| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: and disreputable head, his hooked profile, his long white
beard, and with an uncorked bottle in his hand, he re-
sembled one of those reckless sea-robbers of old making
merry amidst violence and disaster. 'The last meal on
board,' he explained solemnly. 'We had nothing to eat
all day, and it was no use leaving all this.' He flourished
the bottle and indicated the sleeping skipper. 'He said
he couldn't swallow anything, so I got him to lie down,'
he went on; and as I stared, 'I don't know whether you
are aware, young fellow, the man had no sleep to speak
of for days--and there will be dam' little sleep in the
Youth |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Z. Marcas by Honore de Balzac: saveloy; we saw on a plate, with some crumbs of bread, the remains of
that too familiar delicacy. He was asleep; he did not wake till
eleven. He then set to work again on the copy he had begun the night
before, which was lying on the table.
On going downstairs we asked the price of that room, and were told
fifteen francs a month.
In the course of a few days, we were fully informed as to the mode of
life of Z. Marcas. He did copying, at so much a sheet no doubt, for a
law-writer who lived in the courtyard of the Sainte-Chapelle. He
worked half the night; after sleeping from six till ten, he began
again and wrote till three. Then he went out to take the copy home
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories by Mark Twain: for Heaven's sake SELL!"
She broke the splendid news to Sally, and he, too, said,
"Sell! sell--oh, don't make a blunder, now, you own the earth!--
sell, sell!" But she set her iron will and lashed it amidships,
and said she would hold on for five points more if she died for it.
It was a fatal resolve. The very next day came the historic crash,
the record crash, the devastating crash, when the bottom fell out
of Wall Street, and the whole body of gilt-edged stocks dropped
ninety-five points in five hours, and the multimillionaire was seen
begging his bread in the Bowery. Aleck sternly held her grip
and "put up" ass long as she could, but at last there came a call
|
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 Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: Come; I am ready," and he rose to accompany Astok
to the latter's flier.
The listener at the ventilator came to his feet slowly,
like an old man. His face was drawn and pinched
and very white beneath the light copper of his skin.
She was to die! And he helpless to avert the tragedy.
He did not even know where she was imprisoned.
The two men were ascending from the cabin to the deck.
Turjun, the panthan, crept close to the companionway,
his sinuous fingers closing tightly upon the hilt of
his dagger. Could he despatch them both before he was
Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
