| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: jumping down lightly from the sledge and taking the whip from
under the straw, he went off to the left from his own side of
the sledge.
The snow was not deep that year, so that it was possible to
walk anywhere, but still in places it was knee-deep and got
into Nikita's boots. He went about feeling the ground with his
feet and the whip, but could not find the road anywhere.
'Well, how is it?' asked Vasili Andreevich when Nikita came
back to the sledge.
'There is no road this side. I must go to the other side and
try there,' said Nikita.
Master and Man |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Island Nights' Entertainments by Robert Louis Stevenson: be in trouble about this bottle. But there is one point very clear
- that you are sure of the trouble, and you had better have the
profit in the bargain. Make up your mind what you want with it;
give the order, and if it is done as you desire, I will buy the
bottle myself; for I have an idea of my own to get a schooner, and
go trading through the islands."
"That is not my idea," said Keawe; "but to have a beautiful house
and garden on the Kona Coast, where I was born, the sun shining in
at the door, flowers in the garden, glass in the windows, pictures
on the walls, and toys and fine carpets on the tables, for all the
world like the house I was in this day - only a storey higher, and
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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 A Lover's Complaint by William Shakespeare: My woeful self, that did in freedom stand,
And was my own fee-simple, (not in part,)
What with his heart in youth, and youth in art,
Threw my affections in his charmed power,
Reserv'd the stalk, and gave him all my flower.
'Yet did I not, as some my equals did,
Demand of him, nor being desired yielded;
Finding myself in honour so forbid,
With safest distance I mine honour shielded:
Experience for me many bulwarks builded
Of proofs new-bleeding, which remain'd the foil
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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 Koran: water; then, verily, their return shall be to hell.
Verily, they found their fathers erring, and they hurried on in
their tracks; but there had erred before them most of those of yore,
and we had sent warners amongst them. Behold, then, what was the end
of those who were warned, save God's sincere servants!
Noah did call upon us, and a gracious answer did we give; and we
saved him and his people from a mighty trouble; and we made his seed
to be the survivors; and we left for him amongst posterity peace
upon Noah in the worlds; verily, thus do we reward those who do
well; verily, he was of our believing servants.' Then we drowned the
others.
The Koran |
