| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: again?" he said, scanning his newsuit, obviously cut by a French
tailor. "Ah! I see: a new phase."
Levin suddenly blushed, not as grown men blush, slightly, without
being themselves aware of it, but as boys blush, feeling that
they are ridiculous through their shyness, and consequently
ashamed of it and blushing still more, almost to the point of
tears. And it was so strange to see this sensible, manly face in
such a childish plight, that Oblonsky left off looking at him.
"Oh, where shall we meet? You know I want very much to talk to
you," said Levin.
Oblonsky seemed to ponder.
Anna Karenina |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: to be adopted in order to open the fairest chance of avoiding a fatal
climax to their exposure; the captain persisted that an entirely new abode
must be sought, while the lieutenant was equally bent upon devising
a method of some sort by which their present quarters might be rendered
sufficiently warm. All at once, in the very heat of his argument,
Procope paused; he passed his hand across his eyes, as if to dispel a mist,
and stood, with a fixed gaze centered on a point towards the south.
"What is that?" he said, with a kind of hesitation. "No, I am not mistaken,"
he added; "it is a light on the horizon."
"A light!" exclaimed Servadac; "show me where."
"Look there!" answered the lieutenant, and he kept pointing steadily
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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 War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: altogether quite a considerable crowd--one or two gaily
dressed ladies among the others.
It was glaringly hot, not a cloud in the sky nor a breath
of wind, and the only shadow was that of the few scattered
pine trees. The burning heather had been extinguished, but
the level ground towards Ottershaw was blackened as far as
one could see, and still giving off vertical streamers of
smoke. An enterprising sweet-stuff dealer in the Chobham
Road had sent up his son with a barrow-load of green
apples and ginger beer.
Going to the edge of the pit, I found it occupied by a
War of the Worlds |
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 The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: When at last they separated for the night, Prince Marvel alone did not
seek his bed; there was still some business he wished to transact. So
he shut himself up in his room and summoned before him, by means of
his fairy knowledge, the Prince of the Knooks, the King of the Ryls
and the Governor of the Goblins. These were all three his especial
friends, and he soon told them the story of the quarrel and separation
of the twin High Ki, and claimed their assistance. Then he told them
how they might aid him, and afterward dismissed them. Having thus
accomplished his task, the fairy prince went to bed and slept
peacefully the remainder of the night.
The next morning the blond Ki-Ki and all the army of Twi, which had
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
