Today's Stichomancy for Franz Kafka

The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon:

you have a naval power[22] dependent upon wealth[23] we must perforce be slaves to our slaves, in order that we may get in our slave- rents,[24] and let the real slave go free. Where you have wealthy slaves it ceases to be advantageous that my slave should stand in awe of you. In Lacedaemon my slave stands in awe of you.[25] But if your slave is in awe of me there will be a risk of his giving away his own moneys to avoid running a risk in his own person. It is for this reason then that we have established an equality between our slaves and free men; and again between our resident aliens and full citizens,[26] because the city stands in need of her resident aliens to meet the requirements of such a multiplicity of arts and for the

The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran:

Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that whereon ye do dispute.

He it is who made you vicegerents, and raised some of you above others in degree, to try you by that which he has brought you;- verily, thy Lord is swift to punish, but, verily, He is forgiving and merciful.

THE CHAPTER OF AL AARAF

(VII. Mecca.)

IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.

ALIF LAM MIM SAD. A book revealed to thee,- so let there be no straitness in thy breast, that thou mayest warn thereby,- and a

The Koran

The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Complete Poems of Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

When in arms completely furnished, Harness gold-inlaid and burnished, Mantle like a flame of fire.

Thus came Olaf to his own, When upon the night-wind blown Passed that cry along the shore; And he answered, while the rifted Streamers o'er him shook and shifted, "I accept thy challenge, Thor!"

III

THORA OF RIMOL

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 A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne:

through the politer kingdoms of the globe, in pursuit of knowledge and improvements.

Knowledge and improvements are to be got by sailing and posting for that purpose; but whether useful knowledge and real improvements is all a lottery; - and even where the adventurer is successful, the acquired stock must be used with caution and sobriety, to turn to any profit: - but, as the chances run prodigiously the other way, both as to the acquisition and application, I am of opinion, That a man would act as wisely, if he could prevail upon himself to live contented without foreign knowledge or foreign improvements, especially if he lives in a country that has no absolute want of