| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from American Notes by Rudyard Kipling: wise, quoth he--anybody could see that with half an eye;
sagacious, versed in the ways of the world, an acquaintance to be
desired; one who had tasted the cup of life with discretion.
All this pleased me, and in a measure numbed the suspicion that
was thoroughly aroused. Eventually the blue-eyed one discovered,
nay, insisted, that I had a taste for cards (this was clumsily
worked in, but it was my fault, for in that I met him half-way
and allowed him no chance of good acting). Hereupon I laid my
head upon one side and simulated unholy wisdom, quoting odds and
ends of poker talk, all ludicrously misapplied. My friend kept
his countenance admirably, and well he might, for five minutes
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard: The door was unbarred. In the shadow of the wall stood Umslopogaas,
his axe raised above his head to strike. Just then the moon
came out. There was a moment's pause, and then in stalked a
Masai Elmoran, clad in the full war panoply that I have already
described, but bearing a large basket in his hand. The moonlight
shone bright upon his great spear as he walked. He was physically
a splendid man, apparently about thirty-five years of age. Indeed,
none of the Masai that I saw were under six feet high, though
mostly quite young. When he got opposite to us he halted, put
down the basket, and stuck the spike of his spear into the ground,
so that it stood upright.
Allan Quatermain |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart: tired, and Lucy, going in at nine o'clock, found him dozing in his
chair, his collar half choking him and his face deeply suffused.
She wakened him and then, sitting down across from him, joined him
in the vigil that was to last until they heard the car outside.
She had brought in her sewing, and David pretended to read. Now
and then he looked at his watch.
At midnight they heard the car go in, and the slamming of the
stable door, followed by Dick's footsteps on the walk outside.
Lucy was very pale, and the hands that held her sewing twitched
nervously. Suddenly she stood up and put a hand on David's shoulder.
Dick was whistling on the kitchen porch.
The Breaking Point |
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 Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: be seen drifting towards the West. Nothing was to be
dreaded from these, since they could not drift into the
Angara, having already passed the mouth; but pieces from
the Eastern end of the lake might be drawn by the current
between the banks of the river; this would cause difficulty,
possibly delay, and perhaps even an insurmountable obstacle
which would stop the raft.
Michael therefore took immense interest in ascertaining
what was the state of the lake, and whether any large num-
ber of ice blocks appeared. Nadia being now awake, he
questioned her often, and she gave him an account of all
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