| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: these little delicate creatures would have been ground into
powder--or rather into paste. Therefore learned men soon made up
their minds that these things were laid down at the bottom of a
deep sea, so deep that neither wind, nor tide, nor currents could
stir the everlasting calm.
Ah! it is worth thinking over, for it shows how shrewd a giant
Analysis is, and how fast he works in these days, now that he has
got free and well fed;--worth thinking over, I say, how our
notions about these little atomies have changed during the last
forty years.
We used to find them sometimes washed up among the sea-sand on the
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: you do," it said. "Where is he now?"
"Somewhere in the forest," said the Cowardly Lion. "He just jumped
into that tall maple tree over there, for he can climb like a monkey
and fly like an eagle, and then he disappeared in the forest."
"And there was another Magician, just like him, who was his friend,"
added Dorothy, "but they probably quarreled, for the wickedest one
changed his friend into the form of a Goose."
"What became of the Goose?" asked the Cat, looking around.
"He must have gone away to find his friend," answered Gugu the King.
"But a Goose can't travel very fast, so we could easily find him if we
wanted to."
The Magic of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer: flashing past the open window into the gulf of the night.
"The light! The light!" I cried.
Guthrie ran and turned on the light. Nayland Smith, his eyes
starting from his head, his face swollen, lay plucking at a silken
cord which showed tight about his throat.
"It was a Thug!" screamed Guthrie. "Get the rope off! He's choking!"
My hands a-twitch, I seized the strangling-cord.
"A knife! Quick!" I cried. "I have lost mine!"
Guthrie ran to the dressing-table and passed me an open penknife.
I somehow forced the blade between the rope and Smith's swollen neck,
and severed the deadly silken thing.
The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu |
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 Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs: assurance that we were on the right trail, for scarcely
a native we interrogated but had seen or heard of some
of your party. Mixed with the truth they told us were
strange tales of terrible monsters led by a gigantic
white man."
"The imaginings of childish minds," said the professor.
"However, why, my dear lieutenant, did you honor me by
visiting my island?"
The officer hesitated a moment before answering, his
eyes running about over the assembly as though in
search of someone.
The Monster Men |
