| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from 1492 by Mary Johntson: Christ!''
And whether they thought that ``Christ'' was the beads
and the bell, or whether the bowman in him did send over
good will and make it to enter their hearts, or whether it
was somewhat of both, they did suddenly grow friendly.
Whereupon we landed.
Gold! We took much gold from this place. One of our
men, touched by the sun, sat and babbled. ``Oh, the faithful
golden coast! Oh, the gold that is to come! Great
golden ships sailing across blue sea! A hundred--no, a
thousand--what do I say? A million Indians with baskets
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: without dragging it after him; and he must go fast or slow,
just as his driver wishes. He must never start at what he sees,
nor speak to other horses, nor bite, nor kick, nor have any will of his own;
but always do his master's will, even though he may be very tired or hungry;
but the worst of all is, when his harness is once on,
he may neither jump for joy nor lie down for weariness.
So you see this breaking in is a great thing.
I had of course long been used to a halter and a headstall,
and to be led about in the fields and lanes quietly,
but now I was to have a bit and bridle; my master gave me some oats as usual,
and after a good deal of coaxing he got the bit into my mouth,
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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 Mother by Owen Wister: It's not his own income he's nursing, and so he doesn't care how small he
makes it, provided only that his investments would be always called safe.
Now there are ways of being safe without spending any trouble or time
upon it; and those are the ways a trustee will take. For example,' and
here he arose and unhooking a file of current quotations from the wall,
placed it in my lap as I sat beside him. 'now here are Government three's
selling at 108 3-8. They are as safe as the United States; and if I
advised you to buy them, it would cost me no thought, and my character
for safety would run no risk of a blemish. That is the sort of bond that
a trustee recommends. But see what income it gives you. Roughly speaking,
about twenty-eight thousand dollars.'"
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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 The Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: spends his nights by their pillow, wearing himself to death to spare
them the slightest loss of beauty in any part; he succeeds, he keeps
their secret like the dead; they send to ask for his bill, and think
it horribly exorbitant. Who saved them? Nature. Far from recommending
him, they speak ill of him, fearing lest he should become the
physician of their best friends.
"My dear fellow, those women of whom you say, 'They are angels!' I--
I--have seen stripped of the little grimaces under which they hide
their soul, as well as of the frippery under which they disguise their
defects--without manners and without stays; they are not beautiful.
"We saw a great deal of mud, a great deal of dirt, under the waters of
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