,
the mad races to head the mustangs, the fierce combats to subdue
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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 Dracula by Bram Stoker: But these are not all, there is to her the silence now often,
as so it was with Miss Lucy. She did not speak, even when she wrote
that which she wished to be known later. Now my fear is this.
If it be that she can, by our hypnotic trance, tell what the Count see
and hear, is it not more true that he who have hypnotize her first,
and who have drink of her very blood and make her drink of his,
should if he will, compel her mind to disclose to him that
which she know?"
I nodded acquiescence. He went on, "Then, what we must do is
to prevent this. We must keep her ignorant of our intent,
and so she cannot tell what she know not. This is a painful task!
Dracula |
