| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from 1984 by George Orwell: The lane widened, and in a minute he came to the footpath she had told him
of, a mere cattle-track which plunged between the bushes. He had no watch,
but it could not be fifteen yet. The bluebells were so thick underfoot
that it was impossible not to tread on them. He knelt down and began
picking some partly to pass the time away, but also from a vague idea that
he would like to have a bunch of flowers to offer to the girl when they
met. He had got together a big bunch and was smelling their faint sickly
scent when a sound at his back froze him, the unmistakable crackle of a
foot on twigs. He went on picking bluebells. It was the best thing to do.
It might be the girl, or he might have been followed after all. To look
round was to show guilt. He picked another and another. A hand fell
1984 |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: idle word. I shan't say anything about it, so no one, except you
and me, will ever know; and even if I cannot ever forget, I shall
come to forgive it in years to come."
"Time will heal the wound, brother. Till then, where's the
jig-saw?"
"An evil beast hath devoured it. It is, without doubt, rent in
pieces."
"In which case I shall prefer a bill of indictment against you as
accessory for mutilation next autumn assize. I warn you."
"Thanks! I shall see you at dinner, shan't I? Not that I want
to, but I just shall."
The Brother of Daphne |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum: of Oz; but each country has another little ruler, not so big as Ozma.
It's like the officers of an army, you see; the little rulers are all
captains, and Ozma's the general."
By this time they had reached the trees, which stood in a perfect
circle and just far enough apart so that their thick branches
touched--or "shook hands," as Button-Bright remarked. Under the shade
of the trees they found, in the center of the circle, a crystal pool,
its water as still as glass. It must have been deep, too, for when
Polychrome bent over it she gave a little sigh of pleasure.
"Why, it's a mirror!" she cried; for she could see all her pretty
face and fluffy, rainbow-tinted gown reflected in the pool,
The Road to Oz |
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 Cavalry General by Xenophon: their own and little leisure for offensive operations.
But over and beyond all that can be written on the subject--
inventiveness is a personal matter, beyond all formulas--the true
general must be able to take in, deceive, decoy, delude his adversary
at every turn, as the particular occasion demands. In fact, there is
no instrument of war more cunning than chicanery;[6] which is not
surprising when one reflects that even little boys, when playing, "How
many (marbles) have I got in my hand?"[7] are able to take one another
in successfully. Out goes a clenched fist, but with such cunning that
he who holds a few is thought to hold several; or he may present
several and appear to be holding only a few. Is it likely that a grown
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