The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Underground City by Jules Verne: All complied with the old overman's instructions.
As he said, by groping carefully, they could not mistake the way.
It was only necessary to make the hands take the place of the eyes,
and to trust to their instinct, which had with Simon Ford
and his son become a second nature.
James Starr and his companions walked on in the order agreed.
They did not speak, but it was not for want of thinking. It became
evident that they had an adversary. But what was he, and how were they
to defend themselves against these mysteriously-prepared attacks?
These disquieting ideas crowded into their brains. However, this was
not the moment to get discouraged.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The United States Bill of Rights: computers we used then didn't have lower case at all.
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These original Project Gutenberg Etexts will be compiled into a file
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The United States Bill of Rights.
The Ten Original Amendments to the Constitution of the United States
Passed by Congress September 25, 1789
Ratified December 15, 1791
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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 Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: climb down chimneys and enter houses by way of the fireplaces.
Perhaps the men who built those houses had outgrown their own love for
toys, and were indifferent whether Santa Claus called on their
children or not. Whatever the explanation might be, the poor children
were forced to bear the burden of grief and disappointment.
The following year Santa Claus found more and more of the
new-fashioned chimneys that had no fireplaces, and the next year still
more. The third year, so numerous had the narrow chimneys become, he
even had a few toys left in his sledge that he was unable to give
away, because he could not get to the children.
The matter had now become so serious that it worried the good man
 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
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 Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson: Her damsels, crying to their lady, `Lo!
Pelleas is dead--he told us--he that hath
His horse and armour: will ye let him in?
He slew him! Gawain, Gawain of the court,
Sir Gawain--there he waits below the wall,
Blowing his bugle as who should say him nay.'
And so, leave given, straight on through open door
Rode Gawain, whom she greeted courteously.
`Dead, is it so?' she asked. `Ay, ay,' said he,
`And oft in dying cried upon your name.'
`Pity on him,' she answered, `a good knight,
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