| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe: September, when the weight of the infection lying, as I may say, all
below Bridge, nobody durst appear in business for a while. But as this
continued but for a few weeks, the homeward-bound ships, especially
such whose cargoes were not liable to spoil, came to an anchor for a
time short of the Pool,* or fresh-water part of the river, even as low as
the river Medway, where several of them ran in; and others lay at the
Nore, and in the Hope below Gravesend. So that by the latter end of
October there was a very great fleet of homeward-bound ships to
come up, such as the like had not been known for many years.
* That part of the river where the ships lie up when they come home is
called the Pool, and takes in all the river on both sides of the water,
A Journal of the Plague Year |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Salome by Oscar Wilde: arriver un malheur. Manasse, Issachar, Ozias, eteignez les
flambeaux. Je ne veux pas regarder les choses. Je ne veux pas que
les choses me regardent. Eteignez les flambeaux. Cachez la lune!
Cachez les etoiles! Cachons-nous dans notre palais, Herodias. Je
commence e avoir peur.
[Les esclaves eteignent les flambeaux. Les etoiles disparaissent.
Un grand nuage noir passe e travers la lune et la cache
completement. La scene devient tout e fait sombre. Le tetrarque
commence e monter l'escalier.]
LA VOIX DE SALOME. Ah! j'ai baise ta bouche, Iokanaan, j'ai baise
ta bouche. Il y avait une acre saveur sur tes levres. Etait-ce la
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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 The Art of War by Sun Tzu: [As Li Ch`uan tersely puts it: "Gap indicates deficiency;
if the general's ability is not perfect (i.e. if he is not
thoroughly versed in his profession), his army will lack
strength."]
12. There are three ways in which a ruler can bring
misfortune upon his army:--
13. (1) By commanding the army to advance or to retreat,
being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey. This is called
hobbling the army.
[Li Ch`uan adds the comment: "It is like tying together the
legs of a thoroughbred, so that it is unable to gallop." One
The Art of War |
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 Options by O. Henry: line would strike you neglected to allow for the variation. The
variation there would be nine degrees west. Let me have your pencil."
Goodloe Banks figured rapidly on the back of an envelope.
"The distance, from north to south, of the line run from the Spanish
mission," said he, "is exactly twenty-two miles. It was run by a
pocket-compass, according to your story. Allowing for the variation,
the point on the Alamito River where you should have searched for your
treasure is exactly six miles and nine hundred and forty-five varas
farther west than the place you hit upon. Oh, what a fool you are,
Jim!"
"What is this variation that you speak of?" I asked. "I thought
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