| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Case of the Registered Letter by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: flush, and his eyes drooped in a moment of conscious embarrassment
at some recollection, the sting of which was evidently made worse
by Muller's presence. But Commissioner von Riedau had brains enough
to acknowledge his mistakes and to learn from them. He looked across
the desk at Miss Graumann. "You are right, Madam, the police have
made that mistake more than once. And a man with a clear record
deserves the benefit of the doubt. We will take up this case.
Detective Muller will be put in charge of it. And that means, Madam,
that we are giving you the very best assistance the Imperial Police
Force affords."
Miss Babette Graumann did not attempt to speak. In a wave of
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift: was not.
"He was the more confirmed in this opinion, because, he observed,
that as I agreed in every feature of my body with other YAHOOS,
except where it was to my real disadvantage in point of strength,
speed, and activity, the shortness of my claws, and some other
particulars where nature had no part; so from the representation
I had given him of our lives, our manners, and our actions, he
found as near a resemblance in the disposition of our minds." He
said, "the YAHOOS were known to hate one another, more than they
did any different species of animals; and the reason usually
assigned was, the odiousness of their own shapes, which all could
Gulliver's Travels |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain: "But my liege! You must not be seen sitting.
Rise! -- and stand in humble posture while they pass.
You are a peasant, you know."
"True -- I had forgot it, so lost was I in planning
of a huge war with Gaul" -- he was up by this time,
but a farm could have got up quicker, if there was
any kind of a boom in real estate -- "and right-so a
thought came randoming overthwart this majestic
dream the which --"
"A humbler attitude, my lord the king -- and
quick! Duck your head! -- more! -- still more! --
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court |
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 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: and the younger sisters not worth speaking to, a wish of
being better acquainted with THEM was expressed towards
the two eldest. By Jane, this attention was received with the
greatest pleasure, but Elizabeth still saw superciliousness in
their treatment of everybody, hardly excepting even her sister,
and could not like them; though their kindness to Jane, such as it
was, had a value as arising in all probability from the influence
of their brother's admiration. It was generally evident
whenever they met, that he DID admire her and to HER it was
equally evident that Jane was yielding to the preference which
she had begun to entertain for him from the first, and was in a
Pride and Prejudice |
