| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: "Was there ever such a man!" she exclaimed. "I know that
Barsoom has never before seen your like. Can it be that all
Earth men are as you? Alone, a stranger, hunted, threatened,
persecuted, you have done in a few short months what in
all the past ages of Barsoom no man has ever done: joined
together the wild hordes of the sea bottoms and brought them
to fight as allies of a red Martian people."
"The answer is easy, Dejah Thoris," I replied smiling. "It
was not I who did it, it was love, love for Dejah Thoris, a
power that would work greater miracles than this you have seen."
A pretty flush overspread her face and she answered,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln: Now we are engaged in a great civil war. . .testing whether
that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. . .
can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war.
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place
for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . .
we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead,
who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power
to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember,
what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
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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 Domestic Peace by Honore de Balzac: his left hand; the rainbow fires of the gem seemed to flash a sudden
light on the young Countess' mind; she blushed and looked at the Baron
with an undefinable expression.
"Do you like dancing?" asked the Provencal, to reopen the
conversation.
"Yes, very much, monsieur."
At this strange reply their eyes met. The young man, surprised by the
earnest accent, which aroused a vague hope in his heart, had suddenly
questioned the lady's eyes.
"Then, madame, am I not overbold in offering myself to be your partner
for the next quadrille?'
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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 Odyssey by Homer: ship. Furthermore, she craved a swift ship of Noemon,
famous son of Phronius, and right gladly he promised it.
Now the sun sank and all the ways were darkened. Then at
length she let drag the swift ship to the sea and stored
within it all such tackling as decked ships carry. And she
moored it at the far end of the harbour and the good
company was gathered together, and the goddess cheered on
all.
Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, turned to other
thoughts. She went on her way to the house of divine
Odysseus; and there she shed sweet sleep upon the wooers
The Odyssey |
