| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum: around the table like race-horses, and turned hand-springs and were so
sprightly and amusing that they kept the company in one roar of merry
laughter. The Wizard had trained these pets to do many curious
things, and they were so little and so cunning and soft that
Polychrome loved to pick them up as they passed near her place and
fondle them as if they were kittens.
It was late when the entertainment ended, and they separated to go to
their rooms.
"To-morrow," said Ozma, "my invited guests will arrive, and you will
find among them some interesting and curious people, I promise you.
The next day will be my birthday, and the festivities will be held on
The Road to Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from An Episode Under the Terror by Honore de Balzac: simple souls is easy to imagine; it produced a temporary imbecility
not natural to them. They could not bring the ideas learned in the
convent into harmony with life and its difficulties; they could not
even understand their own position. They were like children whom
mothers have always cared for, deserted by their maternal providence.
And as a child cries, they betook themselves to prayer. Now, in the
presence of imminent danger, they were mute and passive, knowing no
defence save Christian resignation.
The man at the door, taking silence for consent, presented himself,
and the women shuddered. This was the prowler that had been making
inquiries about them for some time past. But they looked at him with
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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 The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: which he can recover it; he can put himself into the skin of a
registered creditor. By the present legal system relating to
mortgages, when a house is sold at the request of creditors, if the
price obtained for it at auction is not enough to pay all debts, the
owners have the right to bid it in and hold it for a higher sum; now
the notary, seeing himself caught, may back out of the sale in that
way."
"Well," said la Peyrade, "it needs attention."
"Very good," replied Dutocq, "we'll go and see Cerizet."
These words, "go and see Cerizet," were overheard by Minard, who was
following the two associates; but they offered no meaning to his mind.
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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 Faraday as a Discoverer by John Tyndall: from the magnetic axis, and found that the rarefaction, or the
condensation of the gas in either of the bulbs had not the slightest
influence. When the magnetic force was developed, the bulbs
remained in their first position, even when one was filled with
nitrogen, and the other as far as possible exhausted. Nitrogen,
in fact, acted 'like space itself'; it was neither magnetic nor
diamagnetic.
He cannot conveniently compare the paramagnetic force of oxygen with
iron, in consequence of the exceeding magnetic intensity of the
latter substance; but he does compare it with the sulphate of iron,
and finds that, bulk for bulk, oxygen is equally magnetic with a
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